Auto Sales Decline

Major U.S. automakers saw their sales weaken in August, as the auto industry appeared ready to assume a slower pace along with the rest of the U.S. economy.

U.S. sales at General Motors Corp. were down 5 percent, while sales at Ford Motor Co. were down 4 percent. The Chrysler arm of DaimlerChrysler AG reported a gain of 2 percent, but most of that came from sales of minivans and trucks backed with rebates of up to $3,000.

Meanwhile, several import automakers, including Honda and Volkswagen, reported sales gains, although far smaller than increases of earlier this year.