NEW YORK -- Ford says its September auto sales fell 5.1 percent, revealing a tough hangover from this summer's Cash for Clunkers buying spree, according to The Associated Press.

Ford and other automakers got a big lift in July and August from clunkers, which spurred sales of nearly 700,000 new cars and trucks. The government program's big discounts lured in many customers who otherwise would have waited until later in the year to walk into dealerships.

Now automakers are starting to feel the effect. Ford sales of cars and light truck fell 5.1 percent from a year ago to 114,241.