Second-quarter 2026 U.S. sales results from the major automakers point to a possible shifting vehicle mix headed into collision shops, with hybrid models driving gains at several brands while GM and Ford both reported steep declines in electric vehicle sales.
For shops planning parts inventory and technician training, the results also flagged a supply-side risk: Ford's F-Series sales specifically were tied to an aluminum supplier disruption that has constrained production of the F-Series, the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. through the first half of 2026.
General Motors remained the top-selling automaker in the U.S. for the quarter, delivering 714,896 vehicles, down 4.2% from a year earlier, which GM attributed to a "smaller EV market, discontinued vehicles and some inventory constraints," according to GM Authority's reporting on the results.
GM's EV lineup posted the steepest declines within the quarter: Chevrolet Equinox EV sales fell 61.8%, Blazer EV dropped 68.1%, and GMC Hummer EV slid 56.8%, according to sales data GM disclosed.
Ford's U.S. sales fell 10.3% in the quarter, CNBC reported, based on a July 2 news release the company filed as an exhibit with the Securities and Exchange Commission. F-Series sales slipped 11% as the company worked through a supplier issue tied to its top aluminum supplier restarting production after two fires last year, Ford said in the release.
Ford's U.S. sales fell 10.3% in the quarter, CNBC reported, based on a July 2 news release the company filed as an exhibit with the Securities and Exchange Commission. F-Series sales fell 11% as Ford worked through lingering effects of a 2025 fire at its primary aluminum supplier's facility, which had disrupted production.
"Ford expects supply to recover more fully in the second half of the year," the company said. Ford's electric vehicle sales fell 40.7% for the quarter, according to the same release.
Stellantis posted a 6% increase in second-quarter sales and 5% growth for the first half, the automaker announced, with gains led by Jeep Grand Wagoneer, up 43%, Ram 1500, up 9%, and Chrysler Pacifica, up 7%.
Hybrid demand lifts import brands to records
Toyota Motor North America reported second-quarter sales of 673,971 vehicles, up 1.1%, with electrified vehicle sales climbing 19.5% to represent 56.8% of total volume, the company reported. American Honda posted a 9% sales increase for the quarter, Honda announced, its best first-half result since 2021, with hybrid models accounting for roughly 30% of June Honda-brand sales, according to Investing.com's reporting on the release.
Hyundai Motor America reported its best-ever second quarter, with sales up 4% and hybrid vehicle sales up 71% for the quarter, the company said.
"Hybrids are really, really taking off right now as consumers, I think, are prioritizing fuel efficiency and lower operating costs due to high gas prices," Hyundai and Genesis North America CEO Randy Parker said on a call reported by CNBC.
Kia America set a first-half sales record of 430,727 units, up 3%, with hybrid model sales climbing 187% in June alone, according to Autoblog's reporting on Kia's results. Nissan Group posted second-quarter U.S. sales of 242,741 units, up 9.6%, marking 16 consecutive months of year-over-year retail sales growth, Nissan said, with vehicles assembled at Nissan's U.S. plants forecast to account for 60.1% of first-half retail volume.
The shift to hybrid and rising gas prices
The results reinforce a fleet-mix shift shops have been navigating since the federal EV tax credit expired Sept. 30, 2025, as previously reported: hybrid models are gaining share across nearly every major brand while pure EV sales soften, a pattern that affects everything from parts stocking to technician training priorities on high-voltage systems.
Gas prices are up more than 20% from the same period last year, according to AAA data cited in the CNBC report, a factor executives across multiple automakers pointed to as driving the hybrid shift.
