Forecasts called for the industry to set a March record and perhaps even challenge for the status as the highest-volume auto sales month in the history of the U.S. auto sales calendar. But March 2016 auto sales didn’t climb as high as expected, rising 3% in terms of outright volume and falling on a daily selling rate basis by 4.5%.
At Ford Motor Company, U.S. auto sales in March rose to the highest level since 2006, just as the first-quarter was Ford’s best start to a calendar year since 2006. At FCA’s Jeep brand, this was the best March ever. Total Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ volume rose to the highest March level in a decade. General Motors, typically America’s largest seller of automobiles, reported a narrow 1% increase as Buick plunged, Cadillac lost 5%, and Chevrolet sales grew by just 1%. Thus, the Ford Motor Company outsold GM in March 2016.
U.S. Vehicle Sales Rankings By Model – March 2016 YTD
U.S. Car Sales Rankings By Model – March 2016 YTD
U.S. SUV/Crossover Sales By Model – March 2016 YTD
The first quarter of 2016 was hugely unimpressive at Toyota. Lexus sales are down 4% and the Toyota brand is down 2% on falling Corolla and Camry sales. Nissan set an all-time record U.S. sales record in March. Even combined, Honda and Acura aren’t selling as often as the fast-growing Nissan brand in the United States, even with Infiniti excluded and despite American Honda’s growth.
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With modest year-over-year growth, Hyundai USA nevertheless set an all-time U.S. monthly sales record with 75,310 units in March 2016. Audi’s leap to 18,392 sales similarly represented the brand’s best-ever March; Audi’s fifth-best month ever. Audi’s Volkswagen parent brand predictably tumbled 10%, a loss related to a 5% drop in Jetta sales, a 3% Golf decline, and a 22% Passat drop.
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With 30,198 sales, Lexus topped all premium brands in March. BMW was a scant 165 sales abaft; Mercedes-Benz was 1869 sales behind BMW.
If you don’t wish to see automakers arranged alphabetically, click column headers to sort automakers by March sales, year-over-year change, year-to-date totals, or any other order. Best seller lists for cars, trucks, and SUVs will be added later this afternoon. In the coming days, GCBC will also publish a complete list of year-to-date sales for every single vehicle line, a list which includes brand results. (Check out the 2015 version here.) You can always find historical monthly and yearly sales figures for any brand by clicking the brand name in the table below or by selecting a make (or model) at GCBC’s Sales Stats page.
Click column headers to sort by specific categories. Using the mobile version of GoodCarBadCar? Switch to the web version at the bottom of the page, at which point columns will be sortable.
March 2017 • April 2016 • February 2016 • March 2015 • Updated at 5:30 PM AT on 04.01.2016
Rank
|
Automaker
|
March
2016 |
%
Change |
2016
YTD |
%
Change |
March
2016 Market Share |
YTD
Market Share |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
#21
|
14,852
|
1.2%
|
37,875
|
-4.5%
|
0.9%
|
0.9%
|
|
#36
|
53
|
-27.4%
|
169
|
-22.1%
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
|
#19
|
18,392
|
7.5%
|
41,960
|
4.6%
|
1.2%
|
1.0%
|
|
#35
|
119
|
-52.0%
|
262
|
-51.5%
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
|
#15
|
30,033
|
-12.5%
|
70,613
|
-10.0%
|
1.9%
|
1.7%
|
|
#20
|
18,207
|
-11.3%
|
54,287
|
7.5%
|
1.1%
|
1.3%
|
|
#23
|
13,053
|
-5.1%
|
35,633
|
-4.1%
|
0.8%
|
0.9%
|
|
#3
|
176,283
|
1.4%
|
472,730
|
-0.8%
|
11.1%
|
11.6%
|
|
#17
|
26,236
|
-12.7%
|
65,506
|
-20.0%
|
1.6%
|
1.6%
|
|
#9
|
51,149
|
11.1%
|
140,509
|
13.8%
|
3.2%
|
3.4%
|
|
#31
|
3422
|
-23.9%
|
9009
|
-18.4%
|
0.2%
|
0.2%
|
|
#1
|
Ford |
243,375
|
7.6%
|
616,682
|
8.1%
|
15.3%
|
15.1%
|
#12
|
44,585
|
6.9%
|
121,048
|
1.0%
|
2.8%
|
3.0%
|
|
#5
|
123,369
|
10.5%
|
319,828
|
8.7%
|
7.7%
|
7.9%
|
|
#7
|
75,310
|
0.4%
|
173,330
|
0.8%
|
4.7%
|
4.2%
|
|
#22
|
13,775
|
10.0%
|
32,660
|
-3.5%
|
0.9%
|
0.8%
|
|
#32
|
2133
|
28.5%
|
4997
|
15.2%
|
0.1%
|
0.1%
|
|
#6
|
82,337
|
15.0%
|
209,597
|
17.3%
|
5.2%
|
5.1%
|
|
#8
|
58,279
|
-0.8%
|
146,321
|
3.7%
|
3.7%
|
3.6%
|
|
#26
|
8733
|
28.8%
|
20,805
|
22.6%
|
0.5%
|
0.5%
|
|
#14
|
30,198
|
-2.8%
|
74,221
|
-3.8%
|
1.9%
|
1.8%
|
|
#25
|
9689
|
11.4%
|
24,905
|
16.0%
|
0.6%
|
0.6%
|
|
#33
|
997
|
0.1%
|
2250
|
16.6%
|
0.1%
|
0.1%
|
|
#18
|
23,396
|
-27.2%
|
64,643
|
-17.2%
|
1.5%
|
1.6%
|
|
#13
|
31,236
|
-3.3%
|
83,009
|
-0.8%
|
2.0%
|
2.0%
|
|
#29
|
4762
|
-18.3%
|
10,839
|
-15.2%
|
0.3%
|
0.3%
|
|
#24
|
11,078
|
13.5%
|
25,212
|
6.0%
|
0.7%
|
0.6%
|
|
#4
|
149,784
|
13.0%
|
367,544
|
10.1%
|
9.4%
|
9.0%
|
|
#30
|
4323
|
0.7%
|
12,238
|
7.1%
|
0.3%
|
0.3%
|
|
#10
|
49,990
|
11.0%
|
126,313
|
14.4%
|
3.1%
|
3.1%
|
|
#27
|
7261
|
64.1%
|
18,242
|
52.3%
|
0.5%
|
0.4%
|
|
#34
|
479
|
-17.8%
|
1300
|
-15.2%
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
|
#11
|
49,285
|
0.4%
|
132,397
|
0.9%
|
3.1%
|
3.2%
|
|
#2
|
182,383
|
-4.3%
|
476,616
|
-2.0%
|
11.4%
|
11.7%
|
|
#16
|
26,914
|
-10.4%
|
69,314
|
-12.5%
|
1.7%
|
1.7%
|
|
#28
|
6857
|
15.9%
|
16,361
|
19.2%
|
0.4%
|
0.4%
|
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
|
253,064
|
7.8%
|
641,587
|
8.4%
|
15.9%
|
15.7%
|
|
|
252,128
|
0.9%
|
683,698
|
-0.05%
|
15.8%
|
16.7%
|
|
|
219,842
|
-2.7%
|
569,079
|
-1.1% |
13.8%
|
13.9%
|
|
|
213,187
|
8.1%
|
551,103
|
8.9%
|
13.3%
|
13.5%
|
|
|
163,559
|
12.7%
|
400,204
|
8.9%
|
10.3%
|
9.8%
|
|
|
138,221
|
9.4%
|
357,703
|
7.1% |
8.7%
|
8.8%
|
|
|
133,589
|
-0.2%
|
319,651
|
2.1%
|
8.4%
|
7.8%
|
|
|
49,748
|
-3.7%
|
123,774
|
-5.7%
|
3.1%
|
3.0%
|
|
|
34,795
|
-13.3%
|
81,452
|
-10.8%
|
2.2%
|
2.0%
|
|
|
31,715 |
-3.6%
|
84,309
|
-1.1%
|
2.0%
|
2.1%
|
|
|
10,866
|
28.8%
|
25,802
|
21.1% |
0.7%
|
0.6%
|
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
Total
|
1,595,065
|
3.1%
|
4,087,180
|
3.3%
|
—
|
—
|
Source: Automakers & ANDC
Red font indicates declining year-over-year volume
* Does not include Lamborghini
^ Excluding Sprinter/Metris: down 5.9% to 28,164 in March; down 3.1% to 75,769 YTD.
RECOMMENDED READING
U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings – March 2017
U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings – April 2016 YTD
U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings – February 2016 YTD
U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings – 2015 Year End
U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings – March 2015 YTD
Top 30 Best-Selling Vehicles In America – March 2016