Chevy Cruze sales up in March

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Despite a late-month stop sale and subsequent recall of 172,000 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles, sales of the Lordstown-built compact car were up 14 percent in March, compared with the same time last year, according to GM sales figures released Tuesday.

GM on Friday stopped selling Cruzes from the 2013 and 2014 model years, equipped with a 1.4-liter turbo engine, offering no details on its decision. The company then announced over the weekend that it was recalling those cars for a faulty right front axle shaft that could fracture and separate from the vehicle unexpectedly.

But the possible hit to weekend sales didn’t stop GM from delivering 26,521 Cruze vehicles last month, up from 23,260 during March 2013.

GM on Friday also expanded its ignition-switch recall to include nearly 2.6 million cars, followed by a separate recall of 500,000 late-model pickup trucks on Monday.

In a month fraught with recalls and distractions, GM’s total sales climbed 4 percent and retail sales improved by 7 percent in year-over-year comparisons.

The Cruze held its ground as GM’s second best-selling vehicle, trailing only the Chevrolet Silverado, which sold 42,247 units in March.

Despite a slow start to the year, sales across the auto industry were solid in March, and analysts still expect car sales this year to exceed 16 million for the first time since 2007.