Analysis projects that foreign nameplate light vehicles and heavy trucks will generate about 62% of product sales in the 2026 aftermarket
Fort Wayne, Ind.—Between 2019 and 2024, aftermarket product sales climbed by nearly $21 billion at user-price despite a 10-percent aftermarket product drop caused by COVID-19 in 2020. During those five years, there were significant differences between the annual product sales of the four vehicle types and the product growth each generated.
By 2024, aftermarket product volume was more concentrated among a few types of vehicles than five years earlier. In its latest market analysis, Lang expects this trend to continue through the decade. The following are key takeaways from the report.
Product Sales by Type of Vehicle
Lang Marketing splits aftermarket products into four types of vehicles: domestic nameplate light vehicles, foreign nameplate light vehicles (imports and transplants), heavy trucks, and all other use (off-road vehicles and equipment, machinery, various types of power units, and miscellaneous products).
Each of the four types of vehicles uses different products and generates different rates of product growth across the aftermarket.
2024 Aftermarket
Last year, aftermarket product volume topped $183 billion at user-price, the price paid ultimately by consumers of products. Aftermarket product volume rose by nearly $21 billion from 2019 to 2024, reflecting the aftermarket’s recovery from its decrease in 2020 sales.
Domestic Nameplates
Domestic nameplate cars and light trucks averaged nearly $59 billion in yearly product volume between 2019 and 2024. Despite generating about one-third of 2024 aftermarket product sales at user-price, domestic nameplates experienced more than a $1.0 billion product decline over those five years.
This pushed domestic nameplates into second place in 2024 product sales share, down from its aftermarket product lead of five years earlier.
Foreign Nameplates
Foreign nameplate cars and light trucks climbed more than $14 billion at user-price between 2019 and 2024, eclipsing domestic nameplates for top product share. Foreign nameplates crested $63 billion in average annual sales between 2019 and 2024, as their product volume increased by one-quarter at the user price.
Heavy Trucks
Heavy trucks (including medium-weight units) were third in 2024 aftermarket product sales, achieving a $6 billion gain over 2019. Heavy trucks averaged over $34 billion in yearly product sales between 2019 and 2024. Heavy trucks posted the second-largest product gain during those five years, besting their third-place showing in product volume.
Other Product Use
The vehicle category of “other use” includes off-road vehicles and equipment, machinery, various types of power units, and miscellaneous uses of vehicle products. This category averaged nearly $16 billion in product volume between 2019 and 2024, adding more than $1.6 billion in sales. However, its sales share declined slightly over those years.
Shifts in Product Growth Rates
Two types of vehicles topped the annual product growth rate of the overall aftermarket from 2019 to 2024. Foreign nameplate light vehicles averaged over a 4.6% yearly product gain, nearly double the overall aftermarket’s 2.4% annual product growth.
Heavy trucks averaged a 3.6% annual product increase during those five years, half again above the market’s annual growth pace.
Share of Product Growth
Foreign nameplate light vehicles generated about 65% of total aftermarket product expansion between 2019 and 2024, followed by heavy trucks, which created over one-quarter of product growth. Domestic nameplate light vehicles accounted for the second-largest portion of product volume over those five years, but experienced a significant product sales loss.
The category of other use represented about 8% of the nearly $21 billion product gain between 2019 and 2024.
Aftermarket Concentration and Projections to 2030
Foreign nameplate light vehicles increased in aftermarket product share between 2019 and 2024. Heavy vehicles also boosted their product share. Together, foreign nameplate light vehicles and heavy vehicles accounted for 59% of 2024 aftermarket product sales at user-price, substantially greater than their combined market share five years earlier.
In contrast, domestic nameplate light vehicles and the vehicle category of other use fell in product share. Lang Marketing projects that foreign nameplate light vehicles and heavy trucks will generate about 62% of product sales in the 2026 aftermarket.
This trend will continue, with these two vehicle types accounting for about two-thirds of aftermarket product sales in 2030 and up to 95% of the product growth since 2024. Lang Marketing expects that foreign nameplate light vehicles will generate most of the growth share.
Aftermarket Impact
Changes in aftermarket product concentration by type of vehicle affect the aftermarket in three significant ways.
• The mix of vehicle products is altered, since each type of vehicle consumes a different assortment of aftermarket products, and their product growth is expanding at different annual rates.
• The changing volume and mix of aftermarket products affect the share of distribution channels supplying the aftermarket, since each channel differs in its mix of products by the major types of vehicles.
• The size of the DIFM and DIY markets, as well as the sales of outlets where automotive products are sold and installed, are also affected by the concentration of aftermarket product volume by vehicle type.
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