November shaped up to be a strong month for U.S. auto sales with all major automakers except Honda Motor Co. reporting better results than a year ago.

Honda's sales of 83,925 were down 6 percent from a year ago, largely on inventory woes due to flooding in Thailand.

Chrysler Group LLC reported a whopping 45 percent sales increase in November in the first results of what is expected to be one of strongest months of the year for U.S. vehicle sales, reported The Detroit News.

Conversely, General Motors Co. only saw sales grow 7 percent compared with a year ago.

Ford Motor Co. sits in the middle with total sales of 166,865, up 13 percent from 2010 results.

Toyota Motor Corp. said its sales were up 6.7 percent in November on volume of 137,960 units.

Chrysler, the biggest gainer for the month, sold 107,172 vehicles in November, the automaker's sixth consecutive month of best year-over-year sales this year.

"With sales up 45 percent, November was another huge month for the Chrysler Group and our highest year-over-year sales gain of 2011," said Reid Bigland, head of U.S. sales.

Strong sellers for the Auburn Hills automaker included the Chrysler 300 and 200 sedans, which contributed to the Chrysler brand's 92 percent hike over last year and best November since 2008. Also boosting sales were the Dodge Charger, Avenger and Durango. The Fiat 500 notched 1,618 sales for the month.

GM reported total sales of 180,402, largely on a 14 percent drop in fleet sales. The automaker said retail sales were up 15 percent. Chrysler reported a 51 percent increase in retail sales.

"We are seeing a broad spectrum of customers return to the market," said Don Johnson, vice president, U.S. Sales Operations. "Truck sales showed a very solid increase, as we expected, but the momentum building behind our most fuel-efficient vehicles was even stronger."

Edmunds.com Senior Analyst Jessica Caldwell said, "For GM, 'tis the season for truck sales, which is great for GM's bottom line."

Trucks carried the month with a 25 percent increase in sales while total passenger car sales were only up 1 percent and crossovers fell 9 percent.

Small cars fueled GM gains with the new Chevrolet Sonic and the popular Chevrolet Cruze up 54 percent from last year.

"The Chevrolet Sonic is off to a good start, but the Sonic could be hurting Cruze sales, said Michelle Krebs, senior analyst with Edmunds.com.At Ford, sales of the midsize Fusion outsold the Fiesta and Focus combined. The Escape and Explorer remain strong but the top-seller, by far, remains the F-150 full-size pickup.

"With gasoline prices continuing to track higher than last year, consumers continue to value fuel economy — no matter what size or kind of vehicle best meets their needs," said Ken Czubay, Ford's U.S. sales chief. "Most Ford products deliver best-in-class fuel economy and provide customers an opportunity to choose what best works for them — EcoBoost technology or electrified vehicles."

Ford announced plans to increase production by 3 percent in the first quarter of 2012, to 675,000 vehicles, to meet continued demand. That compares with 674,000 vehicles in the fourth quarter of 2011, which was already 14,000 more than previous forecasts.

"The industry sales rate has exceeded 13 million in each of the last three months," said Czubay. "This suggests the current momentum is not an aberration. We believe replacement demand will continue to support stronger levels in 2012, and Ford is ready to meet that demand with high-quality, fuel-efficient cars, utilities and trucks."

Industry estimates project the month could show a 13.8 million annualized sales pace.

Honda's production issues continue to plague the automaker.

The Honda Division saw a sales fall off of 6 percent and the luxury Acura Division was down by 7.5 percent. The CR-V and Accord both lost sales compared with a year ago.

"The impact of the Thailand flooding on our North American production levels continued to be felt in November," said John Mendel, American Honda executive vice president of sales. "We're looking forward to closing the year on a strong note as production recovers and the all-new CR-V goes on sale this month."

Toyota is showing signs of recovery.

"Our sales performance this month is a testament to the strength of our new products. Camry's momentum continued in November, with sales up 8 percent from last year. Camry Hybrid, which arrived in dealerships last month, has been very well-received by customers and we expect it to play a much larger role than in past years," said Bob Carter, group vice president and general manager of the Toyota Division in the United States. "As the automotive retail market continues to improve, we believe we're in an excellent position. In addition to the four new models we have already introduced this year, we'll benefit from the biggest influx of new and updated products in our history during 2012."

Nissan Motor Co. said it sold 85,182 vehicles last month, up 19 percent from a year ago.

The Nissan Division had a record November with 76,754 sales - up more than 21 percent - and best-ever results for the small Versa and Rogue while luxury brand Infiniti was only up 3 percent for the month.

"Strong gains across our lineup extended Nissan's record-breaking October into our best-ever November," said Al Castignetti, vice president and general manager of Nissan sales for North America.

"We expect to finish 2011 on a high note with vehicles like Altima, Versa, Sentra and Rogue leading Nissan to a strong close in December and into an even better 2012."

"Nissan, which rebounded quickly from the Japanese earthquake disaster, gained further momentum in November with strength across the board from cars to trucks," said Krebs. "Nissan incentives are highest of the Big Three Japanese, as the company is attempting to take advantage of the slower recovery of competitors Honda and Toyota. Critics generally do not like the Versa sedan but it has been a hit with consumers, who are apparently drawn in by the $10,990 starting price."

Volkswagen AG also saw strong growth with 28,412 units sold in November 2011, up almost 41 percent from a year ago.

Leading the charge are the new Passat, built in Chattanooga, which in two months has sold more than it did in all of 2010.

"November has been a tremendous month for Volkswagen," said Jonathan Browning, president and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America.

"With the 2012 Passat named Motor Trend's Car of the Year, anticipated improvements in J.D. Power's Sales Satisfaction Index and once again double-digit sales growth, the proof points of German Engineering and our commitment to the U.S. market are all starting to come together."

Hyundai Motor Co. continues to grow with 49,610 vehicles sold in November, up 22 percent over last year's record pace.

"The Thanksgiving Holiday weekend, including 'Black Friday,' proved to be a very strong selling period and helped us break our all-time November sales record," said Dave Zuchowski, Hyundai Motor America's executive vice president of national sales. "With vehicle availability at the highest levels for the year, and with positive demand signals and improving consumer confidence, Hyundai is positioned for a very strong December finish to this record-breaking year."

Chief Executive John Krafcik said, "While our 35 days-supply level today is low by most standards, it's the best we've seen at the start of a month for some time. Accent, Elantra and Veloster remain in short supply, but healthy dealer stocks on all other Hyundai models should allow consumers a great opportunity to find just the car they're looking for in December."

Kia Motors Corp. reported a record month with 37,007 vehicles sold, up 39 percent from a year ago. It marks the 15th straight monthly sales record for the Korean automaker.

"Kia's growth has far outpaced the industry all year and the brand's design-led transformation has raised awareness for the brand and attracted new customers to our showrooms to experience our diverse lineup that offers world-class style, performance, technology and safety features," said Byung Mo Ahn, CEO of Kia Motors America.