U.S. automakers expect 2008 sales to be the lowest since 1998. Even Toyota is losing ground with increasingly strapped U.S. consumers.

Car buyers continued to jam on the brakes in February, slowing their pace of new purchases while continuing to shift from big cars and big trucks to smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles. Even mighty Toyota Motor (TM) is feeling the pinch.

Overall, U.S. light-vehicle sales fell to 1,176,236 in February. That was 6.3% below the year-ago month. Year to date, industry sales were off 5.4%, to 2,220,183, according to AutoData in Woodcliff Lake, N.J.

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