With some 7.14m units built in the first nine months of 2013, the Japanese carmaker fended off an revitalised GM showing a 5 percent increase to a 7.25m total, and VW's 7.03m units, also up 5 percent on the same period last year.
Toyota led in sales from 2008 through 2010, but slipped to third in 2011 after natural disasters in Asia. It regained its top position in 2012.
