Replacement Rate Data

Parts Replacement Rates: The market sizing data the aftermarket runs on.

If you’re trying to understand the size of a parts market, forecast demand, or identify where your category opportunity actually lives, replacement rates are where you start. IMR has been tracking them for over 40 years, making this one of the longest-running studies of its kind in the industry.

The longitudinal depth is what separates this data from a one-time snapshot. You can see how failure and replacement patterns shift over time, across vehicle generations, and in response to market changes, context that a single-year study simply can’t provide.

More than an annual rate

Most replacement rate data gives you a single number: how often a part gets replaced in a given year. Useful as a baseline, but not sufficient for serious planning.

IMR’s replacement rate data cuts deeper. We can slice rates by:

Vehicle age — Where in the lifecycle is replacement actually happening?

Vehicle make and origin — How do domestic, Asian, and European vehicles differ in failure and replacement frequency?

Region — Where in the country are certain categories replacing at higher rates, and why?

Mileage — How does accumulated mileage correlate with replacement across your category?

A category with a high overall replacement rate concentrated in high-mileage, older domestic vehicles tells a completely different market story than one distributed evenly across the fleet. Knowing the difference is what turns a market size estimate into a credible strategic argument.

175+ parts, services, and chemicals across 13 categories

Braking System · Chemicals, Additives & Cleaners · Collision, Paint & Body · Computer & Emissions · Electrical · Exhaust System · Ignition & Engine · Routine Maintenance · Steering & Suspension · Temperature Control · Tires, Wheels & Misc · Transmission & Clutch · Windshield, Glass, Mirrors & Lamps

How clients use this data

Product and category managers use replacement rates to validate market size assumptions and prioritize category investment. Sales teams use them to build the demand story with distributors and retailers. Marketing uses them to anchor messaging in real-world failure and replacement behavior. Strategists use the trends to get ahead of category shifts before they show up in shipment data.

Forty-plus years of consistent tracking means you’re not just seeing where the market stands today, you’re seeing the direction it’s moving.