Ford Motor Co.'s U.S. sales fell 12 percent in September, according to Automotive News estimates, ending a quarter in which sales fell 4.8 percent, reflecting declines in sedan and utility vehicle volume.
Mark LaNeve, Ford's head of marketing, sales and service, said most of the losses were expected with the slow death of vehicles such as the Fiesta, Focus and Taurus, as well as the launch of two high-volume redesigned vehicles: the Escape and Explorer.
Ford has struggled to launch the latest Explorer at a plant in Chicago, and LaNeve said dealers were short of Explorer inventory for most of the summer.
Still, there were some bright spots. Ford's van sales, including the Transit and smaller Transit Connect, posted a quarterly record of more than 65,000 sales. It included September sales gains of 25 percent and 17 percent, respectively.
Ford's Lincoln luxury brand also performed well, thanks to the introduction of the Aviator crossover and continued strong sales for its recently redesigned Navigator. For the quarter, Lincoln sales rose 11.7 percent.
LaNeve said fourth-quarter deliveries should start to level out as more Explorers make their way to dealer lots. The 2020 Escape went on sale last week, he said.
The Explorer launch was especially difficult because the crossover moved to a new rear-wheel-drive platform, which called for a complete overhaul of Ford's Chicago Assembly Plant.
Shortly after sales started this summer, Explorers and Lincoln Aviators began to pile up at Ford's Flat Rock, Mich., assembly plant and other facilities. Ford at the time said the vehicles were being shipped to those sites to undergo additional quality inspections, which LaNeve on Wednesday told Automotive News were "planned for and expected."
He said Explorers being built in Chicago are now being shipped directly to dealers.
Brands: Ford, down an estimated 13%; Lincoln, up an estimated 11%, in September.
Notable nameplates: F-Series, down 13%; Transit, up 25%; Expedition, up 27%; Explorer, down 47%; Escape, down 23%; Mustang, down18%; Fusion, down 17%; Navigator, up 3.1%; Lincoln MKZ, down 13%; Nautilus-MKX, up 18%.
Incentives: $4,914 per vehicle, up 2.9% from a year earlier, ALG says.
Average transaction price: $39,062, up 2.4% from a year earlier, according to ALG.
Inventory: A 71-day supply of vehicles, compared to a 57-day supply the same period a year ago, according to LaNeve. Last year, Ford's inventory was lower than usual because of a supplier fire that crippled F-150 production.
Quote: "The industry continues to be quite solid despite lots of issues flaring up in the news almost daily," LaNeve said. "Despite all the noise, when people have jobs and feel confident about the future, then they're buying vehicles."
Did you know? U.S. sales of the Expedition, up 53 percent this year, are responsible for just over two-thirds of the growth in the large SUV segment in 2019 year to date, according to Ford.
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