Ford Holds Off Hyundai by 1,195 Vehicles to Keep No. 3 U.S. Sales Rank

Ford Motor kept its No. 3 position in U.S. sales by a margin of just 1,195 vehicles in the third quarter, fending off Hyundai Motor Group in a race that forecasters expected the South Korean company to win.

Ford reported Friday that its third-quarter U.S. sales fell 6.6% year over year to 507,395 light-duty vehicles. The count excludes the automaker's largest heavy-duty trucks, which regulators classify separately.

Hyundai Motor Group — comprising the Hyundai, Kia and Genesis brands — posted the opposite trajectory. Its combined U.S. sales rose 5.4% to 506,200 vehicles during the same three-month period, according to the company's reported figures.

The gap between the two automakers came down to a fraction of a percentage point. Had Hyundai sold roughly 1,200 more vehicles, it would have claimed the No. 3 spot in quarterly U.S. sales for the first time.

The forecast that didn't hold

A forecast released last week by Cox Automotive had called for exactly that outcome: Hyundai overtaking Ford in quarterly U.S. sales for the first time. Both companies outperformed expectations instead, and Ford's better-than-expected quarter proved just enough to preserve its ranking.

The near-miss marks a striking moment in the U.S. auto market. Hyundai, through its namesake brand, its luxury division Genesis and corporate sibling Kia, has been making major inroads with American buyers this year. The group's third-quarter growth of 5.4% contrasts with Ford's 6.6% decline over the same period — a divergence that put the sales crown within Hyundai's reach.

Why Ford slipped

Ford's third-quarter decline did not come out of nowhere. The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker has struggled with production of its crucial F-Series pickup trucks since two supplier fires last year disrupted both manufacturing and sales. The F-Series is Ford's most important product line and a core driver of its U.S. volume, making those supply chain shocks particularly costly in a quarter when every sale mattered for the rankings.

The production troubles gave Hyundai its opening. The South Korean group's steady expansion across mainstream, value and luxury segments — Hyundai, Kia and Genesis respectively — has translated into consistent share gains in the American market this year, and the third-quarter numbers show how close the chase has become.

What the numbers say about the market

Two takeaways stand out from the quarter. First, both automakers beat expectations, suggesting demand was stronger than forecasters assumed for at least part of the market. Second, the competitive balance at the No. 3 position has effectively vanished: a 1,195-vehicle margin across more than 500,000 deliveries per side means the ranking could flip in any given quarter.

For Ford, holding the position required absorbing a supplier-driven production hit and still outdelivering a fast-growing rival. For Hyundai, the quarter confirms the group's U.S. momentum is real, even if the milestone of passing Ford remains just out of reach.

The next quarterly reporting cycle will test whether Ford can rebuild F-Series output enough to widen the gap — or whether Hyundai's growth curve finally carries it past the Detroit automaker for the first time.