Wholesale used prices fell in Sep 2026 while the Aug 2026 US retail used median sat 4.3% above Aug 2025
US used vehicles, week of Sep 28, 2026: wholesale turned negative year over year while retail asking prices held a plateau.
CBT News reported on Sep 21, 2026 that wholesale used car prices in the United States fell 1% in the first half of Sep 2026, pushing the Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index below its year-ago level for the first time in 2026. The figures come from Cox Automotive's mid-Sep 2026 Manheim release of Sep 18, 2026. Set against that, MarketCheck sold-vehicle data for the US shows the used retail median last-list price at $23,988 in Aug 2026, up 4.3% from $22,998 in Aug 2025. MarketCheck sold figures are advertised asking prices on vehicles that left dealer websites, a sold proxy rather than transaction prices, and the data lags about two months, which is why Aug 2026 retail is the reading that sits alongside mid-Sep 2026 wholesale.
What the data shows
| Metric (unit) | Aug 2025 | Jul 2026 | Aug 2026 | Change, Aug 2025 to Aug 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median last-list price, sold proxy ($) | 22,998 | 23,985 | 23,988 | +990 (+4.3%) |
| Mean last-list price, sold proxy ($) | 26,503 | 27,395 | 27,350 | +847 (+3.2%) |
| Mean price vs MarketCheck MSRP (%) | -38.56 | -38.11 | -38.20 | +0.36 points |
| Median mileage (miles) | 61,714 | 60,580 | 58,947 | -2,767 (-4.5%) |
| Median days on market (days) | 25 | 27 | 26 | +1 day |
| Used vehicles sold (units) | 1,738,262 | 1,646,573 | 1,709,132 | -29,130 (-1.7%) |
The price rows are last-list asking prices on vehicles that left US dealer websites, used here as a sold proxy, and the MSRP comparison is a mean. Read together, retail asking prices rose year over year and held flat from Jul 2026 to Aug 2026, while volume dipped 1.7% and the vehicles leaving dealer sites carried fewer miles.
Why it matters
Wholesale and retail are pointing in opposite directions. Cox Automotive put the Manheim index 0.4% below Sep 2025 in the first half of Sep 2026, its first negative year-over-year reading of 2026. MarketCheck data has the US used retail median last-list price at $23,988 in Aug 2026, up 4.3% year over year. Dealers holding stock acquired at spring wholesale prices carry the widest exposure if retail follows wholesale down.
Part of the retail gain is mix, not price. Median mileage on used vehicles that left dealer websites fell from 61,714 miles in Aug 2025 to 58,947 miles in Aug 2026, a drop of 4.5%. The retail median is not mix-adjusted while the Manheim index is, so the two percentages are not a like-for-like spread.
Retail asking prices have stalled on a plateau. The used median last-list price was $23,986 in Jun 2026, $23,985 in Jul 2026 and $23,988 in Aug 2026, flat across three months after rising from $21,998 in Feb 2026. The level is the highest in the series shown here, but the climb has stopped.
Stock on the lot is old relative to what is turning. Active used listings on Sep 28, 2026 carried a median of 118 days on market and a median asking price of $24,604, against a median of 26 days for vehicles that left dealer websites in Aug 2026. Units sitting the longest are the ones most likely to be exited through auction, where the softer wholesale reading applies.
Wholesale values are softening. Cox Automotive reported non-adjusted wholesale prices down 1.1% from Aug 2026 and down 1.1% year over year in the first half of Sep 2026.
What to watch
- The Sep 2026 retail median when MarketCheck sold-vehicle data lands. A reading below the $23,988 Aug 2026 plateau would show retail asking prices following wholesale lower, and dealers can reprice aged stock ahead of it.
- The full-month Sep 2026 Manheim figure from Cox Automotive. A second negative year-over-year reading would extend the reversal of the stronger wholesale pricing seen in the first half of 2026.
- Median days on market for vehicles leaving dealer websites. A move above 26 days would suggest asking prices near the $24,604 active-listing median are running ahead of buyers.
- Median mileage alongside price. If it keeps falling from 58,947 miles, more of any retail gain is mix rather than price.
How this was measured
Method: MarketCheck monthly sold-vehicle statistics from dealer websites (182 million sales since 2021) and live US listings. Sold-data prices are last-list asking prices on vehicles that left dealer websites, not transaction prices, and exclude auctions and private sales. Data lags about two months, so Aug 2026 retail is set against mid-Sep 2026 wholesale. Retail medians are not mix-adjusted. Wholesale figures are Cox Automotive's.
APIs used: MarketCheck Sold Summary API (the get_sold_summary tool in the MarketCheck MCP; docs https://docs.marketcheck.com/docs/get-started/api/mcp/tools/sold-summary) for US used sold summaries covering Sep 2025 to Aug 2026 and Aug 2025, and the Inventory Search API, GET /v2/search/car/active (https://docs.marketcheck.com/docs/api/cars/inventory/inventory-search) for US used active listings on Sep 28, 2026. API keys: https://developers.marketcheck.com.
Data source: MarketCheck sold-vehicle data, US dealer websites, plus MarketCheck live inventory data for Sep 28, 2026.
The story we checked
- Story: "Wholesale used car prices fall for the first time in 2026"
- Source: CBT News, Sep 21, 2026 (https://www.cbtnews.com/wholesale-used-car-prices-fall-below-last-year/)
- Fact-check tally: 5 verified, 0 unverifiable
Verified points include the Manheim index falling 1% from Aug 2026 to 206.2 in the first 15 days of Sep 2026, the index sitting 0.4% below Sep 2025, non-adjusted wholesale prices down 1.1% month over month and 1.1% year over year, the September decline reversing stronger wholesale pricing from the first half of 2026, and the US used retail median rising 4.3% from Aug 2025 to Aug 2026.
You can run the same read in MarketCheck AI Desk (install: https://ai.marketcheck.com/install).
Reproduce this
- search_active_cars: Search live dealer listings with filters such as make, model, state or ZIP to check asking prices and days on market on current used stock.
- generate_market_movers: Rank nameplates in one local market to see which used models are turning fastest there.
- generate_full_market_capture: Run a market briefing for one ZIP and radius: new listings, price cuts, and what left the market and how fast.
The story we checkedWholesale used car prices fall for the first time in 2026, CBT News, Sep 21, 2026