Toyota's Canada sales fall in June while GM's rise

Toyota Motor Co's Canadian unit said on Monday its June sales were down 13.8 percent from a year earlier, while General Motors Co GM.ULsaid its Canadian sales rose 15.2 percent.

The two automakers have been vying for the top sales spot in Canada over the past couple of years, but both saw their numbers eclipsed by Ford of Canada in June. Ford released its sales data last week and said it had its best Canadian monthly performance in a decade in June.

Toyota, which has been plagued since September by safety recalls of more than 10 million vehicles globally, said it sold 16,036 Toyota and Lexus cars, trucks and SUVs in Canada in June. Sales of Toyota models were down 15.1 percent, while its luxury Lexus vehicles gained 1.9 percent.

Toyota said on Friday it planned a global recall of 270,000 of its Lexus models and Toyota Crown sedans due to the possibility that faulty valve springs could cause engines to stall.

The recall was the second for the luxury Lexus brand since the previous Friday, when Toyota told U.S. and Canadian safety regulators it was halting sales and recalling about 17,000 Lexus HS 250h hybrid sedans due to a possible fuel leak.

The latest recalls follow a safety crisis that was triggered mainly by the potential of some Toyota vehicles to accelerate unintentionally.

GM said its June sales were up 15.2 percent to 25,725 vehicles. Car sales fell 19.6 percent, while truck sales surged 48.3 percent.

Including only its core brands -- Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac -- the automaker said its sales were up 53.5 percent in the month. GM emerged from bankruptcy protection last July and is in the midst of restructuring. It has killed off several brands.

Honda Canada, which generally does not offer the same big incentives the other automakers have been using to lure consumers to their showrooms, said on Monday its June sales fell 14 percent from a year earlier to 11,889 vehicles.

The company's Honda unit reported a drop of 13 percent, while sales at its Acura division fell 21 percent.

FORD OF CANADA WINS JUNE SALES CROWN

Late last week, Ford Motor Co said its Canadian sales jumped 15.7 percent in June, its best monthly performance in a decade.

The Detroit-based company was the top-selling automaker in the country in the month. It was the first time in more than 50 years that it led the market for two consecutive quarters.

Ford of Canada said it sold 31,707 vehicles in the month, with car sales up by 23.3 percent and truck sales up 13.2 percent.

Nissan Canada said it sold 8.6 percent more vehicles last month than it did a year earlier.

Nissan said total sales rose 8.6 percent to 8,057 units. The Nissan brand had its best June ever, selling 7,248 vehicles, or 7.5 percent more than in the same month of 2009, while the Infiniti nameplate accounted for 809 vehicles sold, a 19 percent increase.

Chrysler Canada reported its June figures on the Canada Day holiday last Thursday. The company, which emerged from bankruptcy protection under the control of Italy's Fiat SpA, said its sales doubled in June, the seventh straight month of at least 20 percent growth at the retail level.

Chrysler said it sold to 18,502 vehicles in Canada, compared with 9,211 in the same month of 2009.

Hyundai Canada said it recorded its second consecutive month of record sales in May and its 16th straight month of increases.

The automaker said it sold 12,620 vehicles in the month, up 12.6 percent over a year earlier.

(Reporting by John McCrank; editing by Peter Galloway)