Toyota U.S. sales fall adjusted 25.9 percent in October

DETROIT (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp posted on Monday a nearly 26 percent drop in U.S. sales in October from a year earlier on an adjusted basis, led by steep declines in light truck sales.

Toyota, which has been vying for the top spot in global sales by volume with General Motors Corp, said U.S. sales fell to 152,101 vehicles in October from 197,592 a year earlier.

Passenger car sales fell an adjusted 17.7 percent to 94,236 for its Toyota and Lexus brands, while light truck sales fell an adjusted 36.2 percent to 57,865 in the month for the brands, Toyota said.

October 2008 had one additional selling day over the prior year. On an unadjusted basis, Toyota sales fell 23 percent from a year earlier.

(Reporting by David Bailey; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)