@the1mr_gratitude/TikTok odecam/Shutterstock
A viral TikTok video has reignited hypothesis that the U.S. automotive market is heading towards a crash.
Brandon (@the1mr_gratitude), who usually shares monetary and life recommendation together with his 376,000 followers, claims dealership tons are overflowing with unsold vehicles, financing charges are unusually low, and patrons may rating reductions as excessive as 40%.
However whereas his video shortly unfold throughout TikTok and X, specialists and on a regular basis commenters stay divided, elevating the query of whether or not these are actual warning indicators or simply one other case of viral monetary fearmongering.
In his current trending video, Brandon, who claims to “work with sellers nationwide”, informed 460,000 viewers what he believes are the important thing indicators {that a} automotive market crash is underway.
First, he defined that throughout the nation, automotive dealership tons have gotten overfilled as a result of vehicles aren’t promoting, signalling the most important decline in not less than 5 years. “They’re sitting on tons a median of over 120 days and now we have not seen that since pre-Covid,” he clarified.
Secondly, he went on to elucidate that producers had been providing 0 to 2% finance on vehicles proper now—once more, a report quantity since COVID. He then urged his viewers to verify automotive mixture websites, reminiscent of Automobile Gurus and Automobile Edge, to see how lengthy vehicles have been sitting unsold on tons, and use this to barter reductions as excessive as 40%.
“That approach once you get to the dealership you may name them out on their BS,” he concluded.
Commenters had been divided of their responses, with many expressing disbelief at Brandon’s takes.
“What crash? They’re asking 50 to 60 thousand for a Tacoma,” wrote EskimoinOhio.
“May be overflowing however the costs are usually not taking place,” added another person.
Others expressed that prices of residing had been so excessive that even fascinated about shopping for a extra fundamental automotive was out of the query—and even those that may afford it might not do it on finance.
“Ppl can’t afford meals and electrical energy, a lot much less new vehicles,” stated reddogforge.
The discourse continued over on X, the place a repost of Brandon’s video from Sept. 24, 2025 acquired over 563K views. Right here, folks had been equally unimpressed—calling into query the self-declared skilled’s murky credentials.
“If there are such a lot of vehicles on the lot how come they hold begging me to promote them my used automotive?” Bobby Made Birdie requested.
“He has no knowledge. We’re supposed to simply imagine a dude ranting in his automotive in a baseball hat?,” questioned another person.
@ilpadrinopacino by way of X
This isn’t the primary time Brandon has raised eyebrows over his automotive recommendation. In 2024, one other of his movies went viral after he informed viewers by no means to make a down fee when buying a car—recommendation that the Each day Dot truth checked and located to be well-meaning however flawed. We additionally discovered no direct data linking him to a automotive dealership community.
We’ve performed the identical once more concerning Brandon’s newest claims to offer correct data for anybody considering shopping for a automotive within the present market.
Story Continues
Brandon’s take 1: Heaps at automotive dealerships have gotten overfilled with unsold vehicles throughout the nation at charges not seen for the reason that pandemic. That is proof that the market is in decline. Brandon says the common period of time vehicles are sitting unsold is 120 days.
Reality verify 1: In line with knowledge from Black Ebook, by way of CarandDriver, fashions from premier manufacturers like Lincoln, Volvo, and Mercedes-Benz are sitting on sellers’ tons for a median of 110 days or longer— that means there’s a superb likelihood a lot are exceeding Brandon’s 120-day declare.
Black Ebook additionally says that gross sales are persistently down versus 2017-19 numbers. Nonetheless, correlation isn’t essentially causation. Vehicles can stay unsold for a mess of causes, from producers dumping giant inventories on dealerships to client behaviors.
For instance, there could also be a mismatch in demand for some vehicles in areas the place they aren’t as in style, or shoppers might wish to look forward to newer fashions to drop, inflicting a lag in gross sales of older vehicles.
Brandon’s take 2: Brandon claims that producers are more and more providing vehicles on 0-2% finance, signalling declining gross sales. As soon as once more, he claims this hasn’t been since Covid.
Reality verify 2: Automobile Edge does present that, as of Sept. 2025, some corporations together with GM, Jeep, and Nissan, are providing vehicles on 0% finance. Nonetheless, these offers appear to be extra frequent on electrical automobiles than common fashions.
When conducting our truth verify, we discovered that basically, it was way more frequent for rates of interest to sit down at round 4-6%, although they do range by lender. That is nowhere close to as near Covid ranges, both, the place phrases had been additionally longer—usually extending as much as 84 months—whereas now most appear to sit down at round 36 to 60 months.
So, though Brandon is true to some extent, his claims appear to be barely sensationalized.
Brandon’s take 3: If you wish to learn the way lengthy a automotive has been sitting in rather a lot, you may verify a automotive mixture website like Automobile Gurus or Automobile Edge. These websites present data on how lengthy vehicles have been on the dealership. You’ll be able to then use this data to cut price for a greater deal.
Reality verify 3: Automobile mixture websites do present approximate estimates, however with a caveat. On CarEdge, every itemizing shows a “Days on Market” quantity, detailing how lengthy the automotive has been there. Nonetheless, there’s some confusion over when this quantity is calculated from, with an admin stating that generally it consists of car manufacturing and transit time, earlier than it has even arrived on the lot. This might unfairly have an effect on import fashions specifically, as a consequence of longer transit instances.
Wealthy Barger by way of CarEdge
So be happy to make use of automotive mixture websites to get a tough concept of timings, with the understanding that this may not be completely exact. And as for whether or not this can be utilized to leverage, it’s going to rely on the dealership, however all the time come ready with as a lot data as attainable to assist your case.
As for whether or not Brandon was proper a couple of broader market crash being underway, the info isn’t 100% clear but. Whereas issues are actually slowing down, 2025 was nonetheless one of many higher years for automotive gross sales since 2019.
There are additionally different components at play that Brandon doesn’t cowl. For instance, Kelley Blue Ebook factors out a slowing in EV gross sales specifically, as early adoption reaches saturation, which could possibly be impacting the general tendencies. So whereas Brandon has the best concept, it’s value remembering that the automotive market is advanced, and may’t be lowered to simply two or three components.
The web is chaotic—however we’ll break it down for you in a single day by day e-mail. Join the Each day Dot’s e-newsletter right here.