Ford's third-quarter U.S. sales rise on pickup, crossover SUV demand

Ford Motor on Wednesday posted a near 8% rise in U.S. auto sales for the third-quarter, driven by continued demand for crossover SUVs and pickup trucks.

The automaker notched quarterly sales of 500,504 vehicles, up from 464,674 a year earlier.

Dearborn, Michigan-based Ford joins other automakers in reporting higher sales in the United States, bolstered by the purchase of more new vehicles by consumers for personal mobility.

American buyers have also been swayed by attractive financing options and trade-in deals on new vehicles, which have advanced safety technology and better fuel efficiency ratings.

However, analysts eye a bumpy road ahead for the Detroit Three automakers due to the ongoing coordinated strike by the United Auto Workers (UAW) union against the companies that has sparked concerns over supply disruptions in the current quarter.

Overall, U.S. new vehicle sales in September were 1.33 million units, with an annual sales rate of 15.67 million units, according to data released by Wards Intelligence on Tuesday.