Auto sales continue to fall despite strong economy

• Unemployment is down, consumer confidence is up, and gas prices and interest rates are still low.

Even so, U.S. auto sales fell 3 per cent last month.

It was the sixth- straight monthly decline as sales dropped off last year’s record pace. For the first six months, car and truck sales fell 2.1 per cent, the first such decrease since 2009.

But auto executives and industry analysts say it’s no cause for panic. Sales are still strong and aren’t expected to plunge anytime soon. Plus, buyers are still loading out trucks and SUVs with highpriced options, and that’s likely to boost earnings, at least in Detroit.

Sales are falling largely because people who delayed vehicle purchases in the years since the Great Recession have bought new ones, says Jessica Caldwell, executive director of analysis for Edmunds. com. “We’re kind of at the point where we don’t have a boost from that,” she says.

Also, auto companies are cutting lease deals as usedcar values fall, curtailing another incentive to buy. And people with lower credit scores are feeling the pinch from lenders tightening standards a bit, sending many into the used car market, Caldwell says.

In June, Ford, General Motors, Fiat Chrysler and Hyundai all reported sales drops. Fiat Chrysler sales were down 7.4 per cent, while Ford said its sales declined 5 per cent. GM was off 4.8 per cent and Korean automaker Hyundai posted a hefty 19.3 per cent decrease. Nissan, Toyota and Honda each reported small increases on Monday, but they weren’t large enough to offset declines in Detroit. Volkswagen brand sales rose 15 per cent over depressed numbers from last June.

Slowing car sales are good for consumers, says Caldwell. Dealer inventories are growing before production cuts take effect and discounts are rising, so now is the time to buy.