Ford's total sales including imports and heavy trucks declined 11 percent to 372,798 from the year-earlier month while North American light-vehicle sales were 353,274, in line with estimates.
Sales fell 12 percent for cars and 9.4 percent for trucks, including a 17 percent decline for the Explorer.
Demand for the best-selling sport-utility has slid this year amid a government inquiry into tire safety and fatal rollover accidents, the delayed introduction of the 2002 model and two recalls for defects. The automaker last week said it will replace 13 million tires made by Bridgestone Corp's US unit.
Still, sales of Ford brand sport-utilities rose almost 1 percent on the strength of the small Escape, which sold 13,362 vehicles and wasn't available a year earlier. Sales of the larger Expedition and Excursion both fell 22 percent.
All three of Ford's luxury import brands saw sales increase.
Sales at Land Rover rose 23 percent while Jaguar rose 1.5 percent and Volvo rose 2.6 percent.
The Taurus, Ford's best-selling car, had a 15 percent sales decline, while Mercury's Cougar fell 36 percent. Sales of the Focus small car rose 7.1 percent.
DaimlerChrysler's Chrysler unit sold 207,487 light vehicles, an 8.3 percent decline. Chrysler minivan sales rose 20 percent, led by the Town & Country, which more than doubled to 12,822.
Dodge Caravan sales rose 13 percent to 25,275.
After three years of declining minivan market share, the Chrysler division has been gaining back sales so far this year.
The company controlled 38 percent of the market through April.
Dealers worked hard last month to get consumers to drive minivans, said Gary Dilts, vice president of sales, adding that he didn't consider US$2,000 discounts a major factor.
"We did not chase the incentives of some of our competitors -- we took it up US$500 just to be polite," Dilts said.
Sales of the retro-styled PT Cruiser sales almost doubled to 10,323. Full-size sedans -- the Concorde, 300M and LHS -- each posted declines of more than 25 percent.
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