New Car Sales Can’t Bring Down Average Vehicle Age

In spite of increasing car sales, the auto population in America continues to age.

The combined average age of all light vehicles on the road in the U.S. was 11.4 years as of Jan. 1, same as the year before, says IHS Automotive and its Polk subsidiary. That’s still at the highest levels since Polk started tracking it.

For another year, that’s a record level — and now trucks have hit the same level as cars.

“In our history of tracking, we have seen a gradual increase in the average age of vehicles on the road,” says Mark Seng, director of aftermarket solutions at IHS Automotive, in a statement. “This year, we’re seeing somewhat of a plateau in the market, and expect it to remain over the next few years.”

New cars aren’t bringing the average age down in the fleet, because older cars simply last longer.

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