Andalucía remains Spain’s top region for used car sales, but September brought a steep decline. While other regions gain ground, uneven provincial results and a surge in younger vehicles are reshaping the market.
September hit Andalucía’s used car market hard. The region, usually Spain’s leader for secondhand car sales, saw deals fall by 9.5% last month. That’s a much steeper drop than the national average, which slipped just 0.6%. Andalucía still makes up more than 18% of all used car sales in Spain, but its lead is shrinking. Industry data shows Spain sold 1,640,051 used passenger cars and SUVs from January to September. That’s up 2.6% from last year. But September itself brought a small national decline.
Madrid is catching up fast. The capital region posted a 13.5% jump in used car sales through September, reaching 252,556 units. Andalucía’s year-on-year growth is just 0.8%. Other regions—Castilla-La Mancha, Asturias, Navarra, and Cataluña—are also moving ahead, with gains between 3.3% and 5.1%. Europa Press reports the ratio of used to new car sales in Spain is about 1.8 to 1. Secondhand cars still rule the market.
The average price of a used car listed for sale in Spain in Q2 2026 was €19,290, down 1.1% from the previous year.
Provincial numbers show why Andalucía is slowing down. Seven out of eight provinces saw sales drop in September. Granada and Huelva took the biggest hits, with sales down 20.9% and 19.6%. Sevilla is still the largest provincial market. It recorded 7,717 sales in September, but that’s a 6.7% fall. Over the year, Sevilla’s growth is almost flat at 0.7%. Málaga, the second biggest, kept its September drop to 2.7% and managed a 1.5% annual rise. Only Jaén stands out. It grew 3.8% for the year.
Even with these setbacks, Andalucía is ahead of Comunidad Valenciana, where used car sales are down 4.9% so far this year. Galicia and Extremadura are moving at Andalucía’s pace, with small gains of 0.8% and 0.9%. Sector analysts say the uneven results come from both local economic issues and bigger national trends in supply and demand.
One thing is clear. Buyers want younger cars. Vehicles over 15 years old still make up 41.6% of sales, but cars up to five years old are gaining ground fast. That segment is up 5.2% this year and now makes up 26% of all deals. More supply from rental fleets, company renewals, and leasing returns is driving this shift. The average used car sold in Spain is 11.4 years old. Private-party sales—over 60% of the market—often involve cars older than 15 years. El Diario notes this keeps Spain’s car fleet old and slows down renewal.
The share of diesel vehicles in used car transactions remains the largest at 48.1%, but diesel sales have declined by 2.9% year-on-year, while used electric car sales have surged by nearly 40% and plug-in hybrids by almost 47%.
Electric and hybrid cars are starting to make a dent. Sales of used pure electric cars jumped 39.8% to 27,920 units. Plug-in hybrids soared 46.9% to 43,762. Diesel is still on top at 48.1% of the market, but diesel sales are slipping by 2.9%. Petrol models sold 581,955 units, down 0.2%.
Industry groups Ganvam and Faconauto are raising the alarm. They want a national plan to renew Spain’s car fleet. Both say the current Auto+ incentives don’t push owners to scrap old cars, which is key for meeting Spain’s Sustainable Mobility Law. Their joint statement is blunt: “Estos datos ponen de manifiesto la necesidad urgente de activar el plan nacional de renovación del parque para dar cumplimiento a la Ley de Movilidad Sostenible, máxime cuando las ayudas a la compra de electrificados del plan Auto+ prescinden del incentivo al achatarramiento.”
Drivers face more than just a changing market. As reported earlier, the end of fuel tax breaks is already squeezing household budgets. The cost of owning a car keeps rising.
Andalucía’s grip on the used car market is slipping. Madrid and other regions are speeding up. Buyers want newer and electrified cars. The region is at a crossroads. Without new renewal incentives and action on the aging fleet, Andalucía could lose its lead in a market that’s moving fast.
