In March 2013, U.S. light vehicle sales reached 1.45 million units, an increase of approximately 3% compared to the same period in 2012; first-quarter sales totaled 3.69 million units, a year-on-year increase of 6%.

According to data from Autodata, U.S. light vehicle sales in March reached 1,453,038 units, a 3.4% increase from 1,404,699 units in March 2012. This was the highest monthly sales figure since the peak of 1.48 million units in August 2007. First-quarter cumulative light vehicle sales in the U.S. totaled 3,689,089 units, a 6.4% increase from 3,467,609 units in the same period of 2012. Although the growth rate moderated compared to the double-digit percentages seen in several months of 2012, March typically faces a high comparison base from the previous year.

In March, U.S. car sales edged down 1% year-on-year to 759,172 units, while light truck sales (including SUVs and pickups) increased 9% year-on-year to 693,866 units.

Based on the sales pace in March, the seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) was 15.25 million units. This marked the fifth consecutive month that the U.S. auto market's SAAR exceeded 15 million units since 2008. The SAAR was 15.56 million units in November 2012, 15.38 million in December 2012, 15.30 million in January 2013, and 15.36 million in February 2013.