Ford narrowly held onto the No. 3 position in U.S. vehicle sales during the third quarter, beating Hyundai Motor by just 1,195 vehicles. Ford reported sales of 507,395 light-duty vehicles during the quarter, down 6.6% from a year earlier, while Hyundai Motor’s combined Hyundai, Kia and Genesis brands sold 506,200 vehicles, up 5.4%.
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The result was much closer than expected. Cox Automotive had forecast last week that Hyundai would overtake Ford for the first time in quarterly U.S. sales. Instead, Ford managed to retain the position, although Hyundai continues to close the gap quickly.
Ford Holds On Despite Sales Decline
Ford’s third-quarter sales figure excludes its largest heavy-duty trucks, which are classified separately. Even with that exclusion, the company remained ahead of Hyundai Motor’s combined U.S. sales for the quarter.
Ford still has a larger advantage when sales for the full year are considered. According to data reported by the automakers this week, Ford has sold about 89,700 more vehicles than Hyundai through the first three quarters of 2026.
General Motors remains the U.S. sales leader for 2026, with Toyota Motor in second place. Toyota, however, has been gaining ground on GM during the year.
Ford played down the significance of Hyundai’s third-quarter performance, pointing out that Hyundai and Kia operate as separate brands in the United States, even though both are part of the same corporate group.
F-Series Remains A Key Factor
Ford’s sales performance has been affected by production problems involving its F-Series pickup trucks. Two supplier fires last year disrupted production and hurt availability and sales of the company’s most important truck line.
There are signs that the situation is improving. Rob Kaffl, Ford’s head of U.S. sales, said sales and inventories of F-Series pickups continued to improve during the third quarter.
“Some of the headwinds we had early in the year are kind of behind us,” Kaffl said during a media call, adding that the company is entering the fourth quarter in a stronger position.
Next-Generation Ford Ranger Already In Development
F-Series sales declined just 1.9% during the third quarter. That figure includes a 97.1% drop in sales of the discontinued F-150 Lightning electric pickup.
Ford also faces difficult year-over-year comparisons because several models, including the Ford Escape, have been discontinued.
Ford EV Sales Take A Major Hit
Electric vehicles remain a significant weakness for Ford. The automaker’s EV sales were down 67.5% through September, including an approximately 80% decline during the third quarter.
The sharp drop comes after Ford recorded record EV sales during the same period last year. Buyers rushed to purchase electric vehicles ahead of the end of federal incentives worth up to $7,500 under the Trump administration.
That unusually strong performance last year has made Ford’s 2026 year-over-year comparison particularly difficult.
Ford Brand And Lincoln Also Decline
Ford’s core Ford brand recorded an approximately 6% sales decline during the third quarter. Its luxury Lincoln brand performed even worse, with sales falling 18%.
Despite those declines, stronger F-Series performance helped Ford remain narrowly ahead of Hyundai Motor for the quarter.
