Used car sales tipped for further growth in 2026
Used car sales are expected to reach 7.83 million units next year, according to new forecasts from Cox Automotive.
This represents a rise of 0.9% on 2025 but is still 6.1% below historic norms.
It predicts this growth will be driven by easing supply constraints plus strong demand for lower-cost vehicles as a result of the cost-of-living crisis.
However, it has warned that several emerging dynamics could have a negative impact on the market.
It said tactical registrations – around 100,000 new cars were registered in the final four days of September – is putting immense pressure on the nearly new market in the used sector, while also warning that scrapping the Employee Car Ownership Scheme (ECOS) and chancing the Motability Scheme could impact used car sales.
Issues on the horizon
Philip Nothard, insight director at Cox Automotive Europe, said: “While the used market has been the sturdy backbone in an otherwise tumultuous market, issues on the horizon threaten to undermine this.
“An oversaturation of new registrations is creating oversupply, depressing values, and tying up dealer forecourts and credit capacity. Meanwhile, potential regulatory changes come at a time when retailers depend on these vital stock sources to counter the negative effects of dynamics in the new market.
“The automotive industry needs stability more than anything in the current environment, so we must come together as an industry to safeguard against the challenges and find certainty at an uncertain time.”
The data has been published in Cox Automotive’s new wholesale market health index.
