Used car sales rose by 2.8% in Q3 to top two million, with the Ford Fiesta the best-seller and used EVs taking a 4% market share.
New car sales may have been struggling for years, but in a cost-of-living crisis it’s no real surprise that used car sales have risen for 11 consecutive quarters, including Q3 2025 when over two million used cars changed hands, the best Q3 numbers since 2021.
Unsurprisingly, ICE-powered cars made up the vast majority of sales, with sales of petrol-engined cars rising by 1.9% to 1,145,148 and diesel-engined cars falling by 2.8% to 658,664, meaning ICE-powered cars took almost 90% of the market.
As more electrified new cars are being sold, their arrival on the used market means numbers are increasing there too, with HEV sales up 30% for a 5.3% market share, PHEVs up 2% for a 1.2% share and BEVs up by 44.4% for a 4.0% market share.
The appetite for used superminis continues, growing by 1.8% to account for 32% of all sales, with the Ford Fiesta still the best-seller, followed by the Vauxhall Corsa.
With money tight, the average age of the UK’s vehicle parc now stands at 9.5 years – up from 8 years in 2019 – although 5% of used car sales were for vehicles under a year old, many coming off the back of the Employee Car Ownership Scheme (ECOS) scheme, which is expected to be scrapped.
Mike Hawes, SMMT CEO, said:
With used EV uptake at a record high, a robust used car market is essential for fleet renewal, and helps make electrified mobility more accessible for more motorists. However, overall consumer choice and affordability are at risk if the government scraps Employee Car Ownership Schemes.
