Toyota US Sales Drop Sharply in May

Taking a bit longer than its competitors to add the numbers and come up with a final figure, Japanese automaker Toyota announced at the end of last week the sales numbers for the month of May. According to Toyota, it sold 108,387 units last month, a number which represents a decrease of 27.9 percent compared to the same period last year.

The Toyota brand was responsible, as usual, for the bulk of the sales, with 51,238 units sold. The light trucks division accounted for 44,844 units, while the Scion brand was responsible for 4,696 cars sold. Lexus managed to shift 5,681 units. All the brands' posted number represent sharp decreases.

The main reason behind the drop in sales, says Toyota, is the uncertainty when it comes to production caused by the effects of the Japanese March 11 twin disaster. A situation which, hopes the automaker, will begin reversing this month, as the production in Japan is expected to return to 90 percent of capacity.

"As expected, May was an especially challenging month due mainly to uncertainties about our production forecast. But thanks to the tremendous efforts of our manufacturing team members and suppliers, we are ramping up much faster than expected," said Bob Carter, Toyota Division group vice president and general manager.

"Beginning this month, Japan production will be at 90 percent of normal levels, and eight of twelve North American-built vehicles will be at 100 percent. With more vehicles arriving at our dealerships and enhanced dealer support programs gaining traction with customers, we're optimistic that our sales outlook will continue to improve."