October 2015 U.S. LV Sales Thread: SAAR Tops 18 Million for Second Consecutive Month

WardsAuto tracks light-vehicle (LV) deliveries throughout sales reporting day. Monthly year-over-year change represents the change in daily sales rate (DSR).  October had 28 selling days this year compared with 27 in 2014, meaning DSR % change will be lower than %volume change in year-over-year comparisons this month.

Related Table 

U.S. Light Vehicle Sales Summary table

SUMMARY: U.S. automakers sold 1.447 million light vehicles in October, increasing daily sales 9.6% (over 28 selling days versus year-ago's 27), driving the seasonally adjusted annual rate above 18 million units for the second consecutive month. It's the first time since June-July 2005, and only the third time ever, that two consecutive monthly SAARs have topped the 18 million mark. 

GM led the pack with 18.2% of sales, up from 17.8% in October 2014. Ford eked out a No.2 finish, with a 14.3% share, just ahead of Toyota's 14.2% take, and FCA finished fourth, with 13.4%, well ahead of No.5 Honda (9.1%).

Only BMW and Volkswagen reported year-over-year declines in daily sales. 

Year-to-date U.S. LV sales rose to 14,442,059 - up 5.9% over year-ago.

UPDATE 2:55 PM ET: Hyundai's DSR rose 15.5% from year-ago, on 60,005 deliveries, putting the South Korean automaker 5% over year-ago YTD through October. Kia daily sales were up 8% in October, with YTD volume tracking 7.4% ahead of like-2014.

Daimler daily sales were flat with October year-ago, but the company's 10-month total is up 6.1% over year-ago YTD.

UPDATE 2:00 PM ET: Volkswagen brand daily sales dropped 3.3% compared with year-ago, but the company still soundly trounce expectations, delivering 30,387 LVs in October. VW's 2.1 million YTD sales are tracking 2.2% behind same-period year-ago.

Volkswagen sister-brand Audi, meanwhile, continues to push in the other direction. The luxury-sport automaker sold 17,700 light vehicles, a 12.7% DSR gain for the month, bring year-to-date sales to 165,103 - up 13%.

And BMW Group sold 33,526 LVs in October, a 10% drop in daily sales from like-2014, that leaves the company's YTD sales 5.4% ahead of year-ago.

NOON ET: Honda was one of the few automaker's to reports sales below WardsAuto expectations, delivering 131,651 LVs in October - a 4.8% yr/yr improvement in daily sales. Honda's 1.32 million YTD sales represent a 3% rise over Jan-Oct 2014.

Toyota reported a 9% DSR jump for October, selling over 204,000 vehicles in the month, and bringing YTD sales to just below 2.1 million units - up 4.9% over like year-ago.

Also reporting: Mazda (+30.6% DSR, 2.9% YTD), and Mitsubishi (+15.5% DSR, +25% YTD).

10:30 AM ET: Ford deliveries were in line with an earlier WardsAuto forecast, totaling 206,874 LVs in October, a 9% DSR improvement over year-ago. Ford's YTD sales climbed to 2.13 million units, a 5.6% increase from 2014's first 10-month total.

General Motors also met October expectations, and a bit more, delivering nearly 263,000 LVs - up 11.8% on a daily basis versus year-ago. Year-to-date, GM is tracking 5.3% ahead of same-period year-ago on 2.56 million sales.

9:10 AM ET: FCA sold nearly 194,000 LVs in October, well above expectations, and a 10.8% daily sales rate (DSR) improvement over same-month year-ago. The strong monthly sales brought FCA's YTD sales to 1.84 million units, up 7.1% over like-2014.

Nissan also beat projections, delivering 116,047 light vehicles - an 8.5% DSR increase for the month that lifts the automaker's YTD sales to 1.24 million, up 6.2%.