For Third Year Buyers Want Used F-150 Pickups

This might seem like an oxymoron to used car and truck buyers, but did you know that Ford’s F-150 pickup has been the most popular used vehicle in the country for the last three years? This information comes to us via iSeeCars, the country’s leading independent source of information about vehicles.

Ford Trucks Are Outselling Everyone

Indeed, according to the Ford Authority (FA), another leading source of independent Ford information, the popularity of the F-150 and the Ford Super Duty line has “combined to outsell every other pickup and vehicle … for more than four decades now.” With this background, it makes sense that Ford trucks continue their dominance in the new and used markets.

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Last year, Ford led all pickup sales for the 47th straight year. Not only was Ford the top-selling brand in the new truck market, but as iSeeCars points out, the F-150 “has long been one of the more sought-after models for those seeking something with some miles on the clock,” FA notes. Indeed, in 2021, 2022, and 2023, Ford “was the most popular used vehicle in the country.”

Looking at the statistics, iSeeCars noted that the Ford F150 “accounted for 3.3 percent of all one- to five-year used vehicle sales” in the country. This happens to be “the same percentage as last year.” The sales were enough to “keep the F-150 ahead of its” primary rival, Chevy’s Silverado 1500. For 2023, the Silverado 1500 “finished the year at 2.6 percent.” Last year’s number three, the Ram 1500, dropped from third place to fourth place. The Ram 1500 dropped to 2.1 percent of the market. Replacing it in the number three spot was Chevy’s Equinox.

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The iSeeCars Methodology – look at everything

How did iSeeCars come up with its latest data? Their task was difficult as they analyzed more than 9.2 million used car sales “from the last five model years – 2018 to 2022. The ambitious analytics firm looked at each vehicle nationally and sales within metro areas and states. That is quite some task.

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“Trucks have been so dominant in the U.S. market for so long that it’s strange to see the Ram lose its top-three ranking, even to an SUV as popular as the Chevrolet Equinox,” said Karl Brauer, iSeeCars Executive Analyst.

Shift Reflects Move Away From Large Trucks

He continued that this “shift reflects the jump in gas prices during 2023, which led many consumers to move away from large trucks and SUVs and into smaller, more fuel-efficient models.”

Ford Motor Photo

Marc Stern has been an automotive writer since 1971. His automotive articles have appeared in venues including Popular Mechanics, Mechanix Illustrated, AutoWeek, SuperStock, Trailer Life, Old Cars Weekly, Special Interest Autos, and others. You can follow Marc on Twitter or Facebook.