Contents
- Average age of cars in the US statistics: household fleet averages by survey year
- Average age of cars in the US statistics by household vehicle type
- Average age of cars in the US statistics: household vehicle age bands
- average age of cars in the US: U.S. household car-age trends across NHTS surveys
- average age of cars in the US: Household vehicle type shares in the U.S.
- average age of cars in the US: Average age of U.S. vehicles in operation by vehicle type
- Sources
Average age of cars in the US statistics: household fleet averages by survey year
The National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) provides a household-based view of vehicle age across survey years. In the Federal Highway Administration’s 2022 summary report, the average age of all household-based vehicles was 8.87 years in 2001, 9.38 years in 2009, 10.27 years in 2017, and 10.32 years in 2022. These estimates describe the vehicles reported by U.S. households in each survey; they are not a continuous annual series or a count of every vehicle registered or operating in the country. FHWA, Summary of Travel Trends: 2022 National Household Travel Survey, Table 6-4
| NHTS survey year | Average age of all household-based vehicles |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 8.87 years |
| 2009 | 9.38 years |
| 2017 | 10.27 years |
| 2022 | 10.32 years |
The report characterizes the 2017–2022 change as an increase of 0.05 years and says it falls within the margin of error. That wording matters: the two reported averages are close, and the report describes the household fleet estimate as having remained steady over that interval. The sequence also makes clear that a long-term rise across survey years can coexist with little measured change between the latest 2 surveys shown here. FHWA, Summary of Travel Trends: 2022 National Household Travel Survey, p. 45
The “all” average combines household vehicle categories, so it should not be read as an average for passenger cars alone. The same table distinguishes autos, vans, SUVs, pickups, other trucks, RVs or motor homes, motorcycles or mopeds, and other vehicles. The mix of vehicle types and the survey’s household-based scope are part of what the overall figure represents. FHWA, Summary of Travel Trends: 2022 National Household Travel Survey, Table 6-4
Average age of cars in the US statistics by household vehicle type
The type-specific averages show that household vehicle categories can sit above or below the all-vehicle figure. Autos averaged 8.98 years in the 2001 NHTS and 9.57 years in 2009, then 10.10 years in 2017 and 10.67 years in 2022. SUVs averaged 6.44 years in 2001, 7.09 years in 2009, 8.34 years in 2017, and 7.81 years in 2022. The reported values therefore differ by category and do not move in lockstep across every survey interval. FHWA, Summary of Travel Trends: 2022 National Household Travel Survey, Table 6-4
| Household vehicle type | 2001 average age | 2009 average age | 2017 average age | 2022 average age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auto | 8.98 years | 9.57 years | 10.10 years | 10.67 years |
| Van | 7.56 years | 8.68 years | 10.65 years | 10.68 years |
| SUV | 6.44 years | 7.09 years | 8.34 years | 7.81 years |
| Pickup | 10.05 years | 11.10 years | 13.12 years | 12.91 years |
The van series rises from 7.56 years in 2001 to 10.68 years in 2022, with the 2017 and 2022 averages nearly level at 10.65 and 10.68 years. Pickup averages are higher than the auto, van, and SUV averages in each of the 4 displayed survey years: 10.05 years in 2001, 11.10 in 2009, 13.12 in 2017, and 12.91 in 2022. These are survey estimates for vehicles in households, not an explanation of why a category’s age is higher or lower. FHWA, Summary of Travel Trends: 2022 National Household Travel Survey, Table 6-4
For less common household categories, the report gives 17.72 years as the average age of other trucks in 2001 and 12.30 years in 2022. RVs and motor homes averaged 13.49 years in 2001 and 14.44 years in 2022. These categories are reported separately from autos, vans, SUVs, and pickups, and their averages contribute to the all-vehicle figure according to the survey’s classification. FHWA, Summary of Travel Trends: 2022 National Household Travel Survey, Table 6-4
Average age of cars in the US statistics: household vehicle age bands
An average compresses a distribution into one number. The 2022 NHTS age bands add context by showing the share of household-based vehicles in each range: 13.8% were 0–2 years old, 18.9% were 3–5, 23.1% were 6–9, and 44.2% were 10 years old or older. The 10+ band is the largest of the 4 reported age groups. FHWA, Summary of Travel Trends: 2022 National Household Travel Survey, Table 6-5
| 2022 household vehicle age band | Share of household-based vehicles |
|---|---|
| 0–2 years | 13.8% |
| 3–5 years | 18.9% |
| 6–9 years | 23.1% |
| 10 years or older | 44.2% |
Those bands describe the distribution, while the 10.32-year figure is the reported average for all household-based vehicles. The two views answer different questions: the average summarizes ages across the population, and the bands show how reported vehicles are spread across broad ranges. The age-band percentages are survey estimates, and the source notes that unreported vehicle ages are excluded from vehicle-age calculations. FHWA, Summary of Travel Trends: 2022 National Household Travel Survey, Tables 6-4 and 6-5
The age calculation also has scope limits. The report notes that motorcycles, mopeds, light electric vehicles, and other privately operated vehicles were excluded from vehicle-age calculations. The household vehicle distribution totals include some types not shown in the age rows, and unreported ages do not enter those calculations. As a result, readers should keep the stated population and measure attached to each number rather than treating every table as if it covered an identical set of vehicles. FHWA, Summary of Travel Trends: 2022 National Household Travel Survey, notes to Tables 6-4 and 6-5
average age of cars in the US: U.S. household car-age trends across NHTS surveys
The NHTS age-band series offers a longer perspective on the share of household-based vehicles at least 10 years old. That share was 30.6% in 1990, 33.8% in 1995, 39.0% in 2001, 38.9% in 2009, and 48.5% in 2017. In 2022, the report gives 47.0% for household autos specifically. The last figure has a narrower vehicle-type scope than the preceding “all household-based vehicles” observations, so it should not be presented as a directly comparable continuation of the all-vehicle series. FHWA, Summary of Travel Trends: 2022 National Household Travel Survey, Table 6-5
The all-household-vehicle values show an increase between 1990 and 2017, with a small dip from 39.0% in 2001 to 38.9% in 2009. The 2022 figure available here instead describes autos, not all household-based vehicles. That distinction is especially useful when reading trend headlines: a percentage for one vehicle class cannot silently stand in for the overall household fleet. Each percentage refers to the NHTS survey year and category shown. FHWA, Summary of Travel Trends: 2022 National Household Travel Survey, Table 6-5
For 2022, 47.0% of household autos were 10 years old or older. In the combined van/SUV/pickup category, 40.2% were 10 years old or older. The same category comparison shows 9.3% of autos in the 0–2-year band, compared with 17.4% of vans, SUVs, and pickups combined. This is a comparison between an auto category and a combined group; the latter does not provide separate age-band shares for vans, SUVs, and pickups in the checked observations. FHWA, Summary of Travel Trends: 2022 National Household Travel Survey, Table 6-5
average age of cars in the US: Household vehicle type shares in the U.S.
Vehicle-type shares provide another way to understand what sits inside a household fleet average. In the 2001 NHTS, autos made up 56.8% of household-based vehicles. Later observations show vans at 8.2% in 2009 and SUVs at 23.7% in 2017. These are category shares from different survey years, so the three figures do not constitute a single same-year comparison. FHWA, Summary of Travel Trends: 2022 National Household Travel Survey, Table 6-4
For 2022, the table reports a broader set of shares: pickups were 16.1% of household-based vehicles, other trucks 0.6%, RVs and motor homes 0.6%, motorcycles and mopeds 2.9%, and the “Other” category 0.3%. These percentages describe the composition of the reported household-based vehicle distribution by type. They do not tell us the age of each category; for age, the separate average and age-band tables are the relevant measures. FHWA, Summary of Travel Trends: 2022 National Household Travel Survey, Table 6-4
The distribution table and age tables should also be read with their stated calculation notes. Some types included in the household vehicle distribution are not shown in vehicle-age rows, and unreported ages are excluded from age calculations. The survey’s household frame differs from an operational vehicle count, so the age and share statistics are best used to describe the particular NHTS household estimates rather than all U.S. vehicles in service. FHWA, Summary of Travel Trends: 2022 National Household Travel Survey, Tables 6-4 and 6-5
average age of cars in the US: Average age of U.S. vehicles in operation by vehicle type
A separate measure covers vehicles in operation (VIO), based on an Experian Automotive snapshot as of December 2023 and analyzed by Argonne National Laboratory. The U.S. Department of Energy reports that pickup trucks had the highest average age among vehicle types in operation at 13.1 years. Heavy trucks averaged 12.1 years. Among light-duty vehicles, cars averaged 11.9 years and vans 11.8 years, while SUVs and CUVs had the lowest average age at 8.1 years. U.S. Department of Energy, “FOTW #1362: Pickup Trucks Had the Highest Average Age of All Vehicle Types in Operation in 2023”
| Vehicle type in operation | Average age in 2023 |
|---|---|
| Pickup trucks | 13.1 years |
| Heavy trucks | 12.1 years |
| Cars | 11.9 years |
| Vans | 11.8 years |
| SUVs and CUVs | 8.1 years |
These figures are a December 2023 operational-fleet snapshot, not 2023 NHTS household survey averages. The different measurement frames also help explain why a vehicle-type value should not be swapped between sections without naming its source population. For example, the household-based 2022 NHTS put average pickup age at 12.91 years, while DOE’s account of the December 2023 vehicles-in-operation data gives 13.1 years; the dates, populations, and data sources differ. FHWA, Summary of Travel Trends: 2022 National Household Travel Survey, Table 6-4; U.S. Department of Energy, “FOTW #1362”
The operational data show a wide range by type: the reported SUV/CUV average is 8.1 years, while pickup trucks average 13.1 years. DOE identifies the pickup figure as the highest and the SUV/CUV figure as the lowest among vehicle types in the 2023 analysis. The NHTS tables, by contrast, describe household-based vehicles and survey estimates. Keeping these measures separate gives a clearer reading of U.S. vehicle-age statistics without treating a household survey as a census of vehicles in operation. U.S. Department of Energy, “FOTW #1362”