Average U.S. vehicle age hits record 12.6 years as high prices force people to keep them longer

[mystery-ak]

Average U.S. vehicle age hits record 12.6 years as high prices force people to keep them longer
Published Wed, May 22 202412:47 PM EDT

Cars, trucks and SUVs in the U.S. keep getting older, hitting a record average age of 12.6 years in 2024 as people hang on to their vehicles largely because new ones cost so much.

S&P Global Mobility, which tracks state vehicle registration data nationwide, said Wednesday that the average vehicle age grew about two months from last year’s record.

But the growth in average age is starting to slow as new vehicle sales start to recover from pandemic-related shortages of parts, including computer chips. The average increased by three months in 2023.

Still, with an average U.S. new-vehicle selling price of just over $45,000 last month, many can’t afford to buy new — even though prices are down more than $2,000 from the peak in December of 2022, according to J.D. Power.

“It’s prohibitively high for a lot of households now,” said Todd Campau, aftermarket leader for S&P Global Mobility. “So I think consumers are being painted into the corner of having to keep the vehicle on the road longer.”

more
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/22/aging-cars-trucks-suvs.html

[Sighlass]

I have never owned a new car/truck... and will probable go out that way. I just can't justify paying that much for one, I did buy the wife a used 2y/o (15k miles) van a few years back, but personally, I just buy used good pickups from folks I know (how they treated them) when the need arises. Served me well... but I am more a homebody than most folks and don't do extensive traveling. Got a 13 y/o truck for sale at lower/around than 150k miles on it, I might be interested.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

My vehicles are both pre-2020. Pre-2018 for that matter. Run fine.

[libertybele]

My vehicles are both pre-2020. Pre-2018 for that matter. Run fine.

Our truck is a 2015 with appx. 50,000 miles and our SUV is a 2019 with appx. 22,000 miles.  Why would we want a brand new  vehicle at outrageous prices?? The two that we have may be older models but not a whole lot of miles on either one.  No car payments and one is still under warranty. 

[GtHawk]

Newest vehicle i ever had was a two year old Silverado, other than that my cars all ran from ten to 55 years old and my current car is a 18 year old Corolla. Even if I could afford a brand new car I just don't see anything out there that I could want over 50's, 60's or 70's vehicle which would invariably cost less and be infinitely easier to repair myself. Yeah new cars are more plush, they have airbags(I survived being T boned right on the drivers door of my 63 Stude by a 65 Ranchero traveling 45 to 50+ mph) also very complicated electrical systems and computers that control all of those wonderful whizbang accessories that fail at very high dollars.

[Elderberry]

I've had 2 new vehicles. A 1980 Chevy C10 and a 2000 Ford Expedition.

Currently I drive a 98 Chevy K1500 with 285,000 miles and my wife drives a 98 Rav4 with around 200k miles on it. We also have a 2001 CRV with 222,000 miles on it. And a 56 Chevy 3600 and a 53 CJ3B Willys. All these we purchased used.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Newest vehicle i ever had was a two year old Silverado, other than that my cars all ran from ten to 55 years old and my current car is a 18 year old Corolla. Even if I could afford a brand new car I just don't see anything out there that I could want over 50's, 60's or 70's vehicle which would invariably cost less and be infinitely easier to repair myself. Yeah new cars are more plush, they have airbags(I survived being T boned right on the drivers door of my 63 Stude by a 65 Ranchero traveling 45 to 50+ mph) also very complicated electrical systems and computers that control all of those wonderful whizbang accessories that fail at very high dollars.

My 2017 Subaru has a tire pressure monitor problem, technician cannot figure it out told me to ignore it. It's one of those nagging things on modern cars that drives me crazy, when the sensor fails then you have this warning barking at you like a jack russell bleep terrier. Very irritating.

[catfish1957]

Cubanization of our country in full progress......

[Smokin Joe]

My fleet is all at least a quarter century old. Just took the newest (a 2000) cross country and back (4500 mile trip) a couple weeks ago. I had to replace the crankshaft position sensor about 1200 miles out (I had the code reader with me, and tools) and burn through some bad fuel in Western MD, but a few jugs of Isoheet, and I was good to go.

Fewer sensors and subsystems mean fewer sensor failures, which means fewer problems overall.

[DB]

My 2017 Subaru has a tire pressure monitor problem, technician cannot figure it out told me to ignore it. It's one of those nagging things on modern cars that drives me crazy, when the sensor fails then you have this warning barking at you like a jack russell bleep terrier. Very irritating.

The usual problem is the battery in the tire sensor goes out. The sensor then has to be replaced and they are expensive multiplied by all the tires you have (including the spare).

[Elderberry]

Shortly after we bought our 2001 CRV with over 100k miles on it, it would oscillate the idle air control valve and throw a code. I went thru all the suggestions I could find and got nowhere.  So, since I had bought a New IACV that didn't fix it, I took the old one and stripped the valve all apart. I then threaded one of the ports and screwed in a homemade orifice. I started with a 1/8 inch hole. It immediately threw a code. I realized the computer needed to see an IACV, so I plugged in the new one and just hung it on the firewall. It still threw a code. So I increased the orifice's hole 1/64. No more code, no more throttle oscillation. Been driving it that way for several years now.

[Wingnut]

I think we need another round of "Cash For Clunkers"  Trade in your 15 Y/O car and truck for a brand spanking new EV. 
Save the planet.  Be a good sport.  Do it for the children.

[GtHawk]

I think we need another round of "Cash For Clunkers"  Trade in your 15 Y/O car and truck for a brand spanking new EV. 
Save the planet.  Be a good sport.  Do it for the children.

And destroy another boatload of perfectly good used cars.

[DefiantMassRINO]

I bought a model year 2008 in January, 2009, and I am still driving it.

Buying a new(er) is expensive ...

- price of car
- sales tax of car
- higher cost to insure new(er) car
- higher cost of auto execise tax for new(er) car

... as long as my 15+ year old rust(ing) bucket is road-worthy and doesn't need expensive repair, I'll kee driving it.

[Wingnut]

And destroy another boatload of perfectly good used cars.

That is the plan.  If you take away the used parts to repair you make them obsolete.

[Smokin Joe]

And destroy another boatload of perfectly good used cars.

That program ended a salvage yard near me. They could not sell parts off the cars, and the government was really slow picking them up, and the guy ran out of space for cars he could part out. The vehicles that qualified are what I'm driving now, so a lot of small parts can be hard to find. I have spares for most I believe I will need, and the driveline parts are still common.

[LMAO]

I’ve kept vehicles for 10-12 years
As long as they run, why get rid of it

[Kamaji]

The usual problem is the battery in the tire sensor goes out. The sensor then has to be replaced and they are expensive multiplied by all the tires you have (including the spare).

In addition, on that generation of Subaru, I believe that you have to go to a dealer or technician to have the TPMS sensors retrained to your particular car.

It's really a pain.

[LMAO]

My 2017 Subaru has a tire pressure monitor problem, technician cannot figure it out told me to ignore it. It's one of those nagging things on modern cars that drives me crazy, when the sensor fails then you have this warning barking at you like a jack russell bleep terrier. Very irritating.

Mine is out on my 2015 Chevy Traverse. Would be pretty expensive to fix. I asked the mechanic if it was necessary for the functioning of the vehicle and he said no.

So I said no