Yes, Cars on the Road Are Getting Older, SEMA Confirms

The Specialty Equipment Market Association, which you might be familiar with as a result of their massive annual trade show in Las Vegas, represents over 7000 member companies that "create, buy, sell, and use specialty-automotive parts that make vehicles more unique, attractive, convenient, safer, fun, and even like new again." As a result, they tend to have a finger on the pulse of the consumer automotive business.

That's evident from a new survey SEMA has done "on the latest trends and developments in vehicle lifecycles, and providing new insights for those who provide parts for accessorizing and modifying the U.S.'s more than 289 million vehicles."

The bad news: Unless you are a SEMA member, you have to ante up $1500 for the report. The good news: We have the highlights here.

• Vehicles are staying on the road longer, a continuing trend. The average U.S. vehicle age is now at 12.6 years, its highest number in over a decade. Passenger cars are now an average of 14 years old (up from 13.6), while light trucks rose slightly to 11.9, from 11.8.

• The used-car market ticks downward but remains historically high. The average listing price of a used vehicle in the U.S. is $25,251, as of July 2024. Car values have fallen faster than that of light trucks, with the sharpest decrease in overall vehicle value found in EVs (-11 percent).

• Stabilization of new vehicle prices are offset by the climb of interest rates in recent years. The average new vehicle price sits at $48,644, down slightly from the year prior, and halting a dramatic climb that began in the beginning of 2021. However, interest rates for new and used vehicles continue to hound buyers, remaining significantly higher than those offered in 2021-2022, regardless of loan-term length.

• Automakers are producing fewer entry-level vehicles. While new vehicle inventory in 2024 has reached a three-and-a-half-year high, small cars and other entry-level vehicles (those priced below $20,000) make up just 0.7 percent of the market, compared with seven percent five years ago. This lack of affordability has a profound impact on younger people, who are historically more price-sensitive than older drivers.

• We've had two decades of increasingly dependable vehicles. Since 2003, vehicles have exhibited fewer problems, highlighting a growing reliability that is a boon to consumers. However, recent years have yielded an increase in vehicle issues tied to new technology-based automotive features, including driving assistance and infotainment systems; this trend could impact future dependability.

• The nation's fleet of vehicles is growing. The past year saw the net addition of 3 million more vehicles to the roads, with crossovers (72.7 million) closing the gap with passenger cars (89.2 million) as the dominant segment of the entire fleet. However, compared to 10 years ago, vehicle registrations skew more heavily toward light trucks than cars.

• SEMA's core, the specialty-equipment aftermarket continues to grow and is expected to keep growing. Specialty equipment retail sales in 2023 surpassed $52.3 billion and are forecasted to grow to more than $57 billion by 2026.

The research also reveals trends across four categories of vehicles (Classic, Aged, Core, and Modern), highlighting age, popularity, usage, and consumer spending habits. For accessorizing, pickups and muscle cars are the top choices for enthusiasts. Meanwhile, vehicles in the Aged category are driving spending for performance products, as a way to refresh their older vehicle. Aftermarket product spending for Modern and Core vehicles (59 percent and 54 percent respectively) was primarily on accessory and appearance products, while 43 percent of spending on Classic vehicles was for performance products.

If you aren't a SEMA member and want to spend money on a copy of the report, it's here.