Used car sales reached 5 million 35 thousand 390 units in the first 7 months of 2026, down 2.7% from the same period last year. July sales fell 12.8% year on year, remaining at 732 thousand 594 units.
2PLAN Executive Board Chairman Orhan Ülgür described the decline as normalization following high sales rather than a collapse in demand. Access to financing, new-car campaigns, consumer confidence and the position of prices relative to inflation were said to be factors that would influence the market’s trajectory. It was reported that, due to high interest rates and credit restrictions, 1 in every 4 vehicles changing hands was purchased through alternative financing models.
Why it matters
The data shows that looking only at sales volume is not sufficient when assessing activity in the used car market; it is important to determine whether the decline reflects normalization following high sales rather than a loss of demand. This distinction makes the market’s overall direction and the position of prices relative to inflation more meaningful for consumers planning to buy a car. While high interest rates and credit restrictions have made access to financing one of the market’s determining factors, the prominence of alternative models reveals buyers’ sensitivity to payment terms. The extent to which new-car campaigns, consumer confidence and financing conditions will affect used car demand in the coming period remains an open question.