American Fleet Aging, Polks Says Average Now 11.4 Years Old, A Record

The age of the American car and light truck fleet is the oldest it's ever been, according to data firm R.L. Polk. Polk said in 2012 the average age all light vehicles on U.S. roads was 11.4 years, up from 11.2 years in 2011, and 10.9 years in 2010, the eleventh straight annual increase.   The average is based on registration data for 247 million vehicles. If you go back 11.4 years from 2012, you end up around 2000-2001 when 17.2 million vehicles were sold, the all-time record for the U.S. market. Sales in 2004-2005 were almost as good. Combine those figures with the 27 year low of under 10.5 million units sold in the recessionary year of 2009 and vehicles' increased durability with 200,000 miles of usable service a fairly common occurrence nowadays, and it easy to understand why the fleet is aging. Cars last longer and for economic reasons Americans are trying to eke out a few more miles from their current vehicles. Still, the phrase "pent-up demand" is starting to be heard around the industry. Polk predicts that registrations will increase 5% by 2018, to 260 million cars and light trucks, surpassing the previous record of 250 million in 2008.   from The Truth About Cars http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com

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