Sales projected down 7.3% as year-ago tariff rush skews comparisons.
Total U.S. new-vehicle sales for April 2026 are projected to reach 1,365,200 units, a 7.3% decrease from April 2025, with retail sales also down 7.3% to 1,129,100 units, according to a joint forecast from J.D. Power and GlobalData released April 23.
The decline reflects a high base from April 2025, when approximately 53,000 consumers accelerated purchases ahead of anticipated tariff-driven price increases, pushing that month to an annualized sales pace of 17.2 million units. Stripping out the pull-ahead, April 2026 is tracking a seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) of 16.0
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