DETROIT — U.S. auto sales declined more than 1 percent in 2019 but topped 17 million for an unprecedented fifth consecutive year.
Ford Motor Co., the final automaker to report its results, said its fourth-quarter sales slipped 1.3 percent to 601,862.
That brings total light-vehicle sales for the industry to 17.1 million, down from 17.3 million in 2018. In the three years since peaking at more than 17.5 million in 2016, sales have declined 2.5 percent.
Before 2015, the only years in which automakers sold more than 17 million vehicles were 2000 and 2001.
