Auto sales continued to slide in the U.S. last month as Hurricane Harvey appeared to impact an already sluggish vehicle market.
Data compiled by The Wall Street Journal from motorintelligence.com showed that even though August 2017 included one additional selling day compared to August 2016, overall sales slipped by nearly 2 percent.
The lagging numbers also came despite strong performances from the top domestic and foreign automakers in the U.S. market.
General Motors, which accounts for the largest share of the domestic market, touted strong crossover sales en route to a 7.5 percent increase last month. Double-digit increases in GM's Chevrolet and GMC brands were more than enough to cancel out steep declines in the Buick and Cadillac lines.
Toyota, meanwhile, reported a 6.8 percent sales increase amid continued growth in light trucks, but sales fell among the other top companies in the market.
Ford and Honda reported modest sales declines of just more than 2 percent, while Fiat Chrysler and Nissan slipped by 11 percent and 13 percent, respectively.
Those six companies comprised more than 75 percent of the domestic auto market last month, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Although vehicle sales were expected to remain sluggish, the Associated Press noted that Hurricane Harvey likely curbed demand for new vehicles late last month. A surge of owners seeking to replace their flooded cars, however, could bolster sales in coming weeks, the report added.
