DETROIT — Automakers said U.S. sales mostly rose in January as the economy improved, though Toyota Motor Corp. proved the exception, posting a 16-percent drop after halting sales of several top-selling models, reported The Associated Press.

January is typically a weak month for U.S. auto sales, but automakers were expecting sales to improve over last January, when they dipped to a 26-year low because of the tough economy. Sales never really recovered last year, totaling 10.4 million cars and light trucks, the lowest since 1982.

General Motors Co. said its January sales rose 14 percent due to higher fleet and crossover vehicle sales. Crossovers are SUV-like in size but sit on a car instead of a truck frame.

Crosstown rival Ford Motor Co., meanwhile, was up 25 percent while Japan's Nissan Motor Co.'s rose 16 percent.

Chrysler was down 8 percent while Honda Motor Co. sales fell 5 percent. Korean automaker Kia said its January U.S. sales were essentially flat.

George Pipas, Ford's top sales analyst, said he did not see evidence that Ford was taking buyers from Toyota Motor Corp., which halted U.S. sales of eight popular models due to faulty gas pedals in the final week of the month.

Ken Czubay, Ford's vice president of sales, said Toyota's actions may have hurt sales for the industry as a whole toward the end of last month.