Wholesale auction sales grew 0.4% in October on a prior-year basis, but sales fell 2% from September after accounting for the number of selling days in each month, according to AuctionNet figures released Nov. 12. 

That said, on an unadjusted basis, sales volume was the second-highest recorded this year (behind April’s 653,000 vehicle performance). Through October, AuctionNet sales stand at 6 million units, representing a 5% increase over the same period last year. 

Breaking down market segments and categories:

Commercial/Dealer Sales

• Commercial sales were up nearly 7% compared to last October but were down 2.5% versus September. 

• Dealer sales were down 3% and 2.6% on a prior-year and prior-month basis, respectively. 

• Year-to-date, commercial sales are up 9.5% and dealer sales are just over 4% higher (selling day adjusted). 

• The dealer-to-commercial sales ratio stands at 50.6%/49.4% from 51.9%/48.1% over the ten-month period last year. 

Sales of 2-Year-Old Used Vehicles Rise 

Sales of vehicles up to 2 years old had grown by an average of 25% on a prior-year basis in the seven months leading up to October, but the pace of growth slowed to an 11% year-over-year increase last month (selling day adjusted). 

Commercial sales, which include a large share of off-rental units, comprised 70% of total sales within the age range. 

Notably, manufacturer sales, which include off-rental units repurchased by the OEM (i.e., program vehicles), have increased by more than 80% year-to-date compared to the same period last year. 

This follows an extended period in which OEM off-rental repurchases were far more the exception than the "risk" alternative rule.

3-Year-Old, 4-5-Year-Old Vehicles Sales Fall

• Sales of 3-year-old units continued to drop last month, falling 25% and 4% on a prior-year and prior-month basis, respectively. 

• Year-to-date, sales of 3-year-old vehicles are down 13% compared to 2024. 

• Similarly, sales of 4-to-5-year-old vehicles were 11% lower in October than last year and they were down 9% over the first ten months of the year.

Defaults, Delinquencies Drive Older Used Sales

Sales of vehicles 7 years old and up increased by 6.5% compared to last October, but fell nearly 2% compared to September (selling day-adjusted). 

Commercial sales for the group increased by more than 20% compared to the prior year, which pushed the average rate of growth for the group over the past four months to nearly 22%. 

The ongoing rise in older units, particularly commercial units, reflects the heightened delinquency and default environment affecting the subprime community. 

EV Auction Sales Spike

Total electric vehicle sales surpassed 134,000 units through the first 10 months of year, topping 2024’s full-year figure by 23%, while 3-year-old EV retention fell 1.6-percentage points versus September to a depressed average of 35.6%.

Depreciation Up

Wholesale prices fell 4.5% compared to September 2025, with depreciation elevated across most model years and segments. 

While it's common for depreciation to accelerate in October due to weaker consumer demand and higher new vehicle incentives on the outgoing model year (i.e., 2025 models), last month's rate of depreciation was more than one percentage point higher than what occurred in October 2024 and was the largest decline recorded for any month since November 2023.

Monthly AuctionNet data is derived from 265 National Auto Auction Association member auctions that use AuctionNet, and is considered the most comprehensive source of wholesale auto auction sales data in the U.S.