US auto sales roared in 2012 as Toyota leads pack

US auto sales roared ahead in 2012, with Toyota, Honda and Chrysler outpacing their rivals with double-digit gains as Ford and General Motors posted modest growth Thursday.

Ford estimated that total 2012 sales would come in at about 14.8 million vehicles when all automakers have reported, about a 14 percent gain from a year earlier.

It forecast that 2013 sales would rise to between 15 and 16 million vehicles in the United States, which will represent a near full recovery from the crash of 2008.

"Overall, we expect global sales to grow this year, supported by an ongoing recovery in the US as well as improving sales in China," Ford economist Ellen Hughes-Cromwick said in a conference call.

"Gains in these markets are offset somewhat by the weakness in the European markets."

GM estimated that US sales would come in at about 14.5 million units for 2012 and forecast somewhat more modest growth in the coming year.

"GM's strong finish in 2012, the industry's momentum and the overall health of the US economy make us optimistic about 2013," GM sales chief Kurt McNeil said.

"The budget compromise reached in Washington this week removes uncertainty and clears the way for full-year light vehicle sales to rise to the 15 million to 15.5 million unit range in 2013."

Toyota and Honda saw sales climb sharply as they recovered from the devastating Japanese tsunami, which smashed their supplies in 2011, and lured customers with popular new models.

Toyota reported a 27 percent gain in 2012 sales to nearly 2.1 million vehicles as December sales rose nine percent to 194,143 vehicles.

"With sales nearly doubling the increase of a healthy industry, Toyota had a breakout year in 2012," said Jim Lentz, chief of Toyota Motor Sales USA.

"As we move into 2013 and the market sees continued growth, we expect to outperform the industry once again with another nine product launches on the horizon."

Honda sales jumped 24 percent to more than 1.4 million vehicles last year -- its fourth best year ever and the strongest performance since 2008 -- as December sales rose 26 percent to 132,774.

"Honda began the year intent on recovery," said John Mendel, head of sales at American Honda.

"We ended 2012 with multiple product awards, a host of sales records, Honda's second best December ever, and tremendous momentum as we head into 2013."

Ford reported its best December sales since 2006, though they grew just two percent from the same month a year earlier to 214,222 vehicles.

The number two US automaker's 2012 sales rose five percent from 2011 to nearly 2.3 million vehicles on the strength of the Ford brand, which was the only nameplate to top 2 million in annual US sales.

"We are looking forward to a great 2013 as we begin this year with the product and capacity in place to expand our share," Ken Czubay, head of Ford sales, said in a conference call.

GM's sales grew four percent in 2012 to 2.6 million vehicles after it posted its best December in five years with deliveries up five percent year over year to 245,733.

The sluggish growth was expected to push GM's share of the US market to its lowest level in decades.

"We're always concerned about market share. Always," Mark Reuss, head of GM North America, said in a conference call.

"But we're not going to give it away like we did in the past, and burn the residuals and the brand values in anticipation of the biggest product portfolio launch that we've had in history."

Chrysler -- which has posted nearly three years of consecutive sales gains -- saw its sales jump 21 percent to nearly 1.7 million vehicles in 2012.

The third largest US automaker's December sales grew by a more modest 10 percent from a year earlier to 152,367 vehicles but nonetheless marked Chrysler's best December since 2007.

Chrysler estimated that its US market share had grown to 11.2 percent in 2012 from 10.5 percent in 2011, which ought to place it squarely in fourth place behind General Motors, Ford and Toyota.

Volkswagen -- which sees strong growth in the US market as key to its attempt at gaining the global sales crown -- also celebrated strong gains.

The German automaker's sales jumped 35 percent to 438,133 vehicles in 2012 after it posted its best December since 1970 with sales up 35 percent.

Results from other automakers and total industry sales data was expected later Thursday.