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Episode · Friday, October 23, 2026 · 3:57

October Pace Holds, Payments Hit Record

Sales volume isn't moving much this October, but the money underneath it is. J.D. Power's forecast has the industry buying its way to flat, with a record average payment and incentive spending up more than thirteen percent. The episode covers that math alongside a buy-sell in Asheville from CBT News, a quarter-million-vehicle power steering recall from Automotive Dive, and NADA's election of only its second female chair in the association's history, reported by Auto Remarketing. Marketing gets its own stretch too, from a dealership discoverability story to Sytner's UK profit slide and Copart's expanding reach into commercial consignment. A run of manufacturing moves, from Ford Canada's new chief executive to a Michigan plant closure, rounds out the morning. None of it changes what a desk does Monday morning, but it tells you where the margin is thinning.

In this episode

Questions from this episode

What does J.D. Power's October forecast show for new-vehicle sales?

J.D. Power and GlobalData project total U.S. new-vehicle sales of about 1,327,100 units in October, up 0.2% year over year, with a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 15.6 million, flat with October of last year. Retail sales are projected at about 1,109,500 units, down 1.4% on a selling-day basis but up 2.3% unadjusted.

Why is the average car payment hitting a record in October?

J.D. Power's forecast puts the average monthly payment at a record $823, with interest rates at 6.81%. Incentive spending rose 13.1% to $3,304 per vehicle, which is helping hold sales volume flat even as payments climb.

Who did NADA elect as its next chair?

NADA's board elected Sandy Fitzgerald Angello, vice president and dealer operator at Pohanka Automotive Group in Maryland, as its next chair. She becomes only the second woman to hold the post, the first since Annette Sykora in 2008, and succeeds Rob Cochran of Number One Cochran.

Why did Sytner's profit fall in the UK?

Sytner's pre-tax profit fell 10% to 51.6 million pounds, with turnover hit by lower used-car sales, according to Motor Trader.

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