Workers at Ford's Kentucky Truck Plant on April 30, 2025.

Michael Wayland | CNBC

DETROIT — There's a growing concern that the global automotive industry may be stuck in neutral, if not reverse, heading into 2027.

The auto industry — from the companies to their customers — has been surprisingly resilient this decade, but there are fears that rising costs, weaker vehicle pricing and a more challenging market could threaten profits and growth going forward.

Automakers also face pressure outside the U.S. from an onslaught of Chinese carmakers, a thinner new-product pipeline after retreating from some all-electric plans, and company- and region-specific challenges.

"With investor focus increasingly shifting to 2027, the setup appears challenging," Barclays analyst Dan Levy said in an investor note last month.…