Toyota, Nissan, Ford car sales drop; SUVs reign

Automakers endured a bumpy month in September as car sales withered and overall demand couldn’t match the levels from last year, when Americans rushed out to replace vehicles destroyed by Hurricane Harvey.

Edmunds analysts forecast an overall 8.3 percent decline, while Cox Automotive analysts projected a

7.2 percent decline.

Ford, Toyota, Nissan and Honda reported sales declines of 11.2 percent, 10.4 percent, 12.2 percent and

7 percent, respectively.

Sales of passenger cars accounted for much of the industry’s decline. They continued to plunge in September as buyers flocked to SUVs, crossovers and pickups.

That’s largely a profitable trend for automakers, which typically make more money on larger vehicles. But automakers haven’t been able to adjust to the shift quickly enough, causing them to discount passenger cars to get them off the lot.

“It was a bloodbath for cars this month,” Autotrader analyst Michelle Krebs said.

One key exception: Fiat Chrysler, which ditched most of its passenger cars years ago, has capitalized on the trend to SUVs. Its Jeep SUV brand is flourishing, posting a 14.1 percent increase in September and leading Fiat Chrysler to outsell Ford by about 2,400 vehicles for the month – a rarity in the competitive auto sector.

General Motors, the largest automaker in the U.S., no longer reports monthly sales, but its quarterly sales report showed it’s experiencing a similar trend of declining car sales and increasing SUV sales.

Despite the car struggles, the overall sales rate for the auto industry remains at relatively high levels. The strong job and housing markets are keeping consumers relatively confident about buying big-ticket items.

“The market still remains on fairly firm ground,” said Charlie Chesbrough, senior economist for Cox Automotive.