US auto sales fell over 25% on the year in June, with July buying activity still facing uncertainty due to market disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, according to industry consultants.
Analysts with Cox Automotive said total June new-vehicle sales were down 27% to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate, or SAAR, of 13 million units compared with June 2019 numbers, according to a July 10 report.
June sales were slightly better compared with May, when sales dropped 30.2% on the year to an SAAR of 12.3 million units, but the positive trend may not continue into July, Cox Chief Economist Jonathan Smoke said.
"July has not started quite as strongly as June did, and we conclude that July may be a challenge to see similar performance that we have been enjoying in the recovery in May and June," Smoke said in a video report.
Automotive industry consultant Edmunds said the better-than-expected June vehicle sales represented steady growth since the end of March. However, analysts said many factors may again slow buying activity in the coming months.
"The marketplace is growing less inviting as automakers pull back on incentives and inventory dwindles due to factory shutdowns, particularly when it comes to trucks, which have been the one bright spot for sales during the pandemic," Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds' executive director of insights, said in a recent report.
"Current sales paint an optimistic picture given the circumstances, but between COVID-19 and today's politically charged climate, the industry needs to prepare for uncertainties ahead."
Edmunds said US new-vehicle sales in June reached an estimated 1.08 million units at an SAAR of 12.8 million units, down 3.6% month-over-month and down 28.7% from June 2019.
General Motors led all North American automakers in expected June sales with 167,499 units, according to Edmunds data.
Edmunds data indicated that Nissan saw the biggest year-on-year increase in sales from May, rising 2.9% to 66,922 units in June. Honda sales declined the most in the same period, falling 7.9% on the month to 111,377 units.
Analysts with industry consultant JD Power said the combination of pent up demand, relaxed pandemic restrictions and elevated incentives provided a tailwind for the industry in June, though these factors were not likely to last.
"Looking ahead, inventory constraints and any easing of the pent-up demand that is currently elevating sales will be headwinds to the overall sales recovery," JD Power said in a recent report.
JD Power estimated new-vehicle sales at about 1,002,600 units in June.
