September Brings Fewer Sales, Lowest Front-End Gross of 2026

Vehicle sales declined after two months of gains, while front-end gross reached its lowest level this year and customers continued taking on higher payments.

By Gregory Arroyo

Dealers entered Labor Day after two months of rising vehicle sales. September erased much of that summer gain: the average dealership completed approximately 107 transactions, down from 117 in August and below July’s 114.

The vehicles they sold also generated less front-end gross. At $455 per deal, September’s average was the lowest of 2026. A modest increase in F&I profit per vehicle retailed (PVR) kept total gross per deal level with August.

This insight comes directly from StoneEagleDATA’s latest report, powered by transaction-level data representing more than 50% of the U.S. automotive retail market. StoneEagleDATA delivers The Complete Picture of how sales conditions and F&I execution shape dealership profitability.

Inside September’s Results

September’s decline in vehicle sales followed a familiar seasonal pattern. Average deal count has fallen from August to September in each of the past five years, with decreases ranging from 5.4% to 13.2%. This year’s 8.7% decline was near the middle of that range.

Compared with September 2025, dealers completed 2.7% fewer transactions, while front-end gross per deal was down 13.4%. That was smaller than the 17.9% year-over-year decline recorded in August 2026, but dealers still generated about $71 less in front-end gross per vehicle retailed than a year earlier.

Higher F&I PVR recovered more than half that front-end loss, rising $40 year over year to $1,983. That limited the decline in total gross per deal to 1.3%, at $2,438. Compared with August, F&I PVR rose about $9 while front-end gross fell about $9, leaving total gross per deal unchanged.

For F&I offices, the sales slowdown meant higher profit per vehicle did not translate into higher monthly income. Average monthly F&I income per dealer declined 8.3% from August to $211,452. Year-over-year, the result was nearly flat, down just 0.7%.

The product results explain why September’s year-over-year increase in F&I PVR should not be read as a broad increase in product sales. Products per deal averaged 1.56 last September and reached 1.60 in November. This year, the average reached 1.57 in February before easing to about 1.52 in June and remaining near that level through September.

Modest shifts in product penetration accompanied the decline in products per deal. The rate for vehicle service contracts rose from 44% to 45% year over year, or nearly one additional service contract for every 100 vehicles sold. GAP and prepaid maintenance rates also increased, while paint-and-fabric and tire-and-wheel rates edged lower.

That increase in service contract penetration came with a 3.3% year-over-year rise in average income per contract sold. The other four major categories also generated more per sale, even where penetration declined: GAP increased 5.3%, tire-and-wheel protection 7.6%, paint-and-fabric protection 4.7%, and prepaid maintenance 1.1%.

Financing a More Expensive Purchase

The decline in products per deal raises a question about affordability: are buyers approaching a limit on what they can afford? Customers financed nearly $900 more on average than a year earlier, bringing September’s average amount financed to $38,367.

As customers financed more, the average finance term stretched by about a month to 65.64 months, consistent with efforts to keep payments manageable.

That longer repayment period came with a higher monthly obligation. September’s average payment reached $704, up from $687 a year earlier, keeping payments above $700 for a second consecutive month. Before 2026, no monthly average had crossed that mark in the four preceding years.

Together, larger amounts financed, longer terms, and higher payments show the growing financial commitment involved in buying a vehicle. The figures don't show whether tighter budgets drove the decline in products per deal, but they add an affordability dimension to September’s product results worth following.

September by the Numbers

• Deals per Dealer: Dealers averaged 107 transactions in September, down from 117 in August and from 110 a year earlier.

• F&I PVR: F&I profit per vehicle retailed averaged $1,983, up 0.4% from August. The year-over-year increase was 2.0%.

• Front-End Gross per Deal: Front-end gross averaged $455, down 2.0% from August and 13.4% year over year.

• Total Gross per Deal: Total gross averaged $2,438, flat compared with August and down 1.3% from a year ago.

• Products per Deal: Products per deal averaged 1.52, up 0.2% from August but down from 1.56 a year earlier.

• Total F&I Income per Dealer: Monthly F&I income per dealer averaged $211,452, down 8.3% from August. The year-over-year decline was 0.7%.

F&I Product Penetration Highlights

• Vehicle Service Contracts: Penetration was 45% in September, matching August and up from 44% a year earlier.

• Guaranteed Asset Protection: GAP penetration was 39% in September, matching August and up from 38% a year earlier.

• Paint and Fabric Protection: Penetration was 20%, matching both August and September 2025.

• Prepaid Maintenance: Penetration was 16%, matching both August and September 2025.

• Tire and Wheel: Penetration was 10%, matching both August and September 2025.

That’s The Complete Picture. Brought to you by StoneEagle. Your one true source for benchmarks and data that help drive success for your business.

Complete the form below to sign up for the TCP Report newsletter, our monthly briefing on the latest benchmarks and industry data.