$3.9 billion in April-to-June profit gave General Motors room to announce shareholder payouts after earnings rose by nearly $1 billion from a year earlier.
Profits improved as GM leaned harder on higher-margin trucks and cut losses in its electric-vehicle business, easing a drag that had hurt results.
The comparison was helped by a weak year-ago quarter, when tariffs rattled the market and panic buying of EVs peaked.
The results extend GM's stronger-than-expected quarter, after earlier reports showed revenue of $48.03 billion and adjusted earnings above Wall Street forecasts.