The Associated Press
DETROIT (AP) - Toyota and Chrysler are reporting big U.S. sales gains in April -- but those gains came at the expense of GM and Ford.
Toyota says its sales rose 12 percent as its inventories finally returned to pre-earthquake levels.
Chrysler saw a 20-percent rise in sales, with top sellers including the Ram pickup and the Chrysler 200 midsize sedan. Analysts say sales of that vehicle were boosted by big rebates of $2,000 or more.
GM's sales are down 8 percent, as the automaker was hurt by new products and aggressive marketing from competitors.
At Ford, sales are down 5 percent, as demand for the Fiesta subcompact dropped.
But GM is still optimistic about industry-wide auto sales in the U.S. It's boosting its full-year forecast to between 14 million and 14.5 million cars and trucks, up about a half million.
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