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General Motors U.S. Sales Down 1.3 Percent To 237,364 Units In May 2017

General Motors reported 244,406 new vehicle deliveries in May 2017 for the U.S. market, a 1.3 percent decrease compared to May 2016. Sales were down at Chevrolet and GMC and up at Buick and Cadillac.

Retail sales increased a slight 0.4 percent to 191,388 units, driven by exceptionally strong crossover sales at Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac.

“As we see the industry shift to more crossovers, we are extremely well positioned to take full advantage of this dynamic,” said Kurt McNeil, U.S. vice president of Sales Operations. “We expect these launches will enable us to continue gaining retail share as we introduce more all-new compact and midsize crossovers than anyone else, including the all-new 2018 GM Terrain2018 Chevrolet Traverse2018 Buick Enclave and the Regal TourX.”

In addition, GM is also in the process of launching the all-new 2018 Chevy Equinox. Initial deliveries of the compact crossover with the 1.5L LYX turbo engine started in April. Models with the 2.0L turbo engine will arrive this summer followed by a diesel model.

“U.S. economic fundamentals remain strong with a retail SAAR of 14.2 million, equal to last year’s record pace. The U.S. economy is operating at near full employment levels, wages are rising, interest rates and fuel prices remain low and consumer confidence remains high. The decline in total sales is primarily due to the industry’s pull back from daily rental sales.  Although total sales are running below our expectations, we anticipate retail vehicle sales will remain strong,” said Mustafa Mohatarem, GM chief economist.

Sales Summary - May 2017 - General Motors - USA

SalesSales Mix
Total237,364240,450-1.3%-3,086100.0%100.0%
Sale TypeMay 2017May 2016May 2017 / May 2016May 2017 - May 2016May 2017May 2016
Retail191,388190,613+0.4%+77580.6%79.3%
Fleet45,97649,837-7.7%-3,86119.4%20.7%

GM U.S. May 2017 Sales Notes

General Motors sales overview:

Sale types:

  • Total sales volume decreased 1.3 percent to 237,364 vehicles
  • Retail sales volume increased 0.4 percent or 775 vehicles to 191,388 units, accounting for 80.6 percent of total May 2017 sales compared to 79.3 percent in May 2016:
    • Chevrolet retail sales increased 0.3 percent to 126,451 units
    • GMC retail sales decreased 6.9 percent to 34,869 units
    • Buick retail sales increased 11.5 percent to 17,360 units
    • Cadillac retail sales increased 9.8 percent to 12,708 units
    • GM crossovers were up 19 percent on a U.S. retail sales basis compared to last year, with the performance being carried across all GM’s U.S. brands
  • Fleet sales volume decreased 7.7 percent or 3,861 vehicles to 45,976 units, accounting for 19.4 percent of total May 2017 sales compared to 20.7 percent in May 2016:
    • Daily rental deliveries were down 36 percent, as planned
    • Commercial deliveries were up 14 percent
    • Government deliveries were up 21 percent
    • GM is on track to deliver its third consecutive year of year-over-year decline in rental volume and mix

Average Transaction Prices (ATPs) & Incentive Spending:

  • GM’s incentive spending as a percentage of average transaction prices (ATP) in May was 11.6 percent, down 0.8 percentage points over April 2017, according to J.D Power PIN estimates. That is equal to the industry average, lower than 2016 calendar year average, and lower than any domestic and many Asian competitors
  • May ATPs were $35,283, up more than $640 per unit compared to April 2017

Inventory:

  • May month-end inventory was 963,448 units for a 101-day supply, representing:
    • An increase of 27,690 units from the 935,758 units at the end of April 2017
    • An increase of 1 day from the 100 days supply at the end of April 2017
    • GM remains on track to achieve year-end guidance and anticipates to end 2017 with approximately the same day supply of vehicles as it did at the end of 2016 with fewer cars and more trucks and crossovers in the mix this year
    • Launch-related downtime in the second half will cut nearly 100,000 units from inventory
    • The automaker will continue to monitor the marketplace and will make additional production adjustments if needed

SAAR:

  • The seasonally adjusted annual selling rate (SAAR) for light vehicles was 16.6 million vehicles in May 2017. The SAAR is 17.0 million units for 2017 calendar-year-to-date.

In the first five months of 2017, GM U.S. sales have decreased 1 percent to 1,171,291 units:

  • Retail sales are up 0.3 percent or 2,331 units to 930,137 units
  • Fleet sales are down 5.8 percent or 14,745 units to 241,154 units, with retail market share up 0.2 percentage points driven by Buick and Cadillac
    • Buick’s U.S. retail sales are up 8 percent
    • Cadillac U.S. retail sales are up 1 percent

Chevrolet sales decreased 3.8 percent to 162,950 units:

Cadillac sales increased 9.2 percent to 13,211 units:

Buick sales increased 28.5 percent to 20,077 units:

GMC sales decreased 5.2 percent to 41,126 units:

Sales Results - May 2017 - USA - Chevrolet

MODELMAY 2017 / MAY 2016MAY 2017MAY 2016YTD 2017 / YTD 2016 YTD 2017YTD 2016
BOLT EV* 1,566**5,950 *
CAMARO+34.56% 7,8415,827+0.03%31,876 31,865
CAPRICE-57.73% 4197-29.00%213 300
COLORADO-1.14% 9,0919,196-3.58%40,670 42,178
COMMERCIAL TRUCK* 602**3,213 *
CORVETTE-5.16% 2,5352,673-8.95%11,095 12,185
CRUZE+2.69% 17,12016,671+35.69%92,360 68,065
EQUINOX-1.62% 20,90821,252+2.49%104,272 101,738
EXPRESS+3.45% 6,8156,588+8.68%29,085 26,762
IMPALA-37.76% 3,2695,252-35.30%28,504 44,055
MALIBU-14.40% 20,71824,202-29.85%73,087 104,187
SILVERADO-2.73% 43,80445,035-5.16%212,425 223,990
SONIC-28.09% 2,1432,980-44.91%11,408 20,709
SPARK-89.79% 3573,495-21.61%9,197 11,732
SS+8.33% 247228+49.08%2,026 1,359
SUBURBAN-1.28% 3,9463,997+8.84%20,619 18,945
TAHOE-11.62% 6,5677,430+3.68%36,631 35,330
TRAVERSE+2.20% 7,3897,230-0.34%46,178 46,335
TRAX+21.01% 6,1745,102+33.01%31,044 23,339
VOLT-4.42% 1,8171,901+16.72%9,187 7,871
CHEVROLET TOTAL-3.77% 162,950169,331-3.21%799,040 825,503

Sales Results - May 2017 - USA - Cadillac

MODELMAY 2017 / MAY 2016MAY 2017MAY 2016YTD 2017 / YTD 2016 YTD 2017YTD 2016
ATS-21.90% 1,2731,630-23.59%6,024 7,884
CT6+43.62% 1,001697+330.97%4,383 1,017
CTS-21.07% 8541,082-34.07%4,213 6,390
ELR-100.00% 045-98.26%7 402
ESCALADE+18.70% 2,2031,856-8.00%7,990 8,685
ESCALADE ESV+23.64% 1,3441,087+5.55%5,670 5,372
SRX-99.66% 61,774-99.27%129 17,592
XT5+111.55% 5,7522,719+717.30%24,707 3,023
XTS-35.65% 7781,209-25.96%6,370 8,603
CADILLAC TOTAL+9.19% 13,21112,099+0.89%59,493 58,968

Sales Results - May 2017 - USA - Buick

MODELMAY 2017 / MAY 2016MAY 2017MAY 2016YTD 2017 / YTD 2016 YTD 2017YTD 2016
CASCADA-26.42% 610829-17.25%2,744 3,316
ENCLAVE-5.72% 3,0173,200-22.37%16,036 20,657
ENCORE+12.30% 7,3246,522+17.93%35,768 30,330
ENVISION+4,850.56% 4,40689+19,689.89%17,613 89
LACROSSE+88.68% 3,1831,687-18.63%10,151 12,475
REGAL-15.07% 1,0431,228-31.93%5,494 8,071
VERANO-76.14% 4942,070-74.70%3,211 12,694
BUICK TOTAL+28.49% 20,07715,625+3.86%91,017 87,632

Sales Results - May 2017 - USA - GMC

MODELMAY 2017 / MAY 2016MAY 2017MAY 2016YTD 2017 / YTD 2016 YTD 2017YTD 2016
ACADIA+37.90% 8,8356,407+50.43%48,111 31,982
CANYON-26.30% 2,4773,361-11.40%12,372 13,964
SAVANA+11.83% 2,6182,341+31.76%13,014 9,877
SIERRA-8.17% 16,20017,642-6.60%83,410 89,304
TERRAIN-26.43% 5,5277,513-5.25%36,778 38,815
YUKON-23.75% 2,8573,747-1.15%15,871 16,056
YUKON XL+9.56% 2,6122,384+5.01%12,185 11,604
GMC TOTAL-5.23% 41,12643,395+4.79%221,741 211,602

Sales Results - May 2017 - USA - GM Totals

BRANDMAY 2017 / MAY 2016MAY 2017MAY 2016YTD 2017 / YTD 2016 YTD 2017YTD 2016
CHEVROLET TOTAL-3.77% 162,950169,331-3.21%799,040 825,503
CADILLAC TOTAL+9.19% 13,21112,099+0.89%59,493 58,968
BUICK TOTAL+28.49% 20,07715,625+3.86%91,017 87,632
GMC TOTAL-5.23% 41,12643,395+4.79%221,741 211,602
GM USA TOTAL-1.28% 237,364240,450-1.05%1,171,291 1,183,705

About The Numbers

  • All percent change figures compared to GM May 2016 sales, except as noted
  • There were 25 selling days in May 2017 and 24 selling days in May 2016
  • Starting in September 2016, GM began reporting sales of the Chevrolet City Express and Low Cab Forward on a single line entitled Commercial Truck

Further Reading & Sales Reporting

GM Authority Executive Editor with a passion for business strategy and fast cars.

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Comments

  1. Good to see retail sales getting stronger across the industry! Just the way it should be: GM products should no longer be heavily associated with the fleet and rental markets! I hope to see this trend spread entirely through all the American brands! I’d rather the foreign brands heavily sell to the rental/fleet market! Perhaps this can provide an avenue for them to keep their sales flow in this country, should the supposed tariffs be placed in effect against them. (Which I strongly doubt will occur.)

    Reply
  2. I don’t understand how Mary Barra can survive this slide in sales by their #1 money maker (trucks). The reason GM is losing sales is because they have been reactive to technology, design, and trends. I’ve said it for years and I’ll say it again, GM needs to fire whomever is in charge of their truck divisions and bring in “young blood” or someone with fresh ideas and strategies. These old geezers running it now are so out of touch with the market that it’s costing them hundreds of millions of dollars in lost sales. I don’t think Mary Barra has a freakin clue what to do about it or how to turn it around.

    GM makes billions of dollars a year and they can’t design a good looking truck if their lives depended on it. Money won’t fix stupid or a bunch of old clowns who should have retired 50 years ago. GM needs to fire Mary Barra first of all, then have this new GUY come in and fire everyone who has had anything to do with the design/looks of the Silverado and Sierra for the past 5 years. Period. They also need to grow a pair and quit being afraid of taking risks! No diesel for the 1/2 ton? Stupid! Front end of the Silverado? Beyond ugly. Outdated design of the interior the 1st year it was introduced in 2014? An effin joke! I could go on and on about the mistakes that have landed GM where they are now in terms of truck sales, but it’s pointless. GM is still the slow to react, bureaucratic, and stubborn company it was 50 years ago. GM should be the #1 car company in the world, but instead, they’ll soon be at the bottom of the sales charts behind the least reliable and cheapest truck on the planet, the Ram. And that is reason enough to fire just about everyone at GM!

    Reply
    1. GM being the only Detroit automaker to lose trunk market share should terrify the board. GM, unlike other automakers, gets two chances to get it right–Chevrolet and GMC, yet neither brand has been able to capture consumers. Next generation spy shots appear to be evolutionary which means more failure. We are entering a period where GM will likely fall into the number two US brand according to news reports.
      Barra is too focused on the future. “Ridesharing” will be a disruptive force for the taxi industry so Mavin will make money but isn’t as exciting as hyped. EVs, namely Bolt, may help recapture coastal sales but being first may not give Chevrolet leadership.
      I’m convinced that every GM brands is damaged–from years of neglect and then the bailout which immediately put a dent in truck sales compared to Ford.
      Barra needs to go! She rebuilt Europe only to freak out over Brexit and satisfy Wall Street instead of long term objectives.
      GM doesn’t need a GUY but does need mor capable leadership.

      Reply
      1. A few things about that:

        1. It doesn’t matter how many units you sell and hence it doesn’t matter who is number one or two or three in terms of volume. What matters is volume at profit per unit (ATP). That’s the winning combination.

        Look at Ram, which FCA is giving away the Ram truck with all the discounts then look at FCA’s weak earnings.

        2. Regarding Maven: it’s not in the ride hailing/taxi side, but in the ride sharing part. It’s part of future vehicle ownership (not that will be completely that way, but it will be partially), and GM’s direction is very forward-thinking. We always complain about how GM is mostly last to market (such as to enter vehicle segments)… but here it is first to marker, in a space that will be very important.

        3. The same goes for EVs. The Bolt is being sold in very limited markets currently… wait until the end of the year to see true sales figures. Within a year or two, GM will sell more EVs than Tesla. Meanwhile, all other competitors are way behind the ball here.

        4. The current trucks are old and the focus is not on the current models but on next generation models. Let’s wait to see how that pans out before jumping to conclusions.

        Reply
        1. A few points:
          Obviously margins and Average Transaction Price are very important but let’s also not forget that GM has four brands vs Ford’s two brands; Chevrolet is currently weak by US historic standards as a retail brand with few segment leaders.

          2. No one fully knows the future of mobility. Over the decades many predictions have failed to materialize and the Maven construct of transport-on-demand is far from guaranteed outside of an Uber-meets-taxi-realm. Outside of urban settings, we may end up seeing automakers who are capable of producing affordable autonomous vehicles at affordable pricepoints being, by far, the biggest winners. It is likely that factory automation will make personal ownership of technology laden vehicles an attractive and affordable contrary to the current assumptions underpinning projects like Maven.

          3. GM has been loosing truck market share since 2008 when Ford surpassed the General as sales leader. Over the last eight years there have been many months in which GM offered deep discounts yet sales continue to lag. We can not ignore the growing popularity of Ram or diminsh FCA success by giving all credit to incentives.
          Not long ago Ram was an afterthought. Today it is a serious rival with a passionate fan base. Spy shots suggest that GM has gone with an evolutionary design approach. Let’s hope that thouts is untrue. Chevrolet and GMC will have a difficult time regaining share without incentives as more time goes by.

          GM has spent a king’s ransom developing Bolt so that it can continue selling less fuel efficient options. This is the state of regulation, however, considering GM will lose $9,000 per vehicle, it may have been wiser to either develop such technology in a JV or purchase it from a 3ed party as many companies will do for the foreseeable future.

          There is no question that GM has become a highly disciplined company and today’s margins of over 11% are fantastic. At the same time GM must with every brand focus on the development and marketing of segment leaders–something that once was common of GM product. The idea of Ford with only two brands regularly besting General Motors is inexcusable yet being seriously considered by Forbes. High volume with minimum insensitives should be the norm at GM.

          Reply
    2. Dude, it is a truck after all, looks shouldn’t be a top priority for GM Engineers. I have to agree that they need a diesel in the 1/2 ton pickup, and maybe even the Yukon.

      Reply
  3. The person that really should go is their Chief Economics Director Mustafa Mohatarem . His forecast for auto sales is just that a ” forecast ” and that is why GM has such a high inventory level . Sales in this country have cooled and are not booming at the pace it was the last two years . The signs have been out there , high levels of leases , longer term loans and a high level of defaults on auto loans . Forbes has been telling this tale for months .
    GM is laying people off at a level not seen since 2010 and until their products are updated or replaced sales numbers will suffer .
    However GM isn’t slow to react , they have spent Billions of dollars in investing in their factories for all of the new products that are in the pipeline . An investment in the future of the company .
    I don’t think blaming Mary Barra for a slow down in sales is fair . Although I haven’t always agreed with som e of her decisions I think she is setting GM down the right path . Replacing her with a ” GUY ” also isn’t a fair representation of what she is doing . She is a forward looking executive and not quit so worried about short term profits alone . She also worked her way up through the company and knows GM better than just about any other CEO of any company . The auto industry is in no way the same as it was 50 years ago , even 1o years ago . It’s an industry that is changing faster than ever on the factory floor , on the number of dealerships and a world economy that is in flux .
    I know I wouldn’t want her job .

    Reply
    1. I feel like I’m replying to something like this for the millionth time: the inventory pileup is on purpose and strategic.

      As was explained during the analyst call today:

      1. GM remains on track to achieve year-end guidance and anticipates to end 2017 with approximately the same day supply of vehicles as it did at the end of 2016 with fewer cars and more trucks and crossovers in the mix this year.
      2. Launch-related downtime in the second half will cut nearly 100,000 units from inventory.
      The automaker will continue to monitor the marketplace and will make additional production adjustments if needed.

      So it’s all a matter of stocking up units now in order to not run out of inventory while the new model changeover takes place. This wasn’t a strategy GM explored before.

      The forecast remains strong due to economic indicators, which are indeed strong and healthy. Let’s explore the topic in depth before making any major accusations or pointing fingers.

      Reply
  4. You guys talking about trucks do realize that the all-new units are right around the corner… riiight?

    You also realize that the current trucks were done with old GM money at a small budget… meanwhile, the upcoming T1 trucks will be all-new and be done with the right budgets. That’s not a guarantee that they will be awesome or that we will finally have a Raptor rival, but it’s a good indicator no less.

    Reply
  5. Alex is correct. The new truck are almost here and they will see marked improvements in the details and quality.

    There is not going to be a revolution in styling as it is not a problem but we wil, see higher grade interiors and all those little tech items that many of you cry for but will complain about because of the price increase.

    To be honest GM is making good money with truck sales being down and fleet sales being reduced. That is the sign of a strong and more balanced company.

    Before truck sales being down would have been a major hit to the bottom line and a GM in the Red. Today they are flown on truck sales but they are still showing record profits.

    Might note Ram sales may be good volume wise but the major discounts are killing their profits and customer resale.

    There is a disapline to holding prices to limits. Ram is discounting half ton four wheel drive crews here $15,000 here and that has hurt their profits and the resale on their trucks. GM has the best resale outside the Taco on the full size and even better on the mid size.

    Volume is only going to take you so far as it needs to be balanced with profits.

    Reply
  6. Cadillac is the only one with styling and quality problems….Cadillacs styling hasn’t been Revolotionary for many years….JUST WATERD DOWN…..cadillac needs to be bold in your face like the Elmeraj and Ceil….not a bigger and watered down CTS….

    Cadillac needs to transform the Alpha and Omega platforms into one single platform and have a true Halo, bespoke platform that would sit above the Omega platform.

    Omega=ATS, CTS and CT6.
    baspoke platform=CT7, CT8, CT9.

    Reply
  7. This is crazy how GM can produce best in the world sports cars (Camaro, Corvette), yet let the GM trucks stagnate after their 2014 refresh(supposed overhaul). The problem is their bread and butter 5.3 DI V8 has horrible throttle response, weird shaking problems, same crappy front end suspension as last generation(short travel). Ford has brought mega power at a lower price than gm which has given competitors more market share. This should be fixed good and fixed soon. Stop taking customers for granted.
    Overall I am very happy with my Sierra, but there is still huge room for improvement.
    Sincerely, loyal gm truck buyer.
    (Owner of 2015 GMC Sierra)

    Reply
    1. My dad owned a 1999 Sierra and then an 08. He received a 2015 as a loaner and hated it because the engine it didn’t get up n go like his 2 other trucks so i’m sure others feel the same way

      Reply
  8. I wasn’t making accusations , I was sharing what other analysts have been saying since the first of the year .
    I’m not going to ask you Alex to divulge your sources , but there is news on CNBC , Forbes Magazine that has been saying that the 900,000 units in inventory is not only the highest in the industry but higher than what GM initially wanted for the shutdown of it’s facilities . And yes , most of it is on the car side where the sales are in a slump . Even the small car segment is off .
    You can see it in the layoffs of workers prior to the shutdown , it was to control inventory levels .
    As the saying goes ” any story is like a pancake it has 2 sides ” .

    Reply

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