text: DETROIT (Reuters) - Major automakers on Wednesday reported lower U.S. new vehicle sales for July amid steep declines in passenger cars, except Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV (FCA) FCHA.MIFCAU.N, which said its sales climbed 6 percent.
  "Every year there is a clunker of a month," Mike Jackson, chief executive of AutoNation Inc AN.N, the largest U.S. auto retail chain, told Reuters. "I think July will be that month from a retail point of view."
  Sales at Ford Motor Co F.N slipped 3.1 percent for July. Ford's retail sales sank 10.4 percent, largely due to a 28 percent slump in passenger cars.
  Toyota Motor Corp 7203.T reported an overall drop in sales of 6 percent for the month, with U.S. passenger car sales down 16.5 percent and pickup truck and SUV sales up 2.2 percent.
  Earlier this year, General Motors Co GM.N stopped reporting monthly sales and switched to reporting them quarterly. The No. 1 U.S. automaker's sales were expected to be down slightly over 2 percent for July.
  At Nissan Motor Co Ltd 7201.T, vehicle sales fell 15.2 percent in July. Passenger car sales were down 21.1 percent, SUV and pickup truck sales fell 10.6 percent.
  Honda Motor Co Ltd 7267.T's July sales were down 8.2 percent. Its passenger car sales were off 19.3 percent, while sales of its SUVs rose 3.2 percent.