U.S. drivers are keeping their cars longer than ever.

The average age of a passenger vehicle in operation is now 12.6 years — the highest it’s ever been, according to a new report S&P Global Mobility released Wednesday. In 2023, the average vehicle age was 12.4 years.

What You Need To Know

  • The average age of a passenger vehicle in the U.S. is now 12.6 years, according to S&P Global Mobility

  • In 2023, the average vehicle age was 12.4 years

  • 38% of the 286 million cars on U.S. roads are currently in the 6- to 14-year-old range

  • The increased vehicle age is largely because of COVID and subsequent supply chain shortages

“With average age growth, more vehicles are entering the prime range for aftermarket service, typically from 6 to 14 years of age,” S&P Global Mobility spokesperson Todd Campau said in a statement.

About 38% of the 286 million cars on U.S. roads are currently in the 6- to 14-year-old age range. S&P Global expects the number of cars in that range to grow to 40% through 2028.

Vehicles less than six years old make up about 31% of vehicles in operation — a percentage that is not expected to return to pre-pandemic levels until 2028. In 2019, 35% of vehicles in operation were less than six years old.

The average age of an electric vehicle is 3.5 years, the report said — about the same as in 2019. EVs currently account for 1% of all vehicles in operation in the U.S.

Campau attributed the increased vehicle age to “the impact of COVID and subsequent supply chain shortages that disrupted vehicle supply and registrations.”