TORONTO - Dismal sales figures for November show how deep the troubles are for the auto industry in both Canada and the U.S.
Overall, car and light truck sales in Canada were down 10.3 per cent last month over the same time last year.
While General Motors, Chrysler and Honda saw double-digit declines in their sales in Canada, Toyota and Ford both enjoyed some sales growth.
But, the situation is far worse than the numbers indicate because up to 90 per cent of the vehicles made in Canada are shipped to the U.S.
And, there, sales have almost fallen off a cliff.
GM and Chrysler sales in the U.S. last month plunged more than 40 per cent over the same time last year.
Ford, Toyota, and Honda sales in the U.S. were each down more than 30 per cent.
Industry analyst Dennis DesRosiers says automakers are for "a rough ride" until the industry shows signs of "some fundamental stability."
