Automakers Brace for Weak Third-Quarter US Sales Numbers

General Motors said its US sales fell in the third quarter of 2026, without disclosing the size of the decline in the item reviewed. The announcement lands just ahead of Tesla's own delivery report, due Friday, which MarketWatch said is expected to show a sales drop as well, citing waning investor interest in the EV maker's core business. The back-to-back signals from two of the largest US automakers point to a softer demand environment heading into the final quarter of the year, though the companies cite different pressures: GM has not detailed a cause, while Tesla has faced slowing EV demand more broadly this year. The open question is whether Friday's Tesla report confirms the expected decline or surprises to the upside, and whether GM's drop reflects a one-quarter dip or a longer trend, neither of which can be judged from the figures disclosed so far.