Toyota's US sales fall 38 per cent in May

CHICAGO: Toyota said on Tuesday that the US automotive market appeared to be recovering even as it posted a 38 per cent drop in May US sales.

"The big jump in consumer confidence in May translated into a solid gain in retail vehicle sales compared to April," said Don Esmond, senior vice president of automotive operations for Toyota Motor Sales.

"We're encouraged that consumers are beginning to return to showrooms and that the industry continues to show signs of stabilization."

While Toyota's May sales of 152,583 vehicles were down significantly when compared with May 2008, they were up 21 per cent from April's poor performance.

Year-to-date sales were down 38 per cent to 638,795 vehicles.

The Toyota Division posted May sales of 135,661 units, a decrease of 39.0 per cent from the same period last year. The luxury Lexus Division reported May sales of 16,922 units, a decrease of 33.9 per cent from the year-ago month.