Vehicle production in fiscal 2013 expanded 3.8 percent from a year earlier to 9,912,341 units, marking the fourth straight annual rise thanks to a last-minute buying spree ahead of the April 1 sales tax hike, an industry body reported Wednesday.

In the year ended March 31, passenger car production increased 3.1 percent year on year to 8,443,378 units, while truck output gained 7.8 percent to 1,333,883 units. Bus manufacture rose 8.3 percent to 135,080 units, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association said.

Meanwhile, vehicle exports in the year fell 0.6 percent to 4,632,178 units, logging the first decline in two years.

In March alone, vehicle output climbed 14.0 percent from a year earlier to 939,761 units, while exports dropped 0.6 percent to 385,948 units.