Car sales are expected to fall for the first time since 2011 this year, after dropping by 9.3 percent in September.
Sales totalled just 426,170 vehicles, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) data. The figures provoked concern, with September usually the most popular month for new car orders.
September is always a barometer of the health of the UK new car market, so this decline will cause considerable concern,” said SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes.
“Business and political uncertainty is reducing buyer confidence, with consumers and businesses more likely to delay big-ticket purchases.”
The figures were hit by Brexit concerns, as well as political and economic uncertainty stemming from the Brexit negotiation process.
Total car sales so far in 2017 have fallen 3.9 percent on the same period last year, dropping to 2,066,411.