Vehicle Remarketing Logo

Residual Value of 3-Year-Old Vehicles Slipping

The average residual value of a three-year-old vehicle — the most commonly remarketed fleet vehicle — will fall 8% by 2019 as a result of an increase in the supply of used vehicles, according to a Black Book forecast.

by Staff
May 17, 2016
2 min to read


The average residual value of a three-year-old vehicle — the most commonly remarketed fleet vehicle — will fall 8% by 2019 as a result of an increase in the supply of used vehicles, according to a Black Book forecast.

Residuals on an average three-year-old vehicle will dip from the current three-year retention of 52.0% in 2016, to 47.8% by 2019, according to Black Book's May forecast. The percent is forecasted to drop to 50.1% in 2017 and to 48.6% in 2018.

Ad Loading...

Favorable credit availability, continued growth in demand, and consistently low gas prices have provided support in keeping retention rates high in the last five years, according to Black Book. Increased used supply in the marketplace, driven by the significantly large volume of sales on new cars and trucks has played a driving role in slipping retention rates this year.

"Despite the industry’s continued efforts to maintain a strong pace of sales on new cars and trucks, the increased level of supply in the used market has begun to weaken prices on both cars and trucks," said Anil Goyal, senior vice president of automotive valuation and analytics. "We saw the first sign of this in 2015, when cars saw above-average depreciation on the year, and this year we will see rising depreciation for truck segments as well."

Retention values on a three-year-old vehicle peaked in 2013 when vehicles were retaining approximately 54.5% of their original typically-equipped retail value.

Originally posted on Automotive Fleet

More Operations

an image of yellow iron in a lot
Operations•by Staff•August 31, 2026

CAS Automotive Launches Remarketing Service for Damaged, Surplus Equipment

Damaged Equipment expands CAS Automotive’s vehicle remarketing model to commercial equipment, targeting fleet operators, insurers, equipment dealers, and rental companies.

Read More →
total fleet sales cumulative Jan to July 2026
Operations•by Chris Brown•August 10, 2026

Fleet Sales Hold Steady as Commercial Gains Offset Rental Decline

Commercial and government fleet sales increased through July 2026, offsetting most of the decline in rental volume and leaving combined comparable fleet sales 0.5% above the same period last year.

Read More →
personnel update for Automotive Fleet
Operations•by Staff and News Reports•August 6, 2026

Personnel Update: BrickHouse GPS, PRO-VISION, Auto Driveaway, and Proaction

Check out the latest must-know fleet personnel updates from the last couple of months.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Arrival feature app on a map
Operations•by News/Media Release•August 6, 2026

What Comes Next for Auto Driveaway?

A new Auto Driveaway feature called Arrive provides recipients with live location updates and ETAs during the final hour of a vehicle move, while fleet customers continue to have end-to-end shipment visibility through the company's customer portal.

Read More →
Blue bar graphs showing changes in wholesale used vehicle prices based on vehicle segments.
Auctions•by News/Media Release•July 9, 2026

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 →
Green and black bar graphs showing 2026 versus 2025 fleet sales.
Fleet•by Martin Romjue•July 8, 2026

Commercial Fleet Sales Contribute To June, YTD Gains

The fleet sector has boosted its vehicle purchases at a reliable pace in the first half of this year compared with 1H 2025.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Bright green electric vehicle plugged into a charger inside a service and reconditioning facility, with additional vehicles lined up in the background.
Operations•July 1, 2026

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 →
Graphic featuring the Work Truck logo above the headline "Maximize Asset Value" over a blurred image of white commercial box trucks lined up in a fleet parking area. The graphic accompanies a story about AP Fleet Management's expanded remarketing program for commercial work trucks and fleet vehicles.
Operations•by Lauren Fletcher•June 29, 2026

AP Fleet Management Expands Remarketing Program for Commercial Work Trucks

AP Fleet Management expanded its commercial vehicle remarketing program with dedicated resale services and an online marketplace for used work trucks.

Read More →
Vertical dark blue graphs showing new and used EV sales
Fleet•by News/Media Release•June 16, 2026

Used EVs Strengthen Overall Electric Vehicle Market

The latest sales data point to several reasons for the divergent trends in new and used EVs that can factor into fleet cycling decisions.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A double-decker stinger car hauler carries a full load of new white vehicles along an interstate highway.
Fleet•June 1, 2026

The Data-Driven Haul: 5 Ways AI is Leveling the Playing Field in Auto Transport

Large and small transport fleets are becoming more competitive as predictive analytics and real-time data inform the logistics decision chain.

Read More →