Ford pickup trucks for sale at Serramonte Ford in Colma, California on January 6, 2026.
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Detroit — ford motor The company narrowly edged out Hyundai Motor Co., which had been expected to overtake the Detroit automaker, in the third quarter, maintaining its position as the No. 3 U.S. seller.
Ford said Friday that sales of light vehicles in the third quarter fell 6.6% from a year earlier to 507,395 units. This figure does not include the company’s largest heavy-duty trucks, which are classified separately.
By comparison, South Korean automakers, which include the Hyundai, Kia and Genesis brands, saw sales rise 5.4% to 506,200 units in the quarter.
Both companies achieved results that exceeded expectations. Cox Automotive’s forecast released last week predicted that Hyundai would overtake Ford in quarterly sales for the first time.
Hyundai is making big inroads into the United States this year. Meanwhile, Ford is struggling to produce its important F-series pickup trucks after two supplier fires last year disrupted production and sales.
Ford maintained a roughly 89,700-unit lead over Hyundai in annual sales through the third quarter, according to data both companies reported this week.
Ford on Friday downplayed Hyundai’s proximity in sales, saying the Kia and Hyundai brands operate separately in the U.S. despite having a parent company.
In addition to production issues with the F-Series, production discontinuations of vehicles such as the Ford Escape have made Ford’s year-over-year sales comparisons difficult.
Ford U.S. sales chief Rob Kaffle said Friday that sales and inventory of F-Series pickups, including the F-150, continued to improve during the quarter.
“Some of the headwinds we had earlier in the year have passed to some extent and we’re setting ourselves up for a very strong fourth quarter,” Kafur said on a media conference call.
In the third quarter, F-Series sales were down just 1.9%, including a 97.1% decline for the discontinued F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck.
The Detroit automaker’s Ford brand fell about 6% in the quarter, while its luxury Lincoln brand fell 18%.
Ford’s electric vehicle sales were down 67.5% year over year through September, including a nearly 80% decline in the third quarter. The company also faces tough comparisons in the category, as it reported record EV sales in the same period last year as demand soared before the Trump administration ended federal incentives worth up to $7,500 for consumers to buy EVs.
