Table 1-26: Average Age of Automobiles and Trucks in Operation in the United States
| Year | Passenger Cars | Light Trucks | All Light Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 8.4 | 8.3 | 8.4 |
| 1996 | 8.5 | 8.3 | 8.5 |
| 1997 | 8.7 | 8.5 | 8.6 |
| 1998 | 8.9 | 8.5 | 8.8 |
| 1999 | 9.1 | 8.5 | 8.8 |
| 2000 | 9.1 | 8.4 | 8.9 |
| 2001 | 9.3 | 8.4 | 8.9 |
| 2002 | 9.4 | 8.4 | 9 |
| 2003 | 9.6 | 8.5 | 9.1 |
| 2004 | 9.8 | 8.6 | 9.4 |
| 2005 | 10.1 | 8.7 | 9.5 |
| 2006 | 10.3 | 8.9 | 9.7 |
| 2007 | 10.4 | 9 | 9.8 |
| 2008 | 10.6 | 9.3 | 10 |
| 2009 | 10.6 | 9.6 | 10.2 |
Average age of household vehicles for several yearsa
| Automobile | Van | Sport utility | Pickup | Other truck | RV/motor home | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | 5.1 | U | U | U | U | U |
| 1977 | 5.5 | 6.4 | U | 7.3 | 11.6 | 4.5 |
| 1983 | 7.2 | 8.5 | U | 8.5 | 12.4 | 10.7 |
| 1990 | 7.6 | 5.9 | U | 8.4 | 14.5 | 10.4 |
| 1995 | 8.2 | 6.7 | 6.6 | 9.7 | 14.9 | 13.2 |
| 2001 | 8.5 | 7.0 | 6.1 | 9.4 | 16.8 | 12.5 |
| 2009 | 9.5 | 8.7 | 7.1 | 11.2 | 17.8 | 16.0 |
KEY: U = data are unavailable.
a The 1969, 1977, 1983, and 1990 surveys do not include a separate category for sports utility vehicles (SUV), while the 1995, 2001 and 2009 surveys do. In 1990, most SUVs were classified as automobiles.
NOTE
Data for average age of automobiles are as of July 1 of each year, except in 2009, the data are as of October 1.
SOURCES
Average age of automobiles:
The R.L. Polk Co., Company-News, Polk Finds More Vehicles Scrapped than Added to Fleet, available at https://www.polk.com/company/news/polk_finds_more_vehicles_scrapped_than_added_to_fleet as of Dec. 19, 2011.
Average age of household vehicles:
U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, 1995 Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey: Summary of Travel Trends (Washington, DC: 1999); U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 2001 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) Data, available at http://nhts.ornl.gov as of September 2009; 2009 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) Data, personal communication, Aug. 9, 2011.