Chrysler Is Only U.S. Automaker to Report Higher Vehicle Sales in May

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Chrysler Group LLC was the only one of the three Detroit-based automakers to report an increase in vehicle sales for May, Bloomberg reported.

General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co., as well as Toyota Motor Corp., all reported lower U.S. sales, as higher gasoline prices and smaller discount offers deterred purchases, Bloomberg said.

Chrysler’s sales rose 10% to more than 115,000 vehicles, as it repaid $7.6 billion in U.S. and Canadian government loans during the month, Bloomberg reported.

The 11.8 million annualized sales pace for the industry for the month followed three straight months of a rate of at least 12.6 million, according to researcher Autodata Corp., Bloomberg said.



GM’s deliveries fell 1.2% to about 221,000 vehicles, while Ford’s light-vehicle deliveries fell 2.6% to almost 192,000.

Toyota, which built almost half of its cars in Japan last year, reported a 33% drop in May deliveries. Toyota and Honda Motor Co., both based in Japan, struggled to recover sales as manufacturers in that country continued to recover from the March earthquake and tsunami that idled factories, creating some parts shortages.

Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea’s largest automaker, reported a 21% sales increase, and affiliate Kia Motors Corp.’s deliveries rose 53%, Bloomberg reported.