Hyundai set a third-quarter sales record, and Honda posted nearly 10% sales growth compared with 2025, as automakers reported sales through September.
Driving the news: Overall, new-vehicle sales neared 4.1 million in the third quarter, according to estimates from Cox Automotive, Edmunds, and JD Power.
Sales by all estimates were less than 1% of last year’s pace.
Compared to Q2, sales were down between 2.6% and 4%.
Hyundai excels: With a record 77,439 sales in September, Hyundai closed out its best third quarter with 246,896 units sold.
For the year, Hyundai’s sales are running 3% ahead of 2025, with 697,464 vehicles sold.
The Tucson finished the quarter with 64,075 sold, a 23% jump from last year.
“Hyundai delivered record September sales and its strongest third quarter to date, supported by growth across our SUV, sedan and hybrid lineups,” said Randy Parker, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor North America in a press release. “Hybrid sales climbed 39% and represented 28% of September volume, while Tucson, Palisade, Sonata and Santa Fe all posted double-digit gains. Our broad product lineup and strong dealer network continue to give customers compelling choices and drive momentum.”
Honda sets record for hybrid sales: Honda sold 106,000 hybrid vehicles in the third quarter.
Overall, Honda’s sales were up 9.3% in the third quarter, with a strong September that jumped 16% year over year.
For the year, Honda’s sales are up 4.7% and hit the 1 million mark in September, a year earlier than in 2025.
The CR-V posted a third-quarter record with 110,730 units sold.
Toyota sees small increase: Toyota finished the third quarter with sales up 0.6%, with 633,223 vehicles sold.
Toyota’s sales of electrified vehicles were up 28.5%, with 363,367 vehicles moved.
The Lexus brand finished September 11.4% ahead of last year, though its sales remain 2.9% behind 2025 year-to-date.
Camry leads Toyota sales with 260,684 sold through September, slightly ahead of the RAV4 with 253,665.
Ford finished the quarter down: Ford sold 509,764 vehicles in the third quarter, a decrease of 6.6% compared with 2025.
September sales of F-Series trucks increased 2.4% to 67,448, with the automaker noting an increase in production by 4.5%.
Ford has sold 74,300 Maverick Hybrids through the third quarter and 114,956 Broncos, with both setting quarter records.
“We delivered a solid quarter and continued to gain retail share adjusted for the planned sunset of Escape and Corsair,” said Andrew Frick, president, Ford Blue and Model e in a press release. “Customers continue to choose our trucks, SUVs and performance vehicles, with F-Series, Bronco and our hybrid truck lineup posting standout results. Our dealers continue to turn our inventory quickly, and our vehicle stock is healthy as we head into the fourth quarter.”
GM sales drop 6%: GM finished the third quarter with sales down 6%, with 670,974 vehicles sold.
The automaker said the drop in sales was from a smaller EV market and discontinued vehicles.
Chevrolet’s Trax finished the third quarter with a 16% increase in sales, and GM’s small SUVs rose 27% collectively.
Corvette sales jumped 29% year-over-year.
“Our business is performing very well, the launch of our next-generation full-size pickup trucks is on track, and we are making investments in new vehicles, innovative technologies, and our U.S. manufacturing footprint to drive our next phase of growth,” Duncan Aldred, President of GM North America, said in a press release.
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Stellantis reports steady sales: Stellantis finished the third quarter with 324,277 vehicles sold, just a few hundred vehicles less than in 2025 Q3.
For the year, Stellantis sales are up 3%, with 958,463 vehicles sold.
The Ram Brand’s sales are running 20% ahead of last year, with 369,379 units sold.
Jeep sales are 8% off last year’s pace.
"Against a highly competitive industry backdrop, we delivered a disciplined third quarter, supported by our motivated dealer network, which continued to drive our retail business," said Michael Orange, Head of U.S. Retail Sales and Network Performance, in a press release.
Other notable figures: Nissan’s sales were up 7.8% year over year in the third quarter, with 196,018 retail units sold.
Nissan sold 66,021 Rogues during the quarter, up 26.3% year over year.
Kia set records for September sales with 77,009 units and for the third quarter, 236,659 units,
Subaru saw a 13.2% jump in sales in September, but sales remain down 1.5% for the year.
Mazda sales are down 2.9% for the year; however, the automaker sold 34,519 vehicles in September, up 31.9% from September 2025.
Bottom line: Hybrid sales helped several automakers perform well in the third quarter as demand for the powertrain remains strong. But as it stands, several automakers are entering the fourth quarter behind in sales for the year.
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