ZEROSUM "STATE OF THE DEALER" REPORT: NEW VEHICLE MOVEMENT FALLS BY 7.5%, INVENTORY UP BY 6O,000 UNITS AS AUTO SALES COOL IN SEPTEMBER

New Vehicle Average Marketed Price Stays Flat, Used Vehicle Average Marketed Price Jumps by Nearly $300

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Oct. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- September brought signs of a cooling automotive market as new vehicle sales dropped by 7.5% and new vehicle inventory rose more than 60,000 units from 2.83 million to 2.89 million. The findings are part of ZeroSum's October 2025 "State of the Dealer" report.

"While the new car market has remained remarkably resilient in 2025, these results are a reminder that risks still exist," said Josh Stoll, Vice President of Dealer Success at ZeroSum. "September was soft in terms of Vehicle Movement, especially in light of a 60,000+ increase in inventory. Dealers should closely monitor their performance, especially in comparison to local competitors."

Sales declines occurred on a widespread geographical basis, with many major markets losing more than 1,500 units in new vehicle sales month-over-month. New York (-4,801), Dallas/Fort Worth (-3,402) and Houston (-3,227) were the top three markets in terms of total decline. Los Angeles bucked the trend, however, with a gain of 542 units.

Used Vehicle Movement dropped by more than 150,000 units in September (1.29 million units) after seeing a surge in the previous month (1.45 million units). Used vehicle inventory fell by more than 80,000 units in September from 1.98 million to 1.9 million. Used vehicle inventory dropped to its lowest level since April. 

"While a relatively stable Turn Rate, flat Days-to-Move, and elevated pricing picture are some silver linings, there is no getting around a 150,000 monthly drop in Used Vehicle Movement," said Stoll. "With a diminishing supply count adding to this sector's overall performance, it's more important than ever for dealers to keep a close eye on market dynamics, particularly in a competitive context."

ZeroSum provides cutting-edge inventory-based market intelligence and digital advertising solutions tailored to dealers. The State of the Dealer report is the first and premier data source for the new, used, and certified pre-owned automotive markets.

Click here to download ZeroSum's entire State of the Dealer Report, including vehicle movement, turn rate, days-to-move, inventory, and pricing trends for new, used, and certified vehicles. 

About ZeroSum

ZeroSum, an Advance Automotive company, is an industry leader in software, digital advertising, and market intelligence data. Powered by its SaaS platform, MarketAI, ZeroSum is simplifying and modernizing automotive marketing by leveraging artificial intelligence, market data, and scalability to acquire new customers. ZeroSum is the first and only company that matches consumer demand with automotive data in real-time for dealer marketing efficiency. For more information, visit www.zerosum.ai

About Advance Automotive

Created in 2017, Advance Automotive is a portfolio of automotive, technology, marketing, data, and software businesses providing AI-driven marketing solutions in the automotive industry. Advance Automotive includes independently operated agencies, ZeroSum, Adpearance, and Search Optics, as well as affiliate solutions from Cloud Theory and Hoot Interactive. Advance Automotive is part of Advance Local, a key unit of Advance, a privately held company founded in 1922.

Advance's portfolio of exceptional companies includes:

• Condé Nast
• Advance Local
• Stage Entertainment
• The IRONMAN Group
• ACBJ
• Leaders Group
• Turnitin
• POP

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SOURCE ZeroSum