Staff report

January’s snow-covered deep freeze stifled sales in the Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers’ Association’s 21-county area. Despite the conditions, the Mahoning Valley plowed through with positive gains.

The association reported last week that new vehicle sales for the month fell 10.6% compared to January 2025. A total of 19,442 new vehicle registrations were recorded in the first month of 2025, compared to 17,370 last month.

Used vehicle sales in the region totaled 16,441 in January, a decrease of 4.77% from the same month last year.

Dealers in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties witnessed a boost of 277 new and used vehicles from year-to-year numbers. January 2025 sales numbered 4,213. New vehicle sales reached 2,273 to end January 2026, a rise of 192. Used vehicles skimmed ahead by 49 from 1,764 in January 2025.

“January was severely hampered by Northern Ohio weather, and both new and used vehicle sales numbers felt the impact,” said Louis A. Vitantonio, the association’s president. “Affordability remains a factor as well, however incentives and interest rate adjustments should begin to support sales in the coming months.”

Vitantonio said sales numbers are expected to climb after the 2026 Cleveland Auto Show opens in two weeks. The Show’s “Last Ride” runs Feb. 20 through March 1 at Cleveland’s I-X Center.

Boardman Subaru maintains its dominance in the Valley market with 258 new and used vehicle sales in January. The dealership is followed by Ken Ganley Kia of Boardman (199), Greenwood Chevrolet of Austintown (190), Fairwood Chevrolet GMC in Calcutta (189) and Fairway Ford in Canfield (187).

The January sales leaders in Trumbull County were Toyota of Warren (135), Klaben Ford Lincoln of Warren (116), Greenwood Hubbard Chevrolet (79), Spitzer Chevrolet (68) and Diane Sauer Chevrolet in Warren (63).

Valley dealerships cracking the 100-sales mark for new vehicle sales were Boardman Subaru, Fairway Ford, Toyota of Boardman, Ken Ganley Kia of Boardman, Fairway Chevrolet GMC, Preston Hyundai of Boardman and Cochran Chevrolet of Boardman.

Boardman Subaru paced the Valley with 102 used vehicle sales in January. Toyota of Warren recorded 62 to top Trumbull dealers.

Chevrolet was again Northern Ohio’s best-selling brand to begin the year, with 2,328 new vehicles sold. Ford came in second place with 1,994 new vehicles delivered in January. Honda took third with 1,657 new vehicles sold in the month, ahead of Toyota and Kia with 1,489 and 1,419 sales, respectively.

Toyota was the lone Top 5 manufacturer to hit positive numbers in a year-to-year comparison. Chevrolet (-13.97%), Ford (-9.61%), Honda (-0.66%) and Kia (-8.63%) lost sales when comparing January 2025 to January 2026 figures.

Buick dropped 43.64% and Tesla sales fell 41.28% during the same period.