4:00 PM New York – Auto sales declined in September after the expiration of government stimulus program. For the year to date sales, General Motors led the industry sales with closely followed by Toyota and Ford. Chrysler and Honda are neck-to-neck in sales.

September auto sales declined sharply after the expiration of cash-for-clunkers program. The decline in truck sales was higher than in auto sales when compared to a year ago.

Despite the additional sales of 700,000 vehicles supported by the cash-for-clunkers program, 123jump.com has left its annual sales estimate unchanged between 9 million and 9.5 million.

For the first nine months, total light vehicle sales declined 27.4% to 7.814 million, passenger car sales dropped 25.2% to 4.167 million and light truck sales fell 29.7% to 3.647 million.

The monthly data are released by the industry research organization Autodata Corp based in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

In September, total light vehicle sales decreased 22.7% to 0.746 million from 0.965 million a year ago period. Passenger car sales in the month fell 16.1% to 0.402 million and light truck sales dropped 29.2% to 0.334 million.

Of the twenty manufacturers not a single maker managed to increase sales in the month. Hyundai and Subaru managed to sell more cars in the first quarter also registered declines in April. In September, Rolls Royce also to increase its sales by 36.8% to 24 cars and Isuzu sales fell to zero.

For the year Isuzu led decliners with a sales plunge of 95.8% and three auto makers with the smallest increaser were Kia Motors of 3.0% and Subaru of 11.2% and Hyundai Motor sales declined of 0.7%.

Total annualized sales declined to 9.32 million units better than the lowest for the year 9.17 million units in February and plunged from 14.09 million in August of this year.

Sales in the month a year ago were 12.57 million units.

Sales at GM, Ford, Chrysler Fall

General Motors (GM) sales declined 45.0% to 155,679 from 282,806. Sales for the nine months fell 36.3% to 1,536,903 from 2,412,666. Sales of light vehicles in the month fell 46.8% to 0.87 million from 1.64 million.

Ford Motor Company (F) sales decreased 5.1% to 114,241 from 120,355 vehicles a year ago. Sales for the nine months declined 22.3% to 1,234,104 from 1,587,670 compared to a year ago period. Truck sales in the month fell 6.4% to 72,625 from 77,615. Sales for Volvo rose 16.3% to 4,716 compared to 4,054 a year ago. In June, Fusion sales increased 67% to total of 49,454.

Chrysler LLC sales declined 42.1% to 62,197 vehicles from 107,349 vehicles. For the year so far, sales fell 39.5% to 715,516 from 1,183,519. Total car sales in the month declined 42.7% to 17,806 from 31,059 a year ago and light truck sales fell 41.8% to 44,391 from 76,290 vehicles.

Toyota Nears Ford Sales

Toyota Motor sales in September decreased 12.6% to 126,015 units from 144,260 units in the same period a year earlier. Sales for the first nine months fell 27.7% to 1,296,424 from 1,793,305. Sales of the cars in the month fell 11% to 78,668 units from 88,342 units and light trucks fell 15.3% to 47,347 units from 55,918 a year ago.

Honda sales in the month fell 20.1% to 77,229 units from 96,626 units a year ago. For the year so far, sales declined 25.1% to 0.884 million from 1.18 million. Sales of cars in the month decreased 17.4% to 46,269 units from 56,031 units and sales of the light trucks declined 23.7% to 30,960 units compared to 40,595 a year ago.

Nissan Motor Company vehicles sales in the month decreased 7% to 55,393 units from 59,565 units a year ago. September cars and light trucks sales declined 7.6% and 5.9% respectively from a year ago. Year to date sales decreased 26.1% to 580,296.

Mitsubishi Motors vehicles September sales decreased 36.1% to 4,712 units compared with 7,378 units in the month of last year. Year to date sales plunged 46.5% to 42,839 units.

Sales for Mazda decreased 12.0% to 14,234 units compared to 16,169 units in the year ago month and Isuzu Motors failed to sell a single vehicle compared to 258 in the month a year ago. Year to date sales at Mazda declined 25.6% 160,189 units and at Isuzu dropped 96.1% to 165 units.