By AP
DETROIT –
General Motors says its sales sputtered in September, a sign that Americans are nervous about taking on debt to buy big-ticket items.
Sales for the biggest U.S. automaker fell about 6% from August but were up 10.5% over September of last year. However, it was easy for sales to improve from last September. That's because that month was hurt by low demand following the government's Cash for Clunkers program.
Industry analysts say this September started strong. Labor Day promotions spurred buying, but customers backed off toward the end of the month.
GM says pickup truck and Buick sales were strong in September. Full-size pickup sales rose 62% from last year.
Chrysler and Ford, however, posted better August-to-September results.
Toyota says its U.S. September sales fell from the prior month as demand for its Lexus luxury models slipped.