SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — Experian Automotive has announced findings from its Q4 2010 Vehicles in Operation (VIO) market analysis. Findings from the report showed that the rate of vehicles removed from operation significantly increased in Q4 2010 when compared to Q3 2010 for both cars and light trucks.

“The past quarter saw the biggest jump in vehicle scrappage rates since ‘Cash for Clunkers’ in 2009,” said Marty Miller, senior product manager for Experian Automotive. “With the high number of vehicles coming out of operation and the overall number of VIO going down, it is more important than ever for automotive aftermarket organizations to ensure they have the most up-to-date market data available to help them make better inventory decisions, manage the supply chain and drive profitability.”

Experian’s U.S. and Canadian Vehicles in Operation (VIO) data, which is coded to Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) standards, includes more than 25 detailed vehicle attributes for 1967 and newer vehicles and includes quarterly deliveries for both Canada and the U.S.

The quarterly report showed the scrappage rate in Q4 2010 for cars increased by 28.3 percent, compared with Q3 2010, while the rate for light trucks in Q4 2010 more than doubled, rising by 58.2 percent over the previous quarter. For all of 2010, the annual scrappage rate was 5.3 percent for cars and 3.5 percent for light trucks.

In addition to findings from the quarterly report, Experian Automotive also conducted a market trend analysis, highlighting changes that have taken place in the number and types of vehicles on the road during the six month period ranging from July 1 to Dec. 31, 2010.

Results of this analysis show significant changes within VIO, according to Experian.

Additional Q4 data insights and further results of the six-month market analysis will be presented in Experian Automotive’s quarterly webinar slated for mid-April. For more information, click here.