Stellantis NV's U.S. sales fell by 12% in the first quarter compared to last year, continuing a recent trend of weak performances by the automaker.

But the maker of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram said its quarterly vehicle sales to retail customers — traditional shoppers at dealerships — held steady compared to the first three months of 2024, meaning the overall decline was due to lower sales to such fleet customers as rental car companies and businesses.

Stellantis sold a total of 293,225 vehicles in January, February and March. That's almost 40,000 fewer cars than the first quarter of 2024, and about 75,000 less cars than it sold during the start of 2023. Despite the recent declines, Jeff Kommor, head of U.S. sales, said there were some recent positive signs.

"We’ve seen consecutive monthly market share growth since January, in addition to retail growth momentum, with the right mix of pricing and incentive actions put in place at the end of last year, leading both Jeep and Ram brands to post their best retail months of the year this March,” he said in a statement.

Kommor added that when removing discontinued models, retail sales to customers had actually increased year-over-year.

In terms of brands, Jeep sales overall fell 10%, though retail-only sales were up slightly. The Compass crossover was a highlight, with 15% higher volume overall than a year ago. And the automaker reported major sales progress in March across the Jeep lineup, including with stalwarts like the Wrangler and Grand Cherokee SUVs.

Ram sales were down 2% overall, but Stellantis reported that retail sales were up by 16%. The truck brand, like Jeep, saw similar retail sales momentum, including with its Ram 1500 and Ram Heavy Duty pickups.

Chrysler's quarterly sales were up 1%, with Pacifica minivan sales remaining steady. Dodge sales, however, plummeted 49% for the quarter, amid falling sales for key models like the Hornet crossover and Durango SUV.

Stellantis now has three fully-electric vehicles in its lineup. Jeep sold 2,595 units of its new Wagoneer S model after it hit dealers in January. Dodge sold 1,947 electric Charger Daytonas after that model also launched at the start of the year. And Fiat sold 448 of its 500e for the quarter after the electrified small city car came to the United States last year.

The Stellantis quarterly results were significantly worse than its Detroit rivals. General Motors Co.'s U.S. sales were up 17% in the first quarter thanks to healthy truck, SUV, and electric vehicle sales. Ford Motor Co.'s sales slipped 1.3% in the first three months of the year, but started to pick up in March.

Last year as a whole, U.S. sales of Stellantis vehicles fell 15% from 2023, which made the automaker an outlier among its competitors that mostly posted gains, including GM and Ford. Stellantis retailers pointed to exorbitant sticker prices, insufficient incentives, lackluster vehicle lineups, and marketing spending cuts as the reason for the slower sales.

But the carmaker finally started tackling some of those issues late last year as it adjusted pricing and increased discounts, upped advertising spending, and pushed forward with plans to launch several new vehicles this year — such as a hybrid replacement for the Jeep Cherokee — that will help fill holes in its lineup.

Just as Stellantis starts to recover, though, it faces new headwinds in the form of President Donald Trump's tariffs, which are scheduled to be collected on car imports starting Thursday. Close to half of the carmaker's cars sold in the United States are imported.

Stellantis makes parts and several popular vehicles outside the country — from the Chrysler Pacifica minivan and Dodge Charger in Canada to its Ram Heavy Duty trucks, Jeep Compass and Wagoneer S crossovers in Mexico. The automaker also imports a few vehicles from Europe, such as the Fiat 500e and Dodge Hornet from Italy.

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