Stellantis, the automaker behind the brands of Jeep, Dodge and Ram, saw its sales in the United States in 2024 by 14.8% from 2023 and fell to the fifth most popular automaker after Honda.
The auto manufacturer, Howard County’s largest employer, reported Friday it sold 1.3 million vehicles in the U.S. in 2024, compared to 1.5 million in 2023, and saw sales declines in every brand except for low-volume Fiat.
The company’s beloved Jeep brand saw a 9% sales decline in 2024; Ram saw a 19% sales decline; The Dodge brand saw a sales decline of 29%; Chrysler brand saw a sales decline of 7%. In a prepared statement, Jeff Kommor, head of U.S. sales for Stellantis, said the company’s 2025 outlook is more positive.
“As we head into 2025, our U.S. brands are demonstrating strong sales momentum, with our (second half) retail sales showing 4% growth over the first half of the year’s results,” Kommor said in the statement. “We also saw our total sales increase 5% in the fourth quarter over the third quarter.”
The company’s year-over-year sales decline is not surprising as the company reported quarterly declines in 2024. That caused turmoil and anger amongst the company’s dealers, which saw too many high-priced vehicle stock pile up on its car lots.
The United Auto Worker Union also criticized the company for what it called as reneging on commitments made in its most recent labor contract.
All the criticism and turmoil caused its former CEO Carlos Tavares step down in early December. The company is currently in the process of finding a new CEO.
While the sales declines were to be expected, it also could have been worse, Ivan Drury, director of industry insights at Edmunds.com, told the Detroit Free Press.
“With turmoil at Stellantis ranging from the top to the bottom, a sales slip of only 15% is a near miracle,” Drury said. “Especially when considering Stellantis has a lineup that is devoid of new, affordable products during a time in which price is top of mind for so many consumers, and even for those that are looking for more fun than function, the delayed launch of the Charger/Challenger duo has left many Dodge dealers with empty lots, so anything less than a complete landslide can be seen as a win.”
Other carmakers fared better in 2024.
General Motors finished the year with the U.S. sales crown, posting a 4.3% increase for the year, its best performance since 2019.
Honda posted an 8.8% increase. Toyota reported a 3.7% sales jump, while Ford sales rose 4.2%.
Nissan sales were up 2.8% for the year, barely beating Hyundai with sales up 4.8%. Kia sales rose 1.8%.
Overall, new vehicle sales in the U.S. rose 2.7% last year as prices and interest rates eased a bit.
Despite high sales prices that averaged more than $47,000, automakers sold just over 16 million vehicles in the U.S. last year, Motorintelligence.com said Friday. It was the best year for sales since 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic hit. But prices were still 27% above what they were in 2019.
Electric vehicle sales rose 8.8% for the year to just under 1.3 million, beating 2023’s record of 1.19 million. That’s slower growth than the 47% increase in 2023, and EVs face an uncertain future with the possibility that President-elect Donald Trump will scrap a $7,500 tax credit when he takes office later this month.
Gas-electric hybrids kept rising in popularity with just over 1.6 million sold, a 36% increase over 2023.
— The Associated Press Contributed to this report
© 2025 Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.