Vehicle sales gave back some of their earlier strength last month. Unit sales of light motor vehicles fell 5.1% (+3.4% y/y) during September versus August to 15.28 million (SAAR) according to the Autodata Corporation. The latest sales level was the lowest since April.

Auto sales declined 3.9% m/m (+2.6% y/y) to 7.72 million last month. Domestic car sales were off 5.1% (+2.3% y/y) to 5.35 million while sales of imports fell 1.0% (+3.1% y/y) to 2.37 million. Light truck sales fell 6.2% (+4.2% y/y) in September to 7.56 million. Domestic light truck sales declined 7.3% (+2.7% y/y) to 6.46 million. To the upside, sales of imported light trucks ticked 0.4% higher month-to-month (13.9% y/y) to 1.10 million.

Imports share of the U.S. light vehicle market jumped m/m to 22.7% in September, its highest level since May of last year. (Imported vehicles are those produced outside the United States.) That share remained down, however, from its peak of 29.9% in Q1'09. Imports' share of the U.S. car market improved m/m to 30.7% but remained down from its 37.6% monthly peak in 2010. Imports' share of the light truck market improved to 14.5% last month.

U.S. vehicle sales figures can be found in Haver's USECON database.