Car sales in the U.S. reached a five-year high, and seven automakers posted all-time records in 2012, signaling a steady market that has finally recovered from the recession.

Total sales of light-duty vehicles reached 14.4 million units, a 13.4 percent jump over 2011, according to WardsAuto. It was the industry's best year since 2007, when 16.1 million cars were sold, and far better than the 10.4 million sold during the depths of the recession in 2009.

Ford, including Lincoln, was the best-selling brand in 2012, with more than 2.1 million cars sold. Toyota, including Lexus and Scion, was the only other automaker to eclipse the 2-million mark, at 2.08 million. General Motors ranked third at 1.92 million, and Chrylser Group, including Fiat, was fourth at 1.65 million. Honda/Acura and Nissan/Infiniti tallied 1.42 million and 1.14 million cars, respectively.

Automakers broke records left and right. Audi reported 24 months of consecutive sales increases with 139,000 cars, its best-ever year and a 68 percent jump over 2009. Hyundai posted a record 703,000 cars along with a record 5 percent market share; Kia marked 18 years of annual increases in sales. Mercedes-Benz (274,000) and Porsche (35,000) both reported record U.S. sales, as did MINI (66,000) and Subaru (336,000), which saw a 26 percent jump from 2011.

Mitsubishi and Suzuki were the only automakers to post year-over-year declines, at 27 percent and 5 percent, respectively. Suzuki is exiting the U.S. market.

The Big Three claimed a 44.6 percent market share, although GM's 18 percent was its lowest on record, according to WardsAuto. Despite a partial stock sale in December, the U.S. Treasury still owns 19 percent of GM and stands to lose billions when it sells the remainder in the next 15 months. Asian brands represented 45.8 percent of the U.S. market.

Toyota continued its streak as the No. 1 foreign brand in the U.S., despite another year full of quality and legal problems. In 2012, Toyota issued the largest industry recall in 16 years, was fined a fourth time by the U.S. for issuing another recall too late and was just whacked with a $1.1 billion settlement to cover its disastrous recalls from 2009 and 2010.

With foreign automakers expected to boost North American car production in 2013 and beyond, the U.S. market could reach -- and possibly, surpass -- 2005's record sales of nearly 17 million.

More: See our detailed roundup of winners and losers from 2012

[Source: WardsAuto, the manufacturers; Image: Reuters/Mario Anzuoni via MSN]