Toyota’s record sales run, including steady growth in China and North America, has lost steam after a sharp drop back home in Japan.
Global sales in August — including that of subsidiaries Daihatsu and Hino — rose just over 1% from a year earlier to 900,598 units, the company said Monday. Sales that month rose almost 4% abroad to a record monthly high, but fell more than 10% in Japan.
Global production grew almost 4% to 837,869 units.
The world’s biggest carmaker has seen steady growth throughout the year in most major markets despite the recent downturn in Japan and trade turmoil triggered by President Donald Trump’s tariffs on cars and car parts imported to the U.S. It even manufactured and sold a record number of vehicles for seven consecutive months, thanks to a resurgence in demand for gas-electric hybrids.
Toyota and Lexus brand sales in August were up nearly 14% in the U.S., but down 12% in Japan.
Battery electric vehicle sales rose 35% to 17,056 units globally — though only 18 were sold in Japan.
In August, Toyota lowered its annual profit guidance as it warned of a ¥1.4 trillion ($9.5 billion) hit to its bottom line from Trump’s 15% tariffs. It now sees ¥3.2 trillion in operating income for the fiscal year ending in March 2026, down from its initial forecast of ¥3.8 trillion.
In August, Nissan saw sales climb 3% to 251,081 units, thanks in large part to a 13% bump in the U.S. and a 19% jump in China.
Honda’s sales, on the other hand, suffered a 7% drop last month to 289,688 units.
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