Cox Automotive's July 16 report, based on vAuto Live Market View data, estimates that 2.82 million new vehicles were available at the end of June. Inventory declined 2.4% from May and was mostly unchanged from June 2025.
Estimated days of supply rose to 80.3 from a revised 78 in May. Cox says the increase came mainly from a 5% month-over-month slowdown in the daily sales pace rather than from inventory growth. The daily pace was still 4.1% above a year earlier. These are attributed industry estimates, not government counts or forecasts.
The national average hides brand-level differences
Cox found that Toyota entered July with the tightest days of supply, followed by Lexus and Honda, while several Stellantis brands carried substantially more inventory. That means the negotiating environment can differ by make, model, trim, and location even when nationwide supply looks balanced.
Inventory also varied by price. Cox counted more than 688,000 vehicles listed from $30,000 to $40,000, about 24% of available units, and said 34% of inventory was listed below $40,000. Those shares describe the vehicles in Cox's dataset, not every configuration available in a local market.
Listing prices are not transaction prices
Cox estimates the average new-vehicle listing price was $49,336 in June, up 0.3% from a revised May figure and 1.4% from a year earlier. A listing price is an asking price and does not include every tax, fee, incentive, trade-in, or negotiated adjustment.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported separately that its new-vehicle consumer price index was unchanged from May after seasonal adjustment and 0.5% higher than a year earlier. The BLS index measures price change, while Cox's report measures dealer listings and supply; neither is a quote for one vehicle.
How shoppers can use the inventory signal
Compare several listings for the same model, trim, options, and model year in your region.
Ask for a written out-the-door price and verify which incentives you actually qualify for.
Treat a high days-of-supply figure as context for comparison, not a guarantee of a discount.
If financing, compare APR, term, total interest, amount financed, and total of payments across written offers.
Primary references
Sources and methodology
MyFavi links to the original material so you can verify the details, reporting period, and later updates.
Cox Automotive figures are attributed industry estimates based on its vAuto dataset and may be revised. Inventory, listing prices, and days of supply are not transaction quotes, loan offers, or forecasts for a specific vehicle.
An FTC complaint says Greenway Auto Group charged more than $3,350 above the advertised price, on average, in over 92% of transactions; a proposed order would require prominent total prices.
A final federal rule lowers projected 2031 fleetwide fuel-economy requirements and estimates lower compliance costs but higher fuel use than the standards it replaces.
A proposed multistate settlement would erase an estimated $634 million in auto-loan debt, fund $60 million in restitution, and add protections for future Credit Acceptance borrowers.
FTC staff says a dealer's advertised price must be available to any buyer and include mandatory dealer fees, leaving out only government-required consumer charges.
Arizona guidance says dealer-sold used cars have a 15-day or 500-mile defect window, while vehicle purchases generally lack a three-day cancellation right.
The FTC warns that scammers are cloning real dealership websites and demanding upfront payment for vehicles the legitimate dealer does not have or know about.
Experian reports that completed auto refinances lowered payments by $83 a month on average in Q2, while hybrids had the lowest average new-vehicle payment by powertrain.
Observed auto-loan data put average monthly payments at $785 for new vehicles and $544 for used vehicles, with amounts financed also higher than a year earlier.
An FTC and Connecticut deal would put $4 million toward buyer refunds. It would require one dealer to show its top total price and get consent for each fee.
A 68,084-owner study found passenger screens were rarely used and among the most problem-prone new-car technologies, while simpler background features scored better.
A federal court temporarily halted a credit-repair network after the FTC alleged false promises, creditor impersonation, illegal advance fees, and unauthorized recurring charges.
TransUnion finds auto-loan fraud losses climbed far faster than fraud rates from Q3 2018 to Q3 2025, as fraudsters increasingly target higher-value accounts and 'credit washing' erases an estimated $10 billion in charged-off debt.
Cox Automotive's mid-August Manheim index fell 1.2% from July while holding roughly flat versus a year earlier, as wholesale values eased after a strong spring.
EIA's October 20 release puts regular gasoline at $4.284 a gallon nationwide and diesel at $6.276, with gasoline down but diesel up from the prior week.
The Fed raised its target range by a quarter point to 3.75%-4%. Auto-loan offers do not move one-for-one with that benchmark, so shoppers still need current quotes.