FI showroom red and grey logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

May Sales Reflect Effects of Parts, Production Shortages

May saw sales increases for Chrysler, GM and Mercedes-Benz, while Ford sales stayed consistent with the year-ago period. Due to parts and production shortages in Japan, import brands Honda, Nissan North America and Toyota Motor Sales all saw decreases compared with May 2010 sales.

by Staff
June 7, 2011
2 min to read


May saw sales increases for Chrysler, GM and Mercedes-Benz, while Ford sales stayed consistent with the year-ago period. Due to parts and production shortages in Japan, import brands Honda, Nissan North America and Toyota Motor Sales all saw decreases compared with May 2010 sales.

Ford: Ford’s total sales for May were equal to the year-ago period at 192,102, while retail sales saw an increase of 5 percent. The F-Series truck, though down 15 percent compared to May 2010, took the top spot as the best-selling vehicle in the country for the month. Other top-selling Ford models for May were part of the brand’s new fuel-efficient vehicle and powertrain lineup

Ad Loading...

Toyota: Toyota Motor Sales sold 108,387 units for the month of May, a decrease of 27.9 percent. Toyota Division sales were down 26 percent and Lexus Division sales down 40 percent compared to the year-ago period. Scion sales increased 23.7 percent, while TMS Hybrids decreased 49.2 percent.

GM: Including fleet sales, General Motors sold a 221,192 vehicles in May, a 1.2 percent decrease from May 2010. Retail sales, however, were up 9 percent increase from the year-ago period. Passenger car and crossover retail sales increased 32 percent and 17 percent, respectively. The Chevrolet Cruze had its best retail sales month since launching, while the GMC Terrain and Chevrolet Equinox had a combined retail sales increase of 58 percent.

Honda: Honda experienced a 16.1 decrease in sales in May compared to last May, with the car company reporting that it sold 90,773 units. Company officials attributed the sales drop parts and production shortages related to the March 11 earthquake in Japan. The company did report increases for the Odyssey minivan (5.5 percent) and Fit model (46.3 percent).

Nissan: May sales for Nissan North America came in at 76,148 units, a 9.1 percent decrease from the 83,764 vehicles sold in May 2010. Nissan vehicle sales decreased 7.8 percent while Infiniti sales decreased 21 percent vs. last year.

Chrysler: Chrysler Group delivered 115,363 vehicles in May, a 10 percent increase compared with the year-ago period. This was the best sales for Chrysler since 2008. The top selling models included the 2011 Chrysler 200, 2011 Dodge Durango SUV, 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee and the 2012 Fiat 500.

Ad Loading...

Mercedes-Benz: Sales at Mercedes-Benz increased 1.8 percent from last May, with sales totally 18,886 units. This was the highest May sales figure in the company’s history. Top sellers for the month included the C-Class, E-Class, GLK-Class, and the M-Class.

More Auto Finance

A fan of $100 bills sitting on a white envelope
Auto Financeby Hannah MitchellAugust 12, 2026

July Was Hot for Auto Borrowers

Credit proved readily available for many, but most loans left buyers in negative territory, Cox Automotive said.

Read More →
stacks of coins, a calculator, paperwork, and a pair of glasses in the background, text Lender Experience Drives Dealer Decisions, F&I and Showroom
Auto Financeby Lauren LawrenceAugust 12, 2026

Dealer Lender Preferences Revealed

When lenders provide consistent, fast service, their overall satisfaction scores with dealers greatly improve, according to JD Power research.

Read More →
man sitting at desk using a calculator
Auto Financeby Lauren LawrenceAugust 10, 2026

Auto Refi Savings Surge

Consumers with 84-month auto loan terms who refinanced saved the most on monthly payments, according to a new report by auto refinancing provider Caribou.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Tiny toy car in front of small stacks of coins
Auto Financeby Hannah MitchellAugust 5, 2026

Subaru Enters Lending Business

The automaker follows other brands in adding captive financing in the U.S., and says the move will strengthen its position here.

Read More →
Man climbing ladder in front of mountain landscape.
Auto Financeby Lauren LawrenceAugust 3, 2026

Positive Equity Reaches Record High

Mainstream vehicle owners who bought a car seven years ago are likely to have positive equity when trading in for a new vehicle, according to second-quarter Edmunds data.

Read More →
Photo of document next to calculator and inkpen
Auto FinanceJuly 20, 2026

Dealerships Are Paying the Price for Extended Car Loans

Growing negative-equity scenarios mean such lengthy terms should be addressed in a forward-looking way to make them work for the dealer and the consumer down the road.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
silver car in background with hand in front holding out a set of keys, Trade-In Trouble, F&I and Showroom
Auto Financeby Lauren LawrenceJuly 20, 2026

Trade-Ins in Negative Equity Reach New Heights

As such trade-ins rise in frequency, so do monthly loan payment amounts and interest rates, according to second-quarter data compiled by Edmunds.

Read More →
Two men in suit jackets shaking hands in front of a new-looking white vehicle
Auto Financeby Hannah MitchellJuly 15, 2026

Auto Credit Plentiful

June numbers show lenders are readily granting access, including to risky borrowers, as consumers leverage themselves to take on high prices.

Read More →
Woman's hands holding an wallet empty of cash
Auto Financeby Hannah MitchellJuly 1, 2026

Automotive Consumers Sink Further in Debt

Most financing metrics hit records in the second quarter as more buyers locked themselves into long terms and high monthly payments.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Three men smiling for headshots
Auto Financeby Lauren LawrenceJuly 1, 2026

Porsche Financial Services Shifts Structure

After 36 years with Porsche, the Financial Services Chief Financial Officer Konrad Riedl is retiring, and the department is realigning its management structure.

Read More →