June auto sales weak for U.S. automakers

American automakers are reporting that sales fell in June, further confirmation that domestic auto sales have been softening.

General Motors said its June U.S. retail sales of 202,908 vehicles were down about 3 percent from the same month last year, even as its crossover retail sales were up 23 percent, fueled by what GM said was the strength of the Chevrolet Equinox.

GM’s June total sales were 243,155 vehicles, down about 5 percent from last June.

Michelle Krebs, an executive analyst for Autotrader, a Cox Automotive brand, said GM’s results demonstrate “the vast divide in the market between cars and SUVs. Chevrolet Cruze and Malibu cars are down 30 percent or more while Chevrolet Equinox and Traverse SUVs are up by as much or more.”

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Ford Motor Co.’s June U.S. sales totaled 227,979 vehicles, which was down 5.1 percent compared to last June.

Fiat Chrysler sales dropped 7.4 percent.

However, Honda Motor Co. — one of Ohio’s biggest automakers — said its sales rose nearly one percent compared with the previous June, with 139,793 vehicles sold.

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“Analysts expect June to mark the industry’s sixth consecutive year-over-year decline, closing out the worst first half of a year since 2014,” industry publication Automotive News reported last week. “The slowing market has prompted LMC Automotive and General Motors to pull back their full-year outlooks.”

The Dayton area is home to plenty of auto parts suppliers, including Fuyao Glass America and DMAX in Moraine, Tenneco in Kettering and Navistar in Springfield, among many others.

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