Lang Aftermarket iReport: 2021 domestic nameplate parts sales below 2006

“Domestic car and light truck 2021 aftermarket product sales will fail to top 2006 product volume in this major market segment.

“Despite the recovery of 2021 aftermarket products from the onslaught of Covid-19, domestic nameplates will continue to decline as a percentage of total aftermarket product sales. As a result, domestic nameplate 2021 aftermarket product volume will be lower than 15 years earlier. ”

— Jim Lang, publisher, Lang Aftermarket iReport

Domestic Nameplate VIO

Domestic nameplates have diminished in their share of light vehicles in operation (VIO). They averaged over two-thirds of the VIO between 2000 and 2010. However, their VIO share has steadily declined since then. By 2018, domestic nameplates had fallen below 52% of vehicles on U.S. roads, and they will represent a minority of the light vehicle VIO during 2021.

Inconsistent Domestic Nameplate Product Sales

Domestic nameplates will have increased their annual aftermarket product sales only six times between 2006 and the projected 2021 volume. As a result of their fading presence on U.S roads, domestic nameplates will account for lower product sales in 2021 than they did 15 years earlier in 2006.

Aftermarket 2021 Product Sales Rebound

During 2021, total aftermarket product sales will record a strong rebound from the onslaught of Covid-19. However, this rising aftermarket tide will not salvage the sinking sales position of domestic nameplates.

Domestic Nameplate Products Peak in 2015

Domestic nameplate products topped $60 billion during 2015 at user-price, besting their 2006 performance by several billion dollars. However, their product volume and share declined after 2015, with annual sales falling by more than $3 billion by 2021 at user-price.

Sinking Aftermarket Product Share

Domestic nameplates fell from 66% of car and light truck product sales in 2006 to 61% by 2012. They continued to slip in light vehicle product share, declining to 55% of 2016 light vehicle products and less than 50% of the 2021 market.

Domestic Cars Suffer the Entire Decline

Cars will shoulder all of the reduction in domestic nameplate aftermarket product volume and share between 2006 and 2021.

Domestic car aftermarket products will suffer nearly a 7.0% average annual drop in sales at user-price over this 15-year span.

At the same time, domestic light trucks will record a 1.7% average annual product sales gain.

Six Major Takeaways

• Despite significant product growth across the overall car and light truck aftermarket since 2006, domestic nameplate product volume has foundered. See the 2021 Lang Aftermarket Annual for a 10-year analysis of domestic nameplate product sales.
• Domestic nameplates will have achieved aftermarket product growth in 6 of the 15 years between 2006 and 2021. However, these increases will be swamped by the 9 years in which their annual product sales fell.
• Domestic nameplate products topped $60 billion in 2015 at user-price, besting 2007 annual product sales for the first time.
• Domestic car and light truck 2021 product sales will decline at user-price, pushing their annual volume nearly $3 billion dollars below the 2015 peak.
• Domestic cars will shoulder all of the reduction in domestic nameplate product volume at user-price between 2006 and 2021.
• Despite an increase in overall aftermarket product volume during 2021, domestic nameplate products will fail to reach sales levels recorded 15 years earlier in 2006. See Lang’s Marketing just released Aftermarket Annual for all details of the aftermarket product volume of domestic cars and light trucks.

Copyright 2021 by Lang Marketing Resources, Inc.

NOTE: Special thanks to publisher Jim Lang for granting us permission to publish the Lang Aftermarket iReport.