Used Car Prices Price History
1970–2025 · Bureau of Labor Statistics / Manheim
The average transaction price of a used car in the United States, tracked from 1970 to 2025. For decades, the used car market was predictable — prices crept up slowly, a few percent a year, nothing dramatic. Then the pandemic hit. Semiconductor shortages gutted new car production, and suddenly everyone who needed wheels was competing for the same shrinking pool of used vehicles. Prices nearly doubled between 2019 and 2022 in what became one of the most talked-about inflation stories of the era.
Price in 1970
$1,450.00
Price in 2025
$26,200.00
Total Change
+1706.9%
Years Tracked
55
Used Car Prices Over Time
Compare to inflation: The chart above shows nominal (not inflation-adjusted) prices. Use the toggle to switch to inflation-adjusted values when available, or try the inflation calculator to convert any amount between years.
Key Insights
- The average used car cost about $1,450 in 1970. By 2019 it had reached $14,800 — a steady, unremarkable climb that tracked general inflation fairly closely for half a century.
- Then came the pandemic shock: used car prices exploded from $15,900 in 2020 to $28,200 in 2022, an 77% surge in just two years driven by chip shortages, rental fleet restocking, and stimulus-fueled demand.
- Prices have come off their peak but remain stubbornly elevated at $26,200 in 2025 — still roughly 75% higher than pre-pandemic levels, suggesting a permanent reset in what Americans pay for secondhand vehicles.
- The 2008 recession caused only a brief dip — from $10,800 in 2007 to $9,800 in 2009 — nothing close to the wild swings that the COVID era produced in this market.
Year-by-Year Data
| Year | Price (USD) | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | $1,450.00 | — |
| 1971 | $1,500.00 | +3.4% |
| 1972 | $1,580.00 | +5.3% |
| 1973 | $1,650.00 | +4.4% |
| 1974 | $1,800.00 | +9.1% |
| 1975 | $2,050.00 | +13.9% |
| 1976 | $2,250.00 | +9.8% |
| 1977 | $2,480.00 | +10.2% |
| 1978 | $2,700.00 | +8.9% |
| 1979 | $2,900.00 | +7.4% |
| 1980 | $3,150.00 | +8.6% |
| 1981 | $3,500.00 | +11.1% |
| 1982 | $3,800.00 | +8.6% |
| 1983 | $4,100.00 | +7.9% |
| 1984 | $4,350.00 | +6.1% |
| 1985 | $4,600.00 | +5.7% |
| 1986 | $4,850.00 | +5.4% |
| 1987 | $5,100.00 | +5.2% |
| 1988 | $5,350.00 | +4.9% |
| 1989 | $5,600.00 | +4.7% |
| 1990 | $5,900.00 | +5.4% |
| 1991 | $6,100.00 | +3.4% |
| 1992 | $6,350.00 | +4.1% |
| 1993 | $6,600.00 | +3.9% |
| 1994 | $6,900.00 | +4.5% |
| 1995 | $7,200.00 | +4.3% |
| 1996 | $7,500.00 | +4.2% |
| 1997 | $7,850.00 | +4.7% |
| 1998 | $8,200.00 | +4.5% |
| 1999 | $8,500.00 | +3.7% |
| 2000 | $8,850.00 | +4.1% |
| 2001 | $9,100.00 | +2.8% |
| 2002 | $9,400.00 | +3.3% |
| 2003 | $9,650.00 | +2.7% |
| 2004 | $9,900.00 | +2.6% |
| 2005 | $10,200.00 | +3.0% |
| 2006 | $10,500.00 | +2.9% |
| 2007 | $10,800.00 | +2.9% |
| 2008 | $10,400.00 | -3.7% |
| 2009 | $9,800.00 | -5.8% |
| 2010 | $10,250.00 | +4.6% |
| 2011 | $11,300.00 | +10.2% |
| 2012 | $11,700.00 | +3.5% |
| 2013 | $12,100.00 | +3.4% |
| 2014 | $12,500.00 | +3.3% |
| 2015 | $12,800.00 | +2.4% |
| 2016 | $13,100.00 | +2.3% |
| 2017 | $13,500.00 | +3.1% |
| 2018 | $14,200.00 | +5.2% |
| 2019 | $14,800.00 | +4.2% |
| 2020 | $15,900.00 | +7.4% |
| 2021 | $22,900.00 | +44.0% |
| 2022 | $28,200.00 | +23.1% |
| 2023 | $27,100.00 | -3.9% |
| 2024 | $26,500.00 | -2.2% |
| 2025 | $26,200.00 | -1.1% |
Sources & Methodology
BLS CPI for used cars and trucks combined with Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index. Represents average wholesale auction price, adjusted to approximate average retail transaction price. Pre-1990 estimates from BLS price indexes.
Primary source: Bureau of Labor Statistics / Manheim
For a full explanation of how we collect and adjust data, see our methodology page.