Digital Auto Care Factbook 2018 - 60

U.S. New Motor Vehicle Registrations
Powered by an improving economy, Americans last year purchased a record number of vehicles. U.S. new vehicle registrations
totaled 17.9 million in 2016 thereby recording the seventh consecutive year of year-over-year growth streak and reversing the heavy
losses experienced in 2009.
Cheaper gasoline last year led to an increase in the sale of light trucks, compared to passenger cars. Light trucks grew 8 percent in
2016, achieving a record number in new registration and represent 61.1% of total Light Vehicle Sales. Meanwhile, new passenger car
registrations decreased 7.7 percent while import vehicles continue to dominate this category with 71.1 percent of total sales.
Combined registrations of new medium (GVW 4-6) and heavy-duty (GVW 7-8) vehicles experienced its largest drop in eight years.
Registrations decreased by 8.4 percent to 437,000 units in 2016. Driving this loss was the year-over-year decrease of 18.3 percent in
heavy-duty registrations which were partially offset by the 12.3 percent increase posted for medium duty trucks.

U.S. New Vehicle Registrations, 2000-2016
(In Thousands)
U.S.
Motor Vehicle Registrations, 2000 to 2016 (In Thousands)

CARS

Report
Year
Domestic

Import

2000

4,691

4,154

2001

4,191

TOTAL
LIGHT
VEHICLES

LIGHT TRUCKS (GVW 1-3)

%
Import

Light Truck
% of
Total Light
Vehicles

MEDIUM & HEAVY DUTY
TRUCKS

Total
Light
Vehicles

Medium
Duty
Trucks
GVW4-6

Heavy
Duty
Trucks
GVW7-8

TOTAL VEHICLES

Medium
& Heavy
All
Trucks Vehicles

%
Change
from
Previous
Year

Total

%
Import

Domestic

Import

Total

8,845

47.0%

6,778

1,812

8,590

21.1%

49.3%

17,435

166

342

508

17,943

na

4,345

8,536

50.9%

6,725

2,030

8,755

23.2%

50.6%

17,291

146

240

386

17,677

-1.5%

2002

3,698

4,338

8,036

54.0%

6,617

2,062

8,679

23.8%

51.9%

16,715

128

222

350

17,065

-3.5%

2003

3,421

4,214

7,635

55.2%

6,599

2,384

8,983

26.5%

54.1%

16,618

139

231

370

16,988

-0.5%

2004

3,198

4,286

7,484

57.3%

6,689

2,694

9,383

28.7%

55.6%

16,867

171

297

468

17,335

2.0%

2005

3,137

4,449

7,587

58.6%

6,348

2,826

9,174

30.8%

54.7%

16,761

189

346

535

17,296

-0.2%

2006

3,126

4,646

7,773

59.8%

5,775

3,027

8,802

34.4%

53.1%

16,574

197

380

577

17,151

-0.8%

2007

2,751

4,788

7,539

63.5%

5,412

3,072

8,484

36.2%

53.0%

16,023

181

246

427

16,451

-4.1%

2008

2,327

4,473

6,800

65.8%

3,955

2,462

6,418

38.4%

48.6%

13,218

132

192

324

13,541

-17.7%

2009

1,674

3,661

5,336

68.6%

2,877

2,138

5,015

42.6%

48.5%

10,351

78

146

224

10,575

-21.9%

2010

1,800

3,751

5,551

68.1%

3,371

2,559

5,930

43.1%

50.8%

11,480

82

162

244

11,724

10.9%

2011

1,991

3,998

5,989

66.8%

3,899

2,768

6,668

41.5%

52.7%

12,657

103

218

321

12,978

10.7%

2012

2,230

4,872

7,102

68.6%

4,105

3,106

7,212

43.1%

50.4%

14,314

120

251

371

14,685

13.2%

2013

2,411

5,025

7,436

67.6%

4,503

3,443

7,947

43.3%

51.7%

15,383

135

244

379

15,762

7.3%

2014

2,348

5,206

7,554

68.9%

4,983

3,793

8,777

43.2%

53.7%

16,331

146

287

433

16,764

6.4%

2015

2,207

5,142

7,349

70.0%

5,532

4,318

9,850

43.8%

57.3%

17,199

155

322

477

17,676

5.4%

2016

1,917

4,865

6,782

71.7%

5,866

4,773

10,640

44.9%

61.1%

17,422

174

263

437

17,859

1.0%

U.S. Motor Vehicle Registrations, 2004-2016 (In Thousands)
20,000
18,000
16,000
14,000
12,000
10,000
8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000
0

468

535

577

427

379
324

9,383

9,174

8,802

8,484

224
5,015

7,484

7,586

7,773

7,539

6,800

5,336

7,947

244

6,418
5,930

5,551

6,668

5,989

437

9,850

10,640

8,777

7,436

Light Trucks

Historical data have been revised.
Domestic vehicles refer to those vehicles
manufactured by US companies (GM, Ford,
Chrysler, Tesla) and their sub-brands.

Source: Light vehicle registration counts from
IHSMARKIT's NVPP® database as of
December 31, 2016.

7,212

7,102

Notes:

7,554

7,349

6,782

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Medium &
Heavy Trucks

60

321

433

371

477

Cars

The 2018 Digital Factbook is Copyright © 1990 Auto Care Association and/or its licensor. 
All other rights reserved.  Use of the 2018 Digital Factbook is subject to compliance with the Legal Terms and Conditions found on page 119 of this report.

Medium and heavy duty truck registration
from IHSMARKIT's Trucking Industry
Profile® system as of December 31, 2016.
© 2017 IHSMARKIT. Reproduction in whole
or in part is prohibited without written
permission of IHSMARKIT, 248-728-7000,
www.IHSMARKIT.com.
http://www.IHSMARKIT.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Digital Auto Care Factbook 2018
