Rental fleet sales declined 4.1% through August 2026 on a same-automaker basis, according to fleet sales data collected by Bobit Business Media.

Comparable rental fleet sales totaled 808,137 vehicles during the first eight months of 2026, down 34,312 units from 842,449 during the same period last year.

Reported rental fleet sales totaled 852,782 through August, up 1.2% from 2025.

However, two automakers that did not provide fleet sales data in 2025 are now reporting data in 2026. Excluding their 2026 volume provides a year-over-year comparison using the same group of automakers.

August Rental Decline Narrows

Rental fleet sales totaled 76,846 in August on a same-automaker basis, down 2.9% from 79,136 in August 2025.

That represented a smaller year-over-year decline than July, when comparable rental fleet sales fell to 74,315 from 85,029, a decrease of 12.6%.

Monthly fleet sales can fluctuate based on automaker production and delivery schedules, rental fleet replacement cycles, vehicle availability, recalls, and the timing of large orders. Fleet sales figures therefore should not be viewed as a direct measure of rental demand.

Passenger-car sales increased during August, but cars represent a relatively small portion of rental fleet purchases. Crossovers, SUVs, trucks, and vans continue to account for the great majority of vehicles purchased by rental fleets.

Rental Trails the Overall Fleet Market

The rental decline contrasts with modest growth in the other major fleet segments.

Through August, commercial fleet sales increased 6.5% on a same-automaker basis, adding 35,225 vehicles compared with 2025. Government fleet sales increased 3.1%, adding 4,862 vehicles.

Those gains largely offset rental's 34,312-unit decline.

Combined commercial, rental, and government fleet sales totaled 1,547,442 vehicles through August on a comparable basis, up just 0.4% from 1,541,667 during the same period in 2025.

August alone was slightly weaker across the three segments. Comparable fleet sales totaled 167,125 vehicles, down 1.0% from 168,898 in August 2025.

The figures illustrate how differently the fleet segments have moved in 2026: commercial fleet purchasing remains ahead of last year, rental remains below it, and the aggregate fleet market has changed little.

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Rental Fleet Sales Decline 4.2% in 2026 Through July

Rental fleet sales declined 4.2% through July 2026 compared with the same period last year, based on Auto Rental News’ analysis of sales reports submitted by a consistent set of automakers.

Participating automakers reported 731,288 rental fleet sales during the first seven months of 2026 on a comparable basis, down from 763,313 during the same period in 2025.

The results show that the year-over-year comparison weakened as 2026 progressed. Comparable sales declined 2.4% in the first quarter and 4% in the second quarter. July volume was 12.6% below July 2025.

The trend does not represent a continuous month-to-month decline. Rental fleet deliveries can vary considerably depending on automaker production schedules, rental company ordering cycles, seasonal fleet planning, and the timing of large-volume deliveries.

When all automaker submissions received for 2026 are included, reported rental fleet sales totaled 774,242 through July, up 1.4% from the 2025 total presented in the reports. However, the 2026 data includes sales from automakers without corresponding 2025 volume in the reports.

Rental Car Volume Falls as SUVs and Trucks Gain Share

The data also reveals a continued change in rental fleet composition away from traditional passenger cars to SUVs and crossovers.

Among the consistent set of reporting automakers, passenger car sales totaled 173,920 through July, down 18% from 212,112 during the same period last year.

Truck and SUV sales moved in the opposite direction, increasing 1.1% to 557,368 from 551,201. As a result, trucks and SUVs represented 76.2% of comparable rental fleet sales through July, up from 72.2% during the same period in 2025.

Year-Over-Year Comparison Softens

Comparable rental fleet sales totaled 335,930 during the first quarter, down from 344,021 in the first quarter of 2025.

Second-quarter sales reached 321,043, compared with 334,263 a year earlier. July added 74,315 vehicles on a comparable basis, down from 85,029 in July 2025.

The year-over-year progression was:

• First quarter: down 2.4%
• Second quarter: down 4%
• July: down 12.6%
• January through July: down 4.2%

Methodology: Auto Rental News analyzed monthly fleet sales reports collected by Bobit from automakers. Year-over-year calculations use a consistent set of reporting automakers to prevent changes in participation from distorting the results. The figures represent sales reported to Bobit and should not be interpreted as a complete accounting of all U.S. rental fleet purchases.