September Auto Sales: Canada +1.7% vs. U.S. -27%

United States: Every single carmaker saw big shortfalls in September, as Nissan, Ford, GM, Honda, and Toyota all posted double-digit declines.

U.S. auto sales in September fell 27%, to 965,160—the first submillion sales month since January 1993—with Detroit automakers getting hammered the worst as consumers stayed away from showrooms in the last week at levels not seen since the terrorist attacks in September 2001. Industrywide, sales fell for the 11th month in a row, the longest slide in 17 years.

Canada: Auto sales in Canada rose 1.7% year-over-year in September as a 14% increase for Toyota vehicles helped outweigh declines at General Motors and Ford. The monthly increase, the second in five months, was buoyed by car sales, which climbed 5.1%. Light truck sales fell 2.2%.