Ford Motor retained its position as the No. 3 automaker in the United States during the third quarter, narrowly holding off Hyundai Motor after forecasts suggested the Detroit company could lose its ranking.
Ford reported sales of 507,395 light duty vehicles for the quarter. That represented a 6.6% decline from the same period a year earlier, but the total was enough to keep Ford ahead of its challenger.
The Ford figure excludes the company’s largest heavy duty trucks, which are placed in a different classification. Even without those vehicles, Ford preserved its quarterly position in a much tighter contest than its annual lead would suggest.
Hyundai Motor, including the Hyundai, Kia and Genesis brands, reported third quarter sales of 506,200 vehicles. Its total increased 5.4% from the same quarter a year earlier, bringing the company close to overtaking Ford.
Both automakers delivered better results than expected. Cox Automotive had forecast the previous week that Hyundai would pass Ford in quarterly sales for the first time, but Ford ultimately remained in front.
The close quarterly totals reflected Hyundai’s major inroads in the United States during the year. Ford, meanwhile, has contended with production difficulties involving its crucial F-Series pickup trucks.
Two supplier fires last year disrupted Ford’s production and sales. Those setbacks affected a vehicle line that remains central to the automaker’s overall sales performance.
Despite the narrow third quarter result, Ford retained a substantially larger advantage across the year through September. Data reported by the companies showed Ford with a sales lead of roughly 89,700 vehicles over Hyundai through the third quarter.
Ford sought to minimize the significance of Hyundai’s proximity in the quarterly rankings. The company pointed to Hyundai and Kia operating separately in the United States even though the brands share a corporate parent.
The automaker also faced difficult year over year comparisons because it has discontinued vehicles including the Ford Escape. Those comparisons added to the pressure created by the earlier F-Series production interruptions.
Rob Kaffl, Ford’s head of U.S. sales, said Friday that both sales and inventories of F-Series pickups continued to recover during the quarter. That improvement included the F-150, one of the vehicles affected by the company’s production challenges.
“Some of the headwinds we had early in the year are kind of behind us, and it’s really setting us up for a really strong Q4 as we move in,” Kaffl said during a media call.
F-Series sales declined only 1.9% during the third quarter. That figure included a 97.1% drop for the discontinued F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck.
Performance also varied between Ford’s primary and luxury brands. The Ford brand posted a decline of roughly 6% during the quarter, while the Lincoln brand recorded a steeper decrease of 18%.
Electric vehicle sales remained a particularly weak area for the automaker. Ford’s electric vehicle sales fell 67.5% from a year earlier through September, including a decline of roughly 80% during the third quarter.
Those electric vehicle comparisons followed record sales during the same period last year. Demand had increased before the Trump administration ended federal incentives worth as much as $7,500 for consumers purchasing an electric vehicle.
Ford’s overall third quarter decline therefore included sharply weaker electric vehicle sales, discontinued models and lingering effects from supplier disruptions. Even so, improving F-Series sales and inventory helped the company preserve its No. 3 U.S. position.
Hyundai’s 5.4% increase placed it within close reach during the quarter, but Ford’s 507,395 light duty vehicle sales remained higher than Hyundai Motor’s combined 506,200 total. Through the third quarter, Ford also continued to hold its roughly 89,700 vehicle lead for the year.