Car Sales Ease into ‘Cruise Control’ in September, Forecasts Edmunds.com

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Edmunds.com, the premier resource for automotive information, forecasts that 1,145,344 new cars and trucks will be sold in the U.S. in September for an estimated Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR) this month of 14.4 million light vehicles. The results will keep the industry on track for Edmunds.com’s current forecast of 14.4 million new cars and trucks sold this year and sales of 15 million new cars and trucks in 2013.

“There’s a feeling among dealers and automakers that car sales are easing into cruise control, and that’s a good feeling for an industry that’s felt more than its share of bumps in the last few years”

“There’s a feeling among dealers and automakers that car sales are easing into cruise control, and that’s a good feeling for an industry that’s felt more than its share of bumps in the last few years,” says Edmunds.com Senior Analyst Jessica Caldwell. “This month’s results offer more evidence that car buyers are finding the right signs to jump back into the market.”

SALES VOLUME FORECAST, BY MANUFACTURER

Sales Volume	Sept-12 Forecast	Sept-11	August-12	Change from Sept 2011*	Change from August 2012*
GM	211,064	207,145	240,520	1.9%	-12.2%
Ford	176,049	174,862	196,749	0.7%	-10.5%
Toyota	160,560	121,451	188,520	32.2%	-14.8%
Chrysler	138,030	127,334	148,472	8.4%	-7.0%
Honda	114,606	89,532	131,321	28.0%	-12.7%
Nissan	88,977	92,964	98,515	-4.3%	-9.7%
Industry	1,145,344	1,053,153	1,284,635	8.8%	-10.8%

*NOTE: September 2012 had 25 selling days, September 2011 had 25 and August 2012 had 27.

Edmunds.com estimates that September’s projected sales will be a 10.8 percent decrease from August 2012, but an 8.8 percent increase from September 2011. Retail SAAR will come in at 11.9 million vehicles in September, with fleet transactions accounting for 17.0 percent of total sales. An estimated 3.13 million used cars will be sold in September, for a SAAR of 36.9 million (compared to 3.14 million – or a SAAR of 37.6 million – used car sales in August).

AUTOMAKER PERFORMANCE

Chrysler is expected to enjoy the biggest jump in U.S. market share in September among the major manufacturers. The Detroit automaker’s share is projected to climb 0.5 percentage points, month over month, for a share of 12.1 percent, which would be its highest share for any month since September of last year.

MARKET SHARE FORECAST, BY MANUFACTURER

Market Share	Sept-12 Forecast	Sept-11	August-12	Change from Sept 2011 (Percentage pts.)	Change from Aug 2012 (Percentage pts.)
GM	18.4%	19.7%	18.7%	-1.2%	-0.3%
Ford	15.4%	16.6%	15.3%	-1.2%	0.1%
Toyota	14.0%	11.5%	14.7%	2.5%	-0.7%
Chrysler	12.1%	12.1%	11.6%	0.0%	0.5%
Honda	10.0%	8.5%	10.2%	1.5%	-0.2%
Nissan	7.8%	8.8%	7.7%	-1.1%	0.1%

Toyota, meanwhile, will take the biggest hit to its market share this month, falling 0.7 percentage points to 14.0 percent of U.S. sales.

About Edmunds.com, Inc.

At Edmunds.com, we’re committed to helping people find the car that meets their every need. Almost 18 million visitors use our research, shopping and buying tools every month to make an easy and informed decision on their next new or used car. Whether you’re at the dealership or on the go, we’re always by your side with our five-star Edmunds.com iPhone and iPad apps and our Edmunds.com Android App. Our comprehensive car reviews, shopping tips, photos, videos and feature stories offer a friendly and authentic approach to the automotive world. We’re based in Santa Monica, Calif., but you can connect with us from anywhere by following @Edmunds on Twitter or by becoming a fan of Edmunds.com on Facebook.