Used Sales Hit Summer Drag
The vacation season, combined with high prices, has dented deliveries and added to inventories, though supply is still slim enough to keep listings elevated.
Cox said used inventory was still fairly limited based on 'recent historical norms.'
Pexels/Tom Fisk
Used-vehicle sales have so far followed normal summer season slowdown patterns, bumping up inventories, though prices aren’t helping with demand.
Average used listing prices were flat month-over-month in June but were still up 6% from a year earlier, Cox Automotive reported.
Combined franchised and retail used supply ended the month at 2.1 million units, or 47 days’ supply, up 1% from May, as the average listing price of $27,027 likely contributed to softened retail sales. Used-vehicle prices were up in almost all age groups.
Deliveries were down about 2% from both May and a year earlier despite credit access reaching a nearly 11-year high.
Inventory was still fairly limited based on “recent historical norms,” Cox said.
In the certified preowned segment, sales were up 5% year-over-year to a little more than 210,000 units, though that’s down about 8% from May and represents about a half percentage point drop in the share of total used retail sales. CPO deliveries are down about 2% in the first half of the year from 2025’s first half.
DIG DEEPER: The Trade-In Paradox
More Showroom
Year-to-Date Auto Sales Holding Their Own
A forecast through August shows that automakers have shifted strategies to keep deliveries and revenues up despite tariffs and other economic challenges.
Read More →
Slow to Robo
Ten years of polling consumers shows autonomous vehicles’ profiles have risen considerably, but even more people now want at least some level of control if they go that route.
Read More →
Dealers a Little Down
A third-quarter Cox Automotive survey finds them in a mixed mood, bummed by fallen customer traffic but encouraged by better profits, costs and EV interest.
Read More →
European EV Sales Skyrocket
The EV market on the continent held strong in July with almost 25% of new-car sales being fully electric units, a stark contrast to the U.S., where EV sales declined about 42%.
Read More →
Mitsubishi Unveils U.S. Plan
The automaker announced a strategy that includes an expanded lineup and dealership presence, along with more ‘rugged’ and electric models.
Read More →
Used Lots Getting the Business
Many consumers are seeking out the units to save money, and the demand – higher in July than normal – is keeping supply limited and prices up.
Read More →
Used Market Stabilizes
The Carfax Used Car Index noted a major drop in used-vehicle price increases in July after several months of hikes.
Read More →
California Hybrids Reach State Record
The Golden State still leads the country in electric-vehicle registrations, but much like the rest of the U.S. its hybrid market share is up while full electrics stabilize after a dramatic first-quarter dip.
Read More →
My Mercedes in the U.S.
The German brand debuted its studio dealership concept for the first time in the states in Los Angeles, tapping Americans’ penchant for creative distinctions.
Read More →
California Launches EV Rebate Program
Participating automakers are matching the state's $13.5 million investment in new electric-vehicle rebates scheduled to take effect later this summer.
Read More →