Used Sales Surge
May deliveries hit two-year-plus high as volume trims a little off supply.

Sales were also up in the certified preowned segment, though it's flat year-to-date.
Pexels
Used retail vehicle sales jumped in May to the strongest volume in more than two years.
The 16% surge to 1.6 million units, reflected in both month-over-month and year-over-year comparisons, was seen for franchised and independent dealers, Cox Automotive said.
It ate into inventory, which fell from 48 days to 45' worth to 2.26 million units, though that's up 3% year-over-year. Consequently, the average listing price rose, still by less than 1% to $25,670, which is down 6% year-over-year.
The volume was the peak for the year so far and the highest level for any month since March 2022 during the height of that year’s tax refund season, said Cox, which pointed out that this spring’s selling period hasn’t turned any heads.
Sales were also up in the certified preowned segment of used deliveries by about 3% year-over-year and 8% month-over-month to nearly 226,000 units. CPO sales, though, are flat year-to-date.
DIG DEEPER: Auto Credit Access Stable
More Industry

Toyota Financial Services Adds to HQ
The subsidiary says the new Texas facility is designed to foster collaboration and innovation with the aim of future growth.
Read More →
Four-Figure Loan Payments on the Rise
A LendingTree analysis found that location, age and credit score play a role in the rising amount of auto loan borrowers who make monthly payments of $1,000 or more.
Read More →
Dealer Debrief: New-Vehicle Sales Update
In this week's debrief, host Lauren Lawrence discusses the state of new-vehicle sales.
Read More →
Color Your Ride
The first vehicles by startup automaker Slate will come with the option of a medley of wraps in five colors familiar from your childhood.
Read More →
China Leads Global EV Sales
Globally, electric-vehicle sales are continuing their upward trajectory, buoyed by Chinese exports, as the North American region continues to lag behind.
Read More →
How Defection Data is Bridging the Dealership Conversion Gap
Lead volume is flat, cross-shopping is up and brand loyalty is in retreat. As confident sales teams keep losing buyers they thought they had, daily industry sales data is showing dealers exactly where their funnel is breaking and how to fix it without buying a single new lead.
Read More →
Optimized Charging Could Reduce Costs
According to an Alliance for Automotive Innovation analysis, optimized EV charging could cut costs for drivers and improve grid infrastructure - potential adoption incentives.
Read More →
June Automotive Boon?
A forecast for this month’s new-vehicle sales tells a familiar 2026 story: Year-over-year comparisons must be made in light of last year’s aberrations.
Read More →
Safety Improvements Save Lives
Over the past 30 years, automakers have made many safety tweaks to their vehicles. An insurance industry testing group says that's largely thanks to its crash-worthiness program and that prevented fatalities are the clear result.
Read More →
Indiana Dealership Changes Hands
The Chicago-area CDJR store has been in business for nearly 70 years and is now part of a fast-growing automotive group spread across six states.
Read More →
