The average length of rental (LOR) for collision-related repairs in the third quarter of 2025 fell to 15.5 days, down 0.9 days from Q3 2024, according to new Enterprise Mobility data released Oct. 27. 

The decline mirrors reductions seen in both Q1 and Q2 2025, continuing the year’s trend toward shorter rental durations as post-pandemic supply chain issues ease.

Compared with the same period in 2021, when the average LOR was 15.2 days, the figure is only 0.3 days higher, indicating a near return to pre-pandemic norms. By contrast, Q3 2020 saw an average LOR of 12.3 days.

Regional LOR Differences

Alaska posted the highest LOR at 19.8 days, followed by Rhode Island (19.4 days) and West Virginia (19.3 days). The shortest LORs were in North Dakota (11.1 days), Iowa (12.3 days), and Hawaii (12.4 days). 

The District of Columbia recorded the largest year-over-year increase (+0.6 days). Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia also posted small gains, while Pennsylvania and Vermont were unchanged. Colorado saw the sharpest improvement, dropping by 3 days to 16.5 days. Texas (–2.3 days) and Nebraska (–2.1 days) followed.

Faster Parts Delivery Shortens Repair Times

Greg Horn, chief industry relations officer at PartsTrader, noted that faster parts delivery played a key role in the reduced rental lengths.

“Q3 2025 saw a significant reduction in overall median delivery time — 6.8 days compared with 9.5 days a year earlier,” Horn said in a news release.

All part types showed improved delivery times, with the biggest drops for new OEM and price-matched OEM parts. 

The state-level data aligned with the overall trend: Colorado saw 3.3 fewer days, California 2.9 fewer, and both Nebraska and Texas 2.4 fewer days.

Shops See Less Backlog

John Yoswick, editor of the CRASH Network newsletter, cited survey data showing repair backlogs at U.S. shops were largely unchanged from Q2 2025, holding at an average of 1.8 weeks in July which was the lowest level since 2021. 

Nearly one in four shops (24%) said they could schedule repairs immediately, up three points from the previous quarter.

“In the nine years of tracking, the percentage of shops with no backlog had never topped 20% outside the pandemic until now,” Yoswick said.

Alternative Parts Drive Efficiency

Ryan Mandell, vice president of strategy and market intelligence for Mitchell International, highlighted record-high use of alternative parts.

“Alternate parts usage is at an all-time high, with 40.6% of replacement parts being aftermarket, recycled or remanufactured, compared with 38.3% a year ago,” Mandell said.

Alternative parts are typically less affected by delays or back orders, helping reduce repair cycle times. The percentage of parts repaired also rose to 17%, up from 15.4% in Q3 2024.

Breakdown by Claim Type

• Drivable vehicles: 14.4 days (down 0.7 days YoY)

• Non-drivable vehicles: 21.2 days (down 2 days YoY)

• Total-loss claims: 13.9 days

Shorter repair times, better parts availability, and reduced shop backlogs continue to ease pressure on cycle times and rental lengths. Enterprise Mobility’s Q3 2025 data suggests the industry is approaching pre-pandemic norms, with ongoing efficiency gains likely to sustain the downward trend into 2026.