Mexico's light-vehicle output falls 15.1% in September
Domestic sales rose 7.9% in the same month, while exports, which take most of what the plants build, fell 11.9%.
Mexico built 301 803 light vehicles in September 2026, 15.1% fewer than in September 2025, according to a bulletin from INEGI, the national statistics institute, published on Oct. 7. The source is the RAIAVL, the registry INEGI uses each month to count the cars and light trucks that automakers produce, export and sell. The production and export figures are preliminary.
Exports were 277 369 units, 11.9% fewer than a year earlier. Sales in the domestic market were 129 274, up 7.9%, a figure INEGI already reports as revised.
| Item | Sept. 2025 | Sept. 2026 | Annual change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Production | 355 589 | 301 803 | -15.1 |
| Exports | 314 656 | 277 369 | -11.9 |
| Domestic sales | 119 766 | 129 274 | +7.9 |
The month stands out because August had come in nearly flat. In its previous bulletin, INEGI reported August 2026 production of 344 940 units, 1.4% lower than a year earlier, and exports up 1.3%.
From January to September 2026, plants built 2 946 943 vehicles, 2.4% fewer than in the same period of 2025, and exported 2 528 623, 1.5% fewer. Of the total produced, 79.0% were light trucks and 21.0% were passenger cars. The United States received 76.4% of exports in those nine months and Canada 12.4%.
Domestic sales for the year to date total 1 143 988 units, 5.03% more than in 2025. The bulletin does not give a cause for September's drop. INEGI's next RAIAVL release is due Nov. 4, 2026, with October figures.
