CHICAGO, Aug. 12, 2025 – The U.S. retail automotive aftermarket is benefiting from consumers looking to cut costs by shifting to do-it-yourself (DIY) for some of their auto maintenance, but it is also challenged by those choosing to defer maintenance purchases. Retail sales for the U.S. automotive aftermarket increased approximately 1% in both revenue and demand in the first half of 2025, according to Circana, LLC. 

“Consumer confidence, while it is improving, remains low, and economic concerns loom large, resulting in a pull-and-push effect on the auto aftermarket as the consumer engages in a mix of DIY and deferral behaviors,” says Nathan Shipley, automotive industry analyst for Circana. “Cost savings is paramount in the minds of consumers right now, and auto maintenance straddles a line of urgency for many.”

There are several factors that continue to favor the auto aftermarket. Many consumers are still working from home after the pandemic, offering them more time to take on maintenance projects themselves. One illustration of this trend is the five consecutive years of growth in sales of retail DIY motor oil. Early in the pandemic, this growth was attributed to many consumers having more time on their hands and looking for things to do. More recently, we attribute this behavior to a shift away from do-it-for-me (DIFM) in order to save on overall maintenance cost. In addition, the number of cars in the aftermarket “sweet spot” age of between 6 and 12 years old is at a peak this year, which creates more maintenance need opportunities. The latest Future of Auto report forecasts that the push and pull of DIY and deferral behavior from the first half of the year will continue through the end of 2025, resulting in annual unit sales gains just over 1%.

The average selling price of retail aftermarket products purchased during the first half of 2025 increased 1%. In recent weeks, higher prices have started to appear on the shelf for select categories, like accessories. When it comes to bigger-ticket purchases, like tires, consumers are looking for ways to push off those costs as long as they can. According to a recent survey, nearly 50% of consumers indicated they have driven on their tires longer, or for more miles, than they would have in the past in order to stretch out the live of the tires. Another third of consumers said they opted to replace just one or two of their tires instead of all four to try to save money.

“While the retail auto aftermarket is similar to the rest of discretionary retail in that macro views indicate steady consumer spending, it is also similar in that there are pockets of behavioral shifts occurring beneath the surface,” Shipley adds. “These pockets of change are critical to watch as markers of bigger shifts happening with the consumer and their approach to auto maintenance.”