Detroit – U.S. auto sales fell sharply in October, dampened by hurricanes, fidgety consumers and high gas prices. Demand was down after a summer of heavily hyped discounts, and automakers warned that they don’t expect an upswing in November.
General Motors, Ford and Nissan reported big declines Tuesday, while Toyota and Honda edged up and DaimlerChrysler’s sales were flat. Sport utility vehicles took the biggest hit across all makers. Sales of the Ford Explorer, Lincoln Navigator, GMC Yukon, Hummer H2 and Toyota Land Cruiser were down 50 percent or more.
DaimlerChrysler AG’s Chrysler Group responded by putting a $1,000 incentive on all 2005 and 2006 vehicles. No other automaker made a similar announcement, although GM said it would remain competitive on incentives.
“We’ve got a consumer out there where the confidence levels have been slipping and they’re concerned about the monthly budget,” said Gary Dilts, Chrysler’s senior vice president of sales.
General Motors Corp., the world’s biggest automaker, said its U.S. sales fell 22.7 percent in October from a year ago, led by a 30.3 percent decline in sales of trucks and SUVs. GM’s car sales fell 10.6 percent for the month.
