U.S. new and used car sales

Sales of used light vehicles in the United States came to around 38.2 million units in 2023. The same year, approximately 15.5 million new light trucks and automobiles were sold here.

Declining availability of vehicles

In the fourth quarter of 2023, about 288.5 million vehicles were in operation in the United States, an increase of under one percent year-over-year. The rising demand for vehicles paired with the automotive semiconductor shortage means that used vehicle inventories are declining. As a result, used vehicle prices and new vehicle prices are expected to increase.

E-commerce: a solution for the bumpy road ahead?

Financial reports have revealed how the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic has triggered a shift in vehicle-buying behavior. With many consumer goods and services now bought online due to COVID-19, the automobile industry has also started to digitally integrate its services online to reach consumers with a preference for contactless test driving amid the global crisis. Several dealers and automobile companies had already begun to tap into online car sales before the pandemic, some of them being Carvana and Tesla.

New and used light vehicle sales in the United States from 2010 to 2023 (in million units)

Characteristic	Used sales	New sales
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Release date

2024

More information

Region

United States

Survey time period

2010 to 2023

Special properties

as of the fourth quarter of each year.

Supplementary notes

The values have been rounded.

The figures for 2010 through 2016 were taken from the National Transportation Statistics report (table 1-17), published by the U.S. Department of Transportation in May 2020.
Figures prior to 2023 were retrieved from earlier publications by the source.

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