Ford Motor Company’s U.S. vehicle sales dipped in November on both a monthly and yearly basis as the automotive industry continues to grapple with normalizing demand.
The Detroit automaker sold 145,559 units in America during the month, a decline of 0.5% from November 2022 and 2.9% from October 2023. This marks the second consecutive month of falling sales after a sudden 16% jump in September. Despite the small setback, Ford sales are still up 7% year-over-year in the U.S., with one more month remaining to beat last year’s total of 1.84 million units.
A major takeaway from the company’s monthly sales numbers was the relative success of its electrified lineup. While overall sales declined, the automaker sold 43% more electric vehicles and 75% more hybrids in November 2023 than it did last year, breaking its previous records. The F-150 Lightning pickup also became the bestselling battery-powered truck in November, beating Rivian’s R1T. These achievements arrive just as Ford dials back its plans to produce batteries and ramp up EV production. In comparison, sales of ICE models dropped 6.5%, although this is likely related more to the United Auto Workers (UAW) strike, which predominantly targeted the brand’s more profitable models, than it is to slowing demand for petrol vehicles.
While Ford failed to beat last November’s sales total, during which inventory and production were still heavily constrained due to the COVID pandemic, it nevertheless continued to demonstrate the strength of its manufacturing operations and retail network in the U.S. But while the brand’s sales are healthy, the company still has an uphill battle to face in terms of achieving its profitability goals.
In addition to massive costs stemming from the UAW strike and the resulting contract with union members, the automaker is also facing a new recall, one of many this year. Last week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued recalls for 45,173 Ford Fiestas, Fusions, and Lincoln MKZs due to a broken door lock mechanism. In 2022, the car manufacturer was the most recalled brand in the U.S., repairing more than 8.7 million vehicles after facing 68 separate NHTSA investigations.
