• Car & light truck sales continue to decline.

• Parts shortages continue to play a role in the weakness.

• Both domestic & import sales fall.

The Autodata Corporation reported that light vehicle sales during July declined 4.5% (+0.3% y/y) to 14.73 million units (SAAR). They have fallen 20.4% since the April peak of 18.50 million units. Sales were revised slightly through 2020.

Weakness spread throughout the light vehicle market. Sales of light trucks declined 4.5% (+0.5% y/y) in July to 11.21 million units after falling 10.0% in June. Purchases of domestically-made light trucks fell 4.8% in July (-2.1% y/y) to 8.50 million units after a 9.8% June decline. Sales of imported light trucks weakened 3.6% last month (+9.7% y/y) to 2.71 million, down from April's record 3.30 million units.

Buyers continue to prefer larger vehicles. Trucks' share of the light vehicle market was little changed at 76.1% last month.

Auto sales declined along with light trucks. Passenger car sales were off 4.9% (-0.6% y/y) in July to 3.51 million units after falling 9.8% in June. Purchases of domestically-produced cars weakened 4.6% last month (-10.2% y/y) to 2.28 million units after falling 8.1% in June. Sales of imported autos weakened 4.6% (+25.3% y/y) to 1.24 million following a 12.8% June decline.

Imports' share of the U.S. vehicle market edged higher last month to 26.8% and remained up from 23.5% in December. It has been rising steadily from 19.9% in 2015. Imports' share of the passenger car market rose slightly to 35.3% in July. Imports' share of the light truck market rose to 24.2% last month.

U.S. vehicle sales figures can be found in Haver's USECON database. Additional detail by manufacturer is in the INDUSTRY database.