November light-vehicle sales reached a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 13.63 million — more than 11% higher than November 2010. That’s the best pace since August 2009, when the “cash for clunkers” program boosted sales. But while this might seem like great news, it’s important not to overlook many of the deeper problems automakers continue to face amid weak consumer spending, a tough credit market for big-ticket purchases and other troubles. As a result, there are a number of big-name auto stocks that you should simply steer clear of even though November auto sales looked to be moving in the right direction.

I watch more than 5,000 publicly traded companies with my Portfolio Grader tool, ranking companies by a number of fundamental and quantitative measures. And this week, five automakers to trade in. Here they are, in alphabetical order. Each one of these stocks gets a “D” or “F” according to my research, meaning it is a “sell” or “strong sell.”

Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F) is a household name for its American lines of cars and trucks. Like many major automakers, F stock has dipped big, down 36% in 2011.

General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM) is a world-famous developer, producer and marketer of cars, trucks and parts headquartered in Detroit. GM stock has lost a staggering 43% in the past 11 months.

Honda Motor Co. (NYSE:HMC) is a Japanese automaker known for its Accord and Civic models. Despite its global market, Honda is down 20% year-to-date.

Tata Motors Ltd. (NYSE:TTM) is an Indian automobile company involved with a variety of services. Since the start of 2011, TTM stock has dropped 40%.

Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE:TM) is another Japanese automaker best known for its Corolla and Camry car lines. TM stock is down 16% year-to-date.

Get more analysis of these picks and other publicly-traded stocks with Louis Navellier’s Portfolio Grader tool, a 100% free stock-rating tool that measures both quantitative buying pressure and eight fundamental factors.