Tariffs Trigger Surge in March New-Vehicle Sales, Inventory Levels Decline

As the automotive industry starts to navigate the impact of new tariffs, the supply of new vehicles on dealer lots across the U.S. has significantly decreased, according to the Cox Automotive analysis of vAuto Live Market View data. New-vehicle inventory levels at the start of April decreased from March and were lower than in early April 2024. New-vehicle sales surged in March, driven by strong seasonal trends and the urgency created by the import tariff announcement.