Used diesel sales fall to lowest level of 2026 as pump prices hit record highs

MarketCheck, the UK’s leading source of used vehicle market data, has today revealed that used diesel car sales fell to their lowest monthly level of 2026 in September, as motorists faced record-breaking diesel prices at the pumps.

A total of 90,495 used diesel vehicles were sold during September 2026, down from 93,476 in August and 98,731 in July.

The figures also show a wider slowdown in the used diesel market during 2026.

Sales reached a high of 103,288 in March, but have since fallen with September recording the lowest monthly total of the year.

The decline comes against a backdrop of unprecedented diesel running costs.

According to the RAC, the average UK diesel price reached a record 199.18p per litre on 28 September. Prices subsequently crossed the £2 threshold in early October.

Alastair Campbell, MarketCheck UK, commented:

“September was the weakest month of the year so far for used diesel sales, and the timing is particularly interesting given what’s happening to diesel prices at the pumps.

We’ve seen sales fall to a year-long low.

At the same time, diesel has reached £2 a litre – these are significant running costs for anyone considering their next vehicle.

Affordability is clearly an important consideration for used car buyers.

The question now is whether the record cost of diesel will begin to have a more lasting impact on demand, particularly as buyers compare the running costs of petrol, hybrid and electric alternatives.”

ENDS

Notes to Editor

About MarketCheck:

https://marketcheck.uk/

We are the leading source of UK automotive data. We collate, enhance and manage more data on the UK used car sector than any other provider. For automotive businesses we bring unprecedented access to live data to power analysis, pricing, reporting and AI agents on the UK used car market.

We track over 650,000 cars and 11500 dealers across 16k locations daily.

Contact:

Alistair Harrison
[email protected]