FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Automaker Volkswagen says it is on track for a new annual sales record despite trouble getting vehicles certified for new European emissions tests.

Sales head Christian Dahlheim said Friday that "we are confident" 2018 will end with a figure slightly above the previous record from 2017, when the company sold 10.74 million vehicles. November sales figures left Volkswagen with 9.92 million vehicles sold during the first 11 months.

Volkswagen faced delays getting cars certified under tougher emissions regulations that went into effect Sept. 1, hurting sales in the period after. Dahlheim said the effect from those troubles was already fading.

Last year the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance disputed the title of world's largest automaker with Volkswagen by selling 10.6 million vehicles and saying Volkswagen boosted its figure by counting trucks.