Get the latest industry numbers on aftermarket size, vehicle miles traveled, average age of VIO, contribution to employment, repair capacity and M&A activity
Las Vegas—The global automotive aftermarket is expected to grow to $2.65 trillion in 2026, which is $35 billion gain compared to the same assessment last year. And the U.S. aftermarket, including light- and heavy-duty vehicles, will grow to $599.7 billion.
According to a new media guide published by AAPEX, that works out to about 1.9% of the current forecast for the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP).
“It is an enormous market known for slow but reliably steady growth because there are 1.61 billion vehicles in operation around the world — and all of them require maintenance and repairs,” said MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers Vice President of Events Liz Goad.
Automotive aftermarket statistics
- Aftermarket size. The U.S. aftermarket, for light-duty vehicles, is forecasted to grow 5.2% in 2026 to $457 billion. The aftermarket for heavy-duty vehicles is valued at another $142.9 billion, for a combined total of $599.7 billion.
- Vehicle miles traveled. U.S. residents operated 294 million light vehicles in 2025 and drove 3.32 trillion miles. That’s a little more than one vehicle and 13,700 miles traveled per each of the 242.3 million U.S. licensed drivers. There are an additional 9.8 million heavy-duty vehicles in operation (VIO) that were driven for 329.6 billion miles.
- The average age of vehicles in operation. The average age of U.S. vehicles continues to grow as new car prices rise. The combined average age of light vehicles in the U.S. is 12.94 years — up from the 12.8 calculated last year. When considered separately, light trucks average 11.9 years of age and cars average 15.
- The aftermarket’s contribution to employment. The automotive aftermarket provided 4,872,300 jobs in 2025 — across suppliers, manufacturers, retailers, independent repair facilities, and more. That’s about 3.6% of the total U.S. labor force, which the BLS puts at 163 million people, ages 16 and older. Wages in many of these jobs grew in step, or even outpaced, the rate of U.S. inflation.
- Automotive repair capacity. Independent repair facilities accounted for 72% of the available repair capacity in the U.S. in 2025. Dealerships accounted for the other 28%. In terms of dollars, aggregate sales from independent repair facilities totaled $312.7 billion in 2025, compared with $121.4 billion at dealerships.
- Frothy M&A market. There were 354 aftermarket merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions in 2025, compared with 337 in 2024 and 306 in 2023. After AAPEX 2025, bankers, private equity executives and analysts who attended said they expect the pace of dealmaking to accelerate in 2026.
“These statistics demonstrate just how dependent the world is on the automotive aftermarket, which is especially true for the U.S. given the paucity of public transportation,” said Auto Care Association Vice President of Trade Shows and Community Engagement Mark Bogdansky. “Whether for work, play or business, almost everything in this country moves on a vehicle that relies on the aftermarket to keep it operating safely.”
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