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U.S. dominates automotive aftermarket in North America

The U.S. dominates the North American automotive aftermarket for powertrain components, accounting for 86 percent of overall sales, or $10.3 billion, in 2016. Through 2021 U.S. aftermarket demand for engine, transmission, and drivetrain components will rise 1.6 percent per year, a slight uptick from the 2011-2016 period but trailing advances in the smaller Canadian and Mexican markets. These and other trends are presented in “Automotive Aftermarket in Powertrain Components in North America,” a new study from The Freedonia Group, a Cleveland-based industry research firm.

Factors promoting aftermarket sales of powertrain components in the U.S. include:

  • Increases in the size and the average age of registered light vehicles, the latter of which was 11.4 years in 2016.
  • Climatic extremes, including snow in some regions and heat in others.
  • Technological improvements, such as the incorporation of computers and sensors, that raise the average per-unit cost of repairs and replacements.
  • Growth in the total number of light vehicles involved in accidents.

Sales growth will be restrained by:

  • Technological improvements that reduce the frequency of maintenance and replacement intervals.
  • Increased reliability and durability of many powertrain components.

For more information about the study, visit www.freedoniagroup.com/industry-study/automotive-aftermarket-for-powertrain-components-in-north-america-by-product-engine-transmission-and-drivetrain-and-performer-3505.htm.