"Vehicle sales in the United States tumbled in October compared with a year ago, in a month filled with turmoil for the auto industry, as tightened credit markets and an economic slowdown kept consumers away from dealerships. The Ford Motor Company on Monday said its sales fell 30.2 percent from October a year ago amid “an economic gauntlet, the likes of which haven’t been seen in more than two decades.” Overall sales at Toyota declined 23 percent. "