Toyota Motor reported on Jan. 5 a 37% drop in U.S. sales in December, which helped drag 2008 sales down 16% to 2.2 million vehicles.
"Our New Year's resolution is to shift the focus back to where it belongs, to the consumer," said Toyota Motor Sales USA president Jim Lentz. "The sooner stimulus efforts find their way to where they'll do the most good -- into the hands of consumers -the sooner we'll see a turnaround in confidence levels and a return of buyers to the marketplace."
December sales fell 38% to 118,587 vehicles. The luxury Lexus brand posted a 32% drop in December sales to 23,362 vehicles and a 21% fall in 2008 sales to 260,087 vehicles.
Total car sales fell 35% to 79,259 in December and 11% to 1.4 million vehicles in 2008.
Total truck and sport utility vehicle sales fell 39% to 62,690 in December and 23% to 859,089 in 2008.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2009
