Wholesale used vehicle prices dropped 0.71% in the week ending September 26, 2026, according to Black Book’s latest Market Insights report. That is more than two and a half times the typical decline for the same week in 2017 through 2019.
If your car was damaged in a Georgia accident, this matters. A softening market means buyers get pickier. And the first thing a picky buyer walks away from is a vehicle with an accident on its history report. That gap between what your car was worth before the crash and what it is worth after repairs is your diminished value, and right now market conditions are making it wider.
The Numbers at a Glance
Trucks and SUVs are losing value almost four times faster than normal for late September. Cars are falling too, just less sharply.
| Segment | This week | Last week | 2017 to 2019 avg (same week) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars | down 0.48% | down 0.45% | down 0.34% |
| Trucks and SUVs | down 0.80% | down 0.77% | down 0.22% |
| Overall market | down 0.71% | down 0.69% | down 0.27% |
Cars: Losses Across the Board
Every one of the nine car segments Black Book tracks lost value last week, in every age group. Late model cars (up to two years old) fell 0.45%, and older cars (8 to 16 years) dropped 0.32%.
The weakest spot was subcompacts between two and eight years old, down 0.93% in a single week. The one bright spot was premium sporty cars, which barely moved at 0.02% down, with older models in that group actually gaining 0.14%.
The takeaway for owners: unless you drive a desirable enthusiast car, your vehicle is losing value every week, and an accident history speeds that up.
Trucks, SUVs and Minivans: Hit Hardest
All truck and SUV segments declined last week, down 0.80% overall. That is the category where most Georgia families have their money tied up.
- Full size pickups dropped more than 1% for another week. Late model trucks fell 1.22% and those two to eight years old fell 1.15%.
- Minivans took the sharpest hit. Models two to eight years old lost 2.16% in one week, late models lost 1.11%, and older ones lost 0.81%.
- Compact crossovers had their worst week since last December across every age group.
Fuel prices are part of the story. With gas above $4 a gallon and diesel above $6, Black Book points to heavy duty 2500 and 3500 series diesel trucks as especially exposed. If you own one and it was just in a wreck, you are facing a double hit: a falling segment plus accident stigma.
Buyers Are Still Buying, but They Are Choosy
Retail demand is holding up. Used vehicles on dealer lots are turning in about 34 days, and transparent no haggle pricing keeps shoppers coming in.
At auction, volume has climbed for several straight weeks, and 57% of vehicles offered are selling, down one point from the week before. More supply means buyers can pass on anything that is not clean.
Black Book says purchase decisions increasingly come down to condition, mileage and overall desirability. Translation: two identical vehicles on the same lot will not sell for the same price if one of them has a reported accident.
What This Means for Your Georgia Diminished Value Claim
A selective market punishes accident history harder, and that is exactly what a diminished value claim is meant to cover. In Georgia, you can recover that lost value from the at fault driver’s insurance company.
Here is why the current market matters:
- Stigma costs more when buyers have options. Rising auction volume gives dealers plenty of clean alternatives, so repaired vehicles get discounted harder.
- Trucks, SUVs and minivans are most exposed. These segments are already falling fastest, and an accident on the record compounds the drop.
- Insurer formulas ignore the market. Many adjusters still rely on the 17c formula, which caps losses at 10% of value and does not account for real market conditions like the ones in this report.
- Timing matters. Your vehicle’s value is sliding every week. A claim built on current market data today is stronger than one built on stale numbers months from now.
An independent appraisal grounded in real market data is the best way to document what your vehicle actually lost.
Get Your Diminished Value Appraisal
Diminished Value of Georgia prepares independent, USPAP compliant diminished value reports built on current market data, not insurance company formulas. If your vehicle was damaged in an accident that was not your fault, contact us for a free claim review and find out what your car really lost.
