GM says it sold 2.2 million cars and trucks, even though it got rid of four brands to focus on Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and GMC.
Industry analysts expect overall sales for the industry to rise 10 percent for the year. Consumers are buying again as the economy slowly recovers.
GM is the first of the major car companies to report year-end U.S. sales on Tuesday.
The company's December sales rose 7.5 percent because of hot sellers such as the Chevrolet Equinox, a smaller SUV that seats about five people.
