April 2026 U.S. Auto Sales Results & Market Analysis

U.S. auto sales continued to soften in April, with several major automakers reporting declines as the industry adjusts to higher prices, shifting incentives and lingering supply constraints. Oh yes, we also have a war going on, high gas prices, and high interest rates. Otherwise, everything is peachy. I wish all the automakers reported sales monthly like the ones below so I could really get a feel for the overall market, but that won’t come until early July.

U.S. new-vehicle sales fell 6.7 percent in April, marking the fourth consecutive monthly decline. The slowdown follows a surge a year ago when buyers rushed to purchase vehicles ahead of tariff-related price increases. Even with the pullback, the seasonally adjusted annual rate came in at 16.1 million units, near the top end of expectations, though still below the 17.2 million pace seen in April of last year. Auto industry lesson: The seasonally adjusted annual rate, or SAAR, takes one month’s sales and projects them out over a full year, while adjusting for typical seasonal buying patterns to give a clearer picture of the market’s true pace.

The market is cooling from the elevated levels of 2025, when consumers were highly motivated by expiring federal electric vehicle tax credits and pre-tariff pricing. That urgency has completely faded, leaving affordability concerns and higher transaction prices to take center stage. Simply put, there were very compelling reasons to buy a car the first four months of last year, today the only thing that is going to drive buyers is incentives. Hence, Ford’s Employee Pricing program that shocked us all in the industry last Friday. I don’t have details as of the time of writing this, but the sales numbers for April along with incentive pressure from Ford means May is a buyer’s market due to the incentives and many automakers having too much inventory on the ground.

Ford Motor Co.

Speaking of Ford Motor Co., April marked the fourth straight month of declining sales, with overall deliveries down 15 percent. The Ford brand dropped 14 percent, while Lincoln fell 21 percent. SUVs and crossovers declined 17 percent, truck sales were down 14 percent, and the F-Series posted a 15 percent drop for the month and is now off 16 percent year to date.

Part of Ford’s challenge is supply-related. A fire at a key aluminum supplier has limited inventory of F-Series trucks, with recovery not expected until later this year. The company is also feeling the impact of discontinued models, including the Escape, F-150 Lightning EV and Lincoln Corsair, along with lower Maverick production. GM does not report sales except every quarter, but you can bet your bottom dollar they are eyeing F-150 sales very closely. Given the dire inventory shortage of trucks at Ford, if Chevy gets the slightest hint they might be able to wrestle the #1 Truck crown away, they’ll go for it.

Toyota Motor Corp.

At Toyota Motor Corp., results were mixed. Overall deliveries declined 4.6 percent, with Toyota brand sales down 1.8 percent and Lexus falling 20 percent. A major factor was the transition to a redesigned RAV4, the brand’s top-selling model, which saw a 33 percent drop due to limited availability. RAV4 sales will rebound this month due to increased availability.

Toyota continues to benefit from its strong hybrid lineup. Electrified vehicles, primarily hybrids, accounted for more than half of its sales in April, a notable increase from a year earlier.

Honda Motor Co. 

Honda Motor Co. reported a modest 0.2 percent decline overall, but the results were uneven. The Honda division rose 1.6 percent, while Acura dropped 16 percent. Core models such as the CR-V, Accord and Civic all posted gains, and hybrid sales hit a record for the month.

Hyundia/Kia

Hyundai and Kia also reported declines, with Hyundai down 1.7 percent and Kia off 2.8 percent. Hyundai saw mixed SUV results but gains in hybrids and slight EV growth. Kia reported uneven model performance but record April sales for the Telluride and strong hybrid growth.

Hybrid vehicles continue to gain traction across the industry. Hyundai and Kia both reported significant increases in hybrid sales, with Kia’s hybrid volume nearly doubling year over year.

Subaru, Genesis, Mazda

Elsewhere, Subaru posted its ninth consecutive monthly decline, down 5.9 percent, while Mazda fell 17 percent. Genesis was a bright spot, extending its streak of monthly gains to 19, led by strong demand for the GV70.

Overall Market

The broader market is settling into a more typical pattern following the unusually strong conditions of 2025. The surge driven by incentives, tax credits and tariff concerns has eased, and current conditions now reflect a market shaped by pricing, product availability and consumer affordability. In layman’s terms, everybody in the auto industry better roll up their sleeves, get back to selling one car at a time, and make every possible sale.

Here are the winners & losers from April 2026 versus April 2025 from automakers that report sales on a monthly basis: 

Photo Credit: Andy Dean Photography/Shutterstock.com.