October 2025 U.S. Auto Sales Results

After a busy September fueled by shoppers rushing to grab federal EV tax credits before they disappeared, the U.S. auto market cooled noticeably in October. Light trucks did most of the heavy lifting once again, giving Toyota Motor Corp. a solid 12 percent sales increase for the month, while results elsewhere were mixed. Ford, Honda and Kia managed slight gains, but Hyundai, Subaru and several smaller brands slipped as electric-vehicle demand weakened industry-wide without the $7,500 incentive to prop it up.

Toyota and its luxury arm Lexus together posted a 12 percent increase in volume, with the Toyota division’s utility-vehicle sales jumping 26 percent. It marks Toyota’s eighth straight monthly gain and Lexus’s fourth in a row. But those headline numbers mask sharp setbacks in electrified products: deliveries of Toyota’s bZ4X collapsed 99 percent and Lexus’s RZ dropped 96 percent year-over-year. Electrified vehicles accounted for about 45 percent of Toyota Motor’s U.S. sales last month, down from roughly 50 percent a year earlier.

Ford’s U.S. volume rose 1.5 percent in October, led by a 2.4 percent uptick at the Ford division even as luxury sibling Lincoln fell 13 percent. Among Ford brands, utility-vehicle deliveries edged down 4.7 percent while pickup truck volume climbed 4.9 percent. Meanwhile hybrid sales, which have been a bright spot, dipped 4 percent. EVs at Ford bore the brunt of the pull-back: the Mustang Mach-E tumbled 12 percent, the F-150 Lightning dropped 17 percent and the E-Transit van plunged 76 percent.

At Honda, October volume inched up 0.7 percent overall; the Honda brand rose 0.5 percent and Acura climbed 2 percent. Cars were a bright spot, up 16 percent, offsetting a 4.9 percent decline in SUV deliveries at Acura. Honda’s EVs struggled: the Prologue plunged 81 percent and the ZDX, which has since been discontinued, fell 98 percent.

Hyundai’s U.S. sales dipped 2.3 percent to 70,118 units, snapping a 12-month streak of gains. Kia eked out a modest 94-unit increase to 69,002—a record monthly volume for the brand despite EV headwinds. Both brands have responded to the end of the $7,500 federal credit by cutting prices and offering heavier EV incentives. Genesis, Hyundai’s luxury arm, posted a 1.7 percent increase to 7,017 units in October, marking its 13th consecutive month of gains, driven by strong demand for the GV70 crossover.

For Mazda Motor Corporation, October was the third straight month of slipping volume, down 33 percent year-over-year and off 1.3 percent year-to-date. Subaru Corporation saw its volume fall 6.4 percent, with its Forester and Outback models among those posting declines. Subaru’s only EV, the Solterra, plunged 99 percent to just 13 units last month and is down 2.3 percent year-to-date.

I have been telling you the dealers were overstocked and inventory data reflects rapidly growing supply. Industry-wide stockpiles reached 2.87 million vehicles (84-day supply) at the start of October, rising to 2.96 million (85-day supply) by mid-month. Retail inventory stood at 2.27 million units, 12 percent higher than October 2024, and 2026-model year vehicles made up 46 percent of stock, up from 41 percent at the month’s start. 

In short, October’s automotive landscape reflects a tale of two markets: solid truck-demand engines powering gains at some legacy brands, while the EV segment stumbles in the absence of federal support. The next few months will reveal whether the industry can reset to a new “normal” or buckle under a calmer pace after the stimulus-fueled rush.

Here are your winners and losers for October 2025 versus October 2024 from the car companies that report monthly: