| Actual | Previous | |
| Total Vehicle Sales - Annual Rate | 16.3M | 15.8M |
| North American-Made Sales - Annual Rate | 12.7M | 12.2M |
Highlights
Sales of new motor vehicles rose to a 16.3 million unit seasonally adjusted annual rate in March after 15.8 million units in February, but are slower than the 17.9 million units in March 2025. Domestic-built motor vehicles are at a 12.7 million unit rate in March after 12.2 million units in February and 13.6 million units in March 2025. Domestic-built motor vehicles account for 78 percent of all sales in March. March sales may be rebounding after harsh winter weather in January and February delayed some buying decisions.
Sales of passenger vehicles are little changed at 2.698 million units in March from 2.679 million units in February. Sales of light trucks which include minivans, SUVs, and crossovers are up to 13.646 million units in March after 13.079 million units in February. Sales of light trucks continue to dominate sales with 83 percent of the total.
Sales of heavy trucks predominantly use by businesses are down to a 342,000 unit pace in March after 376,000 in February and 458,000 in March 2025. The rush to buy trucks in 2025 to get ahead of higher prices related to tariffs means less investment in equipment in 2026.
Definition
Unit sales of motor vehicles, published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis at the beginning of each month, include domestic sales and imports. Domestics are sales of autos produced in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Imports are U.S. sales of vehicles produced elsewhere. The data track all passenger cars and light trucks up to 14,000 pounds gross weight (including minivans and sport utility vehicles). Though totals include a relatively small portion sold to businesses, motor vehicle sales are good indicators of trends in consumer spending and often are considered a leading indicator at business cycle turning points.
Description
Since motor vehicle sales are an important element of consumer spending, market players watch this closely to get a handle on the direction of the economy. The pattern of consumption spending is one of the foremost influences on stock and bond markets. Strong economic growth translates to healthy corporate profits and higher stock prices. The bond market focus is on whether economic growth goes overboard and leads to inflation. Ideally, the economy walks that fine line between strong growth and excessive (inflationary) growth. This balance was achieved through much of the nineties. For this reason alone, investors in the stock and bond markets enjoyed huge gains during the bull market of the 1990s.
Retail sales growth did slow down in tandem with the equity market during the 2001 recession but then, boosted by a low interest rate environment, rose sharply through 2007 before falling sharply during the Great Recession. Sales then recovered and, once again boosted by low rates, began a long period of steady and favorable growth.
In a more specific sense, auto and truck sales show market conditions for auto makers and the slew of auto-related companies. These figures can influence particular stock prices and provide insight to investment opportunities in this industry. Given that most consumers borrow money to buy cars or trucks, sales also reflect confidence in current and future economic conditions.