September Auto Sales Down As Expected ANN ARBOR, MI (Michigan Radio) - U.S. auto sales for September were lower than the year before.

That was expected after the conclusion of the cash for clunkers program, which ended the third week of August.

Industry wide, U.S. auto sales were about 25-percent lower than last September.

Ford had a better result, with its sales six percent down.

Jessica Caldwell is an auto industry analyst with Edmunds dot com.

She says August sales were abnormally high, because people were lured to showrooms who otherwise would have waited or not purchased a car at all.

"And right now I think the key in September is return to normal."

Chrysler and GM sales were down about 45-percent. Asian car companies also reported lower sales except for Hyundai.

Caldwell says the abnormal spike in August sales was more disruptive than it had to be, had Congress approved a program earlier.

"I think, had the program been timed better, and came out in February and March when sales were really low and inventories were really horrible, I think it would have been different." © Copyright 2009, Michigan Radio