U.S. auto sales show big gains, except at Volkswagen

September was a blockbuster sales month for the U.S. auto industry — except at Volkswagen, where an emissions scandal forced the company to halt sales of most diesel-powered vehicles.

Strong consumer demand, easy credit and generous incentives combined to fill dealer showrooms. The industry sold 1.44 million cars and light trucks last month, up 15.8 percent from a year ago.

Ford’s U.S. sales grew 23 percent in September, Nissan’s surged 18 percent, and Fiat Chrysler’s jumped nearly 14 percent. Sales at General Motors rose 12 percent, while Toyota posted a 16 percent gain. Honda’s sales were up 13 percent.

Analysts had expected big increases because Labor Day was included in September this year rather than August a year ago. Labor Day weekend is typically one of the biggest sales periods of the year as dealers offer discounts to clear cars off their lots before the new model year arrives.

The Volkswagen brand struggled after Sept. 18, when the U.S. government revealed that nearly 500,000 VW and Audi diesels sold in the U.S. had software that let them cheat on emissions tests. Volkswagen halted sales of 2015 and 2016 diesel models of the Passat, Jetta, Golf and Beetle.

The U.S. market has remained a bright spot for automakers as the Chinese economy slows. China is still the No. 1 market globally, but sales there were up just 2.6 percent in the first eight months of the year. U.S. sales grew nearly 4 percent in that period.

This story was originally published October 1, 2015 at 6:19 PM with the headline "U.S. auto sales show big gains, except at Volkswagen."