Japan’s new vehicle market expanded by almost 19% year-on-year to 409,347 in February 2025, up from 344,820 units in the same month last year, according to registration data released by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA).

The vehicle market last month continued to rebound from weak year-earlier data, when Daihatsu Motor - Toyota Motor’s small car subsidiary - was forced to halt production of a number of key models following its safety test rigging scandal. This also affected other affiliated brands, including Mazda and Subaru.

The market was up by close to 16% to 785,605 units in the first two months of the year from 679,696 a year earlier, with sales of passenger cars rising by 17% to 682,787 units, while truck sales increased by 7.5% to 101,087 units. Sales of medium and large buses and coaches were flat at 1,731 units, as the post-pandemic rebound continued to fizzle out.

Toyota’s domestic sales rose by almost 23% to 247,339 units year-to-date, while Daihatsu’s sales surged almost threefold to 82,305 units from very depressed year-earlier levels and Mazda’s volumes rebounded by 26% to 29,447 units. Suzuki’s two-month sales rose by 5% to 128,853 units, while Honda’s sales dropped by 3% to 107,729 units and Nissan’s sales were down by 9% to 80,914 units.

Overseas brands account for just 4% of total vehicle sales in Japan year-to-date, led by German automakers including Mercedes-Benz, BMW-Mini, Audi and Volkswagen.

The vehicle market in 2025 is expected to continue to recover from last year’s setbacks, supported by steady economic growth forecast at around 1.2%. The government plans to continue to support domestic economic growth, with a focus on driving up wages and household incomes, revitalizing regional economies and encouraging corporate investment.