Related: New Vehicle Transaction Prices Rise 1.6% in December
New Vehicle Sales Fall for First Time in Seven Years
The auto industry sold 17.2 million new vehicles in 2017, 1.8% less than in 2016, breaking a seven-year streak of year-over-year sales growth, according to data from Motor Intelligence.

Photo by Eric Gandarilla.

Photo by Eric Gandarilla.
The auto industry sold 17.2 million new vehicles in 2017, 1.8% less than in 2016, breaking a seven-year streak of year-over-year sales growth, according to data from Motor Intelligence.
Of the 17.2 million vehicles sold, roughly 10.9 million were trucks while 6.3 million were cars. As has been the case for the last several years, the market share of trucks versus cars continued to lean in trucks’ favor.
In 2017, trucks accounted for 63.4% of new vehicle sales while cars accounted for 36.6%; in 2016 the split was 59.4% trucks and 40.6% cars.
Although vehicle sales were boosted in the months surrounding Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, much of 2017 lagged in terms of sales versus the same period in 2016. Sales in the last month of 2017 were particularly weak. Out of all of the manufacturers that sell in the U.S. only six — Subaru, Daimler AG, BMW, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, and Ford — saw year-over-year sales growth in December.
Looking at full-year 2017, the only domestic brand to see higher full-year sales last year compared to 2016 was Tesla Motors. All other brands to see higher year-over-year sales were imports — Honda, Nissan, Volkswagen, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Jaguar Land Rover, Porsche, Ferrari, and Maserati.
The volume sold by these companies, however, was significantly less than the volume sold by the companies that saw a fall in sales in 2017, resulting in the 1.8% year-over-year drop for full-year sales.
More Used Vehicle Values

Manheim Index Shows Used-Vehicle Wholesale Prices Up 2.1% in June
The market is seeing stronger appreciation in older used vehicles this year, and the most affordable segments have been among the year’s best performers.
Read More →
Stop Remarketing Electric Vehicles Like Gas Cars
The advantages and attributes of electric vehicles are upending the traditional remarketing cycle, requiring fleet sellers to rely on new factors and approaches detailed below.
Read More →
Used Vehicle Prices Climb Higher As Sales Pace Slows
The higher prices at used retail reflect strong wholesale values earlier in the spring, particularly for older, more affordable vehicles.
Read More →
Wholesale Used Vehicle Market Sustains Moderate Rise In Values, Prices
Trends continue to normalize after a strong start to the year, as consumers contend with higher gas prices in the coming summer months.
Read More →
Used EV Sales Grow In April
While EV sales declined, used EV sales grew, as tighter inventory and rising prices reflected a more normalized pace for the EV market.
Read More →
Wholesale Used Vehicle Prices Slightly Up In April
The Iranian conflict and rising gas prices inject much uncertainty into the future wholesale used vehicle markets, as higher gas prices soak up spendable income from vehicle buyers.
Read More →
CAR 2026 Recap Part 2: Closing the Gap Between Data & Remarketing Value
The second half of CAR 2026 examined how fleets can translate lifecycle strategy, vehicle data, and market shifts into higher real-world results.
Read More →
CAR2026 in Two Words: Velocity, Value (Part 1)
The 2026 Conference of Automotive Remarketing convened with a mandate to involve a new constituency — fleet managers — and an updated mission to demonstrate unrealized value in de-fleeted vehicles.
Read More →
March Used Vehicle Inventory Falls To Lowest Since 2019
Franchised and independent dealers had a total of 1.95 million used vehicles in stock in March, the lowest on record in the current data set.
Read More →
Spring Bounce Pushes Q1 Used Vehicle Values Higher
Demand signals remain strong at auctions, with sales conversions, a clear sign of demand, reaching 68.2% in the most recent measure.
Read More →