With continued strong sales in the hybrid space, Kia and Honda reported solid numbers for August, while Ford, GM and Toyota each saw sales take a step back.
Driving the news: JD Power (1.3 million) and Cox Automotive (1.35 million) predicted August sales to be slightly off the August 2025 numbers (between 5% and 8.5%), which were fueled by the pull-ahead from the expiring clean vehicle tax credits in September 2025.
Stephens, Inc. tallied the final sales for August at 1.38 million, 6.3% off last year’s pace.
Honda outpaces last year: Honda hit the 1 million sales mark in August, one month ahead of last year, and sales are up 3.5% for the year.
The automaker sold 133,996 units in August, a 1% increase, and Acura 11,822 vehicles, a 6.5% jump.
Hybrid sales set a new August record with 36,776 units.
The CR-V led sales with 37,607 units, a 14.4% spike from last year.
Hybrids fuel Hyundai sales: Hyundai also saw its hybrid sales jump. They were up 33% year over year, making up 29% of its total volume for the month.
The automaker’s sales were down overall 2%, with 86,977 vehicles sold.
The Tucson led sales with 21,197, an 18% jump year-over-year, with 158,523 sold for the year.
Kia hits new record: Kia enjoyed its best month ever, selling 83,793 units, a 1% increase from August 2025.
For the year, Kia’s sales are up 3%, with retail sales topping 543,000.
Six Kia models set August records.
Sportage sales hit 18,723, Telluride 12,693, and K4/Forte 12,881.
The automaker reported a 99% increase in hybrid sales.
“The broad appeal of our products and the breadth of our powertrain offerings directly contributed to the high demand for our models and Kia’s record-breaking sales performance,” said Eric Watson, vice president, sales operations, Kia America.
Toyota sales drop: Toyota sales finished August down 4.4%, with the OEM selling 182,738 vehicles and Lexus 32,818.
The RAV4 Hybrid and RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid enjoyed all-time best months in sales.
Toyota’s electrified sales were 124,112, representing 57.6% of sales volume for the month.
OUTSMART THE CAR MARKET IN 5 MINUTES A WEEK
Get insights trusted by 55,000+ car dealers. Free, fast, and built for automotive leaders.
Ford sees double-digit drop: Ford ended August with sales down 10.3%, at 170,681 units.
Its electrified sales were down 41.5%, with 17,237 vehicles sold.
Ford’s ICE vehicles totaled 153,444 in sales, 4.6% off last year’s pace.
Through eight months, Ford is at 1.34 million in sales, 9.8% behind 2025.
The Ranger (18.9%) and Maverick (14.4%) saw double-digit increases year-over-year, along with the Mustang (12.7%).
Lincoln’s Nautilus finished the month with a 28.9% increase, with 3,627 sold.
GM, Stellantis slide: GM led all automakers with 223,271 in sales in August, according to data compiled by Stephens, Inc.
However, GM did see an 11.1% slide in sales.
Stellantis finished third among the Big Three domestics with 108,012 in sales, which was 0.7% ahead of August 2025.
Other OEMs: Subaru finished August with 62,028 sales, 1.3% ahead of the same month in 2025. The automaker sold 19,541 Crosstreks and 16,760 Foresters. For the year, Subaru remains 3% off last year’s pace with 423,822 vehicles sold through August.
Reporting for the three-month period ending in August, Volvo sold 148,239 vehicles across the globe, a 7.4% decrease year-over-year. EVs and plug-in hybrids accounted for 53.5% of the company’s sales, with 79,335 vehicles, a 13% increase YOY.
Stephens tallied Nissan’s sales at 69,765, an 8.8% slide from August 2025.
Mazda reported 34,735 in sales, with its best August for the Mazda3 Sedan, 3,452 units.
Bottom line: Multiple factors pulled sales back from a robust August 2025. The market still performed well, with the seasonally adjusted average rate still above 16.3 million.
A quick word from our partner
AI is everywhere right now — but not all AI is created equal.
Many dealerships are running bolt-on tools that answer questions but don’t convert or drive measurable revenue.
Podium delivers AI built to perform, consolidating sales, service, and voice into one platform that manages conversations end-to-end and books more appointments.
If you’re investing in AI, make sure it’s driving results.
See how dealerships are winning with Podium at https://automotive.podium.com/
