Vehicles Sales Decrease to 15.60 million SAAR in January

Wards Auto released their estimate of light vehicle sales for January: U.S. Light-Vehicle Sales Start 2025 With 4% Increase in January (pay site).

There did not appear to be an end-of-month boost in demand, either as a rebound from the mid-month weather-related losses or pull-ahead volume in case of still-possible future tariff-related price increases. However, January’s gain marked the fourth straight year-over-year increase in volume and fifth consecutive for the seasonally adjusted annual rate.

Click on graph for larger image.

This graph shows light vehicle sales since 2006 from the BEA (blue) and Wards' estimate for January (red).

Sales in January (15.60 million SAAR) were down 7.1% from December, and up 3.8% from January 2024.

Sales in January were at the consensus forecast.

The second graph shows light vehicle sales since the BEA started keeping data in 1967.

This was the best January since 2021.