Ford fends off Hyundai to retain No. 3 U.S. sales position in third quarter

DETROIT — Ford Motor retained its No. 3 U.S. sales position during the third quarter by a narrow margin over Hyundai Motor, which had been forecast to overtake the Detroit automaker.

Ford on Friday reported a year-over-year sales decline of 6.6% during the third quarter to 507,395 light-duty vehicles. That figure excludes its largest heavy-duty trucks, which are classified differently.

That compares to the South Korean automaker, including Hyundai, Kia and Genesis brands, reporting a 5.4% increase to 506,200 vehicles during the quarter.

Both companies performed better than expected. A forecast last week by Cox Automotive had called for Hyundai to overtake Ford in quarterly sales for the first time.

Hyundai, including its luxury Genesis brand and corporate sibling Kia, has been making major inroads in the U.S. this year. Ford, meanwhile, has struggled with production of its crucial F-Series pickup trucks after two supplier fires last year that disrupted production and sales.

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