Nissan drops out of top 10 for global auto sales

For the first time in 16 years, Nissan is no longer in the top 10 for global auto sales. It ranked 11th through the first half of 2025.

And that’s largely because the company is dealing with serious financial issues. It made a multibillion dollar loss in its most recent reporting. That has meant cutting jobs at its factories, and it is also facing class-action lawsuits in the US over faulty engines. The numbers therefore reflect its current issues. 

Nikkei Asia reports that the company’s sales dropped 6.0 percent in the first half of 2025 to 1.61m vehicles, well behind industry leaders like Toyota and Volkswagen Group.

This decline allowed Chinese automakers BYD and Geely to surpass Nissan. BYD posted a 33 percent increase in sales and moved to number eight on the list. Adding to the blow, domestic rival Suzuki also edged past Nissan, selling 1.63m vehicles in the same period. It marks the first time Suzuki has outsold Nissan since 2004.

Between April and June, Nissan reported a loss of  $US105m, marking its fourth consecutive quarterly loss. That’s a stark contrast to the same period last year, when the company posted a profit of $US191m.

In the US, vehicle sales remain sluggish but the bigger concern is China, Nissan’s largest market. Sales there fell 18 percent in the first half of the year to 270,000 units. At its peak in 2018, Nissan sold 720,000 vehicles in China.

Read our review of Nissan Ariya.

Sales in Japan also fell by 10 percent to 220,000 units. That is Nissan’s lowest domestic sales figure since 1993.

Ramping up numbers with new models

In response, the company is making bold moves to revamp its line-up and it hopes to turn things around over the upcoming months.

In the US, Nissan recently launched the new Leaf EV with a competitive starting price of $31,485. The refreshed Kicks is also proving popular, with over 50,000 sold in the first half of the year. There are reports that Nissan plans to bring back the rugged Xterra SUV too.

Meanwhile, in China, Nissan introduced the N7 EV sedan in April and it is evidently off to a good start. Moreover, the company has several more EVs slated for release in the region in the near future.