Through March, light vehicle sales are on pace to be unchanged in 2018 compared to 2017.
This would still make 2018 tied with 2017 for the fourth best year on record after 2016, 2015, and 2000.
My guess is vehicle sales will finish the year with sales lower than in 2017. A small decline in sales this year isn’t a concern – I think sales will move mostly sideways at near record levels (however there is concern about the impact of tariffs).
As I noted last year, this means the economic boost from increasing auto sales is over (from the bottom in 2009, auto sales boosted growth every year through 2016).
Click on graph for larger image.
This graph shows annual light vehicle sales since 1976. Source: BEA.
Sales for 2018 are estimated at the pace of the first three months.