As service bays close across the country, well-positioned Canadian shops stand to capture a growing customer base

A structural paradox is reshaping the automotive aftermarket in Canada and across North America: vehicles in operation continue to grow while service bays keep disappearing. According to Lang Marketing, more than 82,000 service bays closed in the United States between 2015 and 2025, while the light vehicle fleet grew by more than 35 million units. In Canada, the trend is similar.

The numbers tell a clear story:

– Total vehicles per service bay increased by more than 56% over ten years

– Foreign nameplates (Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, etc.) saw their count per service bay more than triple

– Foreign nameplates now represent over 50% of the North American vehicle fleet

– Internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles gained more than 25 million units over the decade while service bays declined

What this means for Canadian shops

For a well-prepared shop, this reality is a genuine growth opportunity. Every competitor that closes leaves behind a customer base. But capturing that business requires the ability to service the vehicles those customers drive — and they increasingly drive foreign nameplates.

Canadian shops that invest now in:

– Foreign nameplate training and expertise

– Appropriate diagnostic equipment

– Expanded parts inventories for these vehicles

…will be the ones that absorb customers left behind by the closure of shops.

Worth noting: dealerships are capturing a disproportionate share of electric-vehicle repairs, meaning Canadian independent shops will service even more ICE vehicles than overall averages suggest. The dominance of ICE in Canada’s independent aftermarket is only strengthening for the decade ahead.

According to the report published by Lang Marketing—2027 Lang Aftermarket Annual (Jim Lang,2026)