Digital Auto Care Factbook 2018 - 62

U.S. Motor Vehicle Population
The number of registered motor vehicles
in the U.S. grew to 278 million in 2017. The
number increased by 2.4 percent from
the previous year's 272 million. Of the 278
million total vehicle fleet, light vehicles
accounted for 270.4 million, while medium
and heavy-duty truck registrations totaled
8.2 million.
The trend in aging vehicles coincided with
the recession in 2008, when Americans
held on to their vehicles longer. However,
subsequent recovery in the economy has
failed to reverse the trend. For the sixth
consecutive year, the average age of

passenger cars reached 11 years. Total
light vehicles increased from 11.6 to 11.7
years in 2017. On average, light vehicles
are being held one year longer than six
years ago. The fact that Americans are
continuing to hold their cars longer bodes
well for the auto care industry.
Evidence of the aging light vehicle fleet can
be seen in the age mix of vehicles. This
chart shows that vehicles in the 11+ year
old category now comprises 48.5 percent
of total light vehicles (up from 36.3 percent
in 2008) and, is growing significantly faster
(CAGR 4.1) than total vehicles in operation

at 1.7%. It is this analysis that helps to
explain how the industry can sustain
growth in the face of rising gasoline prices
and modest growth in miles driven.
Additional evidence of the aging light
vehicle population can be seen in the
overall scrappage rate. About 11.4 million
light vehicles were taken out of service
in 2017, representing 4.2 percent of the
overall light vehicles population. This
is significantly lower than the record
14.2 million (5.7 percent) light vehicles
scrapped in 2013.

U.S. Population (VIO), 2002-2017
(In
Thousands)
U.S.
Motor

Vehicle Population (VIO), 2002-2017 (In Thousands)

CARS

Report
Year Domestic

2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017

81,999
79,727
77,005
74,092
71,179
68,553
65,896
63,220
60,316
58,111
55,416
52,949
51,581
50,501
49,368
48,021

Import

TOTAL
LIGHT
VEHICLES

MEDIUM & HEAVY DUTY
TRUCKS

Light Truck
% of
Total Light
Vehicles

Total
Light
Vehicles

Medium Heavy
Duty
Duty
Medium
Trucks
Trucks & Heavy
GVW4-6 GVW7-8 Trucks

43.4%
44.7%
46.0%
47.4%
48.6%
49.5%
50.3%
50.6%
50.9%
51.3%
51.9%
52.3%
52.6%
53.1%
53.8%
54.7%

230,529
235,231
239,248
243,038
246,335
249,312
251,894
252,158
249,432
249,474
248,721
248,849
252,601
257,910
264,075
270,443

LIGHT TRUCKS (GVW 1-3)

Total

48,449 130,448
50,462 130,189
52,182 129,187
53,821 127,913
55,554 126,733
57,419 125,971
59,417 125,313
61,236 124,456
62,135 122,451
63,261 121,372
64,117 119,533
65,677 118,625
68,049 119,631
70,440 120,941
72,616 121,984
74,425 122,446

%
Import

Domestic

Import

Total

%
Import

37.1%
38.8%
40.4%
42.1%
43.8%
45.6%
47.4%
49.2%
50.7%
52.1%
53.6%
55.4%
56.9%
58.2%
59.5%
60.8%

84,376
87,820
91,036
94,037
96,390
97,889
98,905
98,453
96,678
96,164
95,547
94,726
95,170
96,440
98,351
100,578

15,706
17,221
19,025
21,087
23,211
25,452
27,676
29,249
30,302
31,938
33,642
35,498
37,800
40,530
43,740
47,419

100,082
105,042
110,061
115,124
119,602
123,341
126,581
127,702
126,981
128,102
129,188
130,224
132,970
136,969
142,091
147,997

15.7%
16.4%
17.3%
18.3%
19.4%
20.6%
21.9%
22.9%
23.9%
24.9%
26.0%
27.3%
28.4%
29.6%
30.8%
32.0%

2,528
2,817
2,773
2,834
2,797
2,790
2,749
2,567
2,853
2,493
2,867
2,845
2,629
2,704
2,903
2,973

4,276
4,730
4,826
4,795
4,703
4,806
4,647
4,346
4,819
4,185
4,817
4,993
4,490
4,652
5,071
5,191

6,803
7,548
7,599
7,629
7,501
7,596
7,395
6,914
7,673
6,678
7,684
7,839
7,119
7,356
7,973
8,164

TOTAL VEHICLES

All
Vehicles

%
Change
from
Previous
Year

237,333
242,778
246,847
250,667
253,835
256,908
259,289
259,072
257,105
256,152
256,405
256,688
259,720
265,266
272,048
278,608

2.3%
1.7%
1.5%
1.3%
1.2%
0.9%
-0.1%
-0.8%
-0.4%
0.1%
0.1%
1.2%
2.1%
2.6%
2.4%

Source: IHS Markit© 2017

U.S. Light Vehicle Population, 2002-2017 (In Thousands)
000's
100,000
90,000
80,000
70,000
60,000
50,000
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
0

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

Domestic Cars

2007

2008

Import Cars

2009

2010

2011

Domestic Lite Trucks

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

Import Lite Trucks
Source: IHS Markit© 2017

62

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