Sales of new motor vehicles fell 4.1 percent in September from a year earlier to 371,318 units, the first fall in three months, the Japan Automobile Dealers Association said Monday.

The figures exclude minivehicles, or those with engine capacities of up to 660cc, and specialty units such as recreational vehicles.

The September data brought cumulative sales in the April-September first half of the 2001 business year to 1.9 million units, up 0.9 percent from a year earlier for the second straight annual increase for the first half.

"We are concerned that the economy will become worse in the wake of the terror attacks in the United States and weak consumer sentiment will affect domestic sales," an association official said of prospects for the second half.

In September, sales of cars with engine capacities of more than 2,000cc dropped 2.4 percent to 70,863 units, while those of smaller cars fell 1 percent to 200,592, the association said.

Sales of trucks decreased 10.8 percent to 98,463 units while those of buses rose 1.5 percent to 1,400.

By maker, Toyota Motor Corp. was the top seller at 140,448 units, down 8.7 percent, followed by Nissan Motor Co. at 68,231, down 4.8 percent. Honda Motor Co. came third, with 54,439, up 28.6 percent.

Meanwhile, sales of minivehicles fell 3.7 percent from a year earlier to 158,117 units for the 15th straight month of decline, the Japan Mini Vehicles Association said.

By maker, Suzuki Motor Corp. chalked up the most sales, 45,785 units, down 6.2 percent. Daihatsu Motor Co. came in second at 40,712, down 5.8 percent, followed by Honda Motor at 27,082, down 6.9 percent, and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. at 22,247, up 3.9 percent.

For the first half, sales of minivehicles fell 3 percent to 866,147 units, falling below the year-earlier level for the second year in a row for the first half.