When Ford decided to ditch all cars in the U.S. other than the Mustang, many were surprised. Those who don’t want an SUV because of style or cost can no longer get a cheap, small car in the States with the Ford Blue Oval on it. A new report takes a look at how car buyers are reacting to the lack of Ford cars to choose from. The report looks explicitly at Ford Focus buyers.
According to the report, a large number of these small-car buyers aren’t jumping on the SUV bandwagon that Ford wants them to do. Instead, buyers are choosing to stay in the passenger-car segment and are buying from Ford’s competition. The report claims that 31 percent of Focus buyers are buying small cars from another brand.
Analysts think that the decision to abandon small cars could hurt Ford in the long run and cost the brand loyal customers. The compact-car segment is the largest passenger-car segment, accounting for 9.1 percent of vehicle sales through September of this year, and compact-car owners are among the most brand-loyal.
The brand loyalty of former Focus owners has been on a steady decline in the last three years. The percentage of Focus owners trading in their vehicles and buying another Ford was 40 percent in 2016 and has declined to 33 percent through September of 2019. Many of the former Focus owners are moving directly to the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. Honda has gained market share thanks to Ford’s decision to ditch the car market.
Some of those former Ford Focus owners are actually moving to the SUV market; they just aren’t moving into the small Ford SUVs as the company hoped. They are purchasing vehicles from other brands such as the Jeep Renegade and Compass, the Hyundai Kona and the Subaru Crosstrek. Some of the former Focus owners are moving to a Ford SUV, with 18 percent doing what Ford hoped they would. The company may be hurting its image in the long run as particularly price-sensitive buyers have no options from the brand, and it will be harder to woo them back to Ford down the road.
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Source: Edmunds
Comments
To be fair many a Focus owner was likely burned it bit due to the DCT issues. Those alone almost made me consider another brand when was time to replace my Focus. I decided to give Ford another shot and went with a Mustang though, no need for a mall crawler.
Agreed; after the transmission debacle I don’t blame anyone for giving up on the brand. Why they never fixed the problem or just swapped it out for the 6F35 is beyond me. They should have known by 2014 that the Powershit was unworkable.
I’m never buying a Ford product again. Twice burned by their executives pushing bad quality vehicles with defects. A bad Explorer with a rear axle problem that they chose to ignore. And the Focus with its transmission problems that’s already had to go the shop on many occasions. Never again.
I will never purchase another Ford. I hate my focus ot has transmission issue and the car keeps stalling out while driving because it blew a fuse. It happened three times this year. Each time I waited 3 hours for two and the dealership had each time and inhad to wait 4 days to the car back pay 200 dollars for the fuse and the rentals fees. Which is ridiculous for a car that is under warrenty. One time they even said I must have driven though a puddle and got the fuse wet. It was nice. Sunny day but I am guessing you cannot get a Ford wet. Their service sucks and the cars are crap. That is why I will never purchase another Ford. Too bad I use to love Ford.
This is so true I am like many customers , about the Ford Focus surely I would like to take a match to it and burn it ,It’s the worst Ford car that I had ever bought , with this Mustang good luck to they , I hope there’s no glitches with it.
I’ll likely never buy a Ford again either. Our 2012 focus not only had transmission problems, but our power steering has failed and will cost more than half the value of the car to replace.
I haven’t had any problems with the Fords I’ve bought over the last decade, and I’ve bought over a dozen. That being said, this move was stupid, or at least the timing was. If you plan to replace the focus with a more suv like focus, then have the car ready when you do this. The car/suv that is supposed to replace the focus isn’t anywhere near ready or they’re doing a great job hiding it. I don’t completely blame them for getting rid of a product with little to no profit, but what they’re doing is chasing people away from Ford and maybe the kid that bought the Focus would have bought an Explorer next. Lord knows they have enough profit in those to cover 10 Focus’s.
I completely agree with your post.
“Current Focus Owner”
That’s great all of you completely satisfied with your Ford Focus , however if you had paid 26,000 for one with faulty clutches, that mess up transmission, and constant repairs, software, etc and dealship tells you there’s no means to end, and have to purchase another vehicle , for 32,000 while pending lawsuits you would be upset.
I’ve had my 2017 Ford Focus Sedan for 3 years now(brand new from dealership) I have 53,333 miles and it’s still running great. I’ve have all required routine services on time. Besides a flat, but I needed new tires anyway, all I ever do is fill up tank and drive. I commute 2 hours 5 days a week to and from work and it always feels like it wants me to drive more than I do lol. I’m very disappointed that Ford discontinued the Focus. Very fair priced car, even fully loaded titanium model which I regret not getting, would’ve been only $1009 more but I was stingy and dumb at time, so I brought SEL. Only issue I have is the small trunk in sedan model compared to its rivals and I feel that’s all Ford would’ve had to improve for the generation Focus and it would still sell great and fast in the US, rather than discontinue it for SUV’s that they have extremely overpriced for their “ Name”. I would return to Ford for another one next year if they would have brought the next generation Focus to the US.
I have a 2017 Ford focus before that I had a 2012 Ford focus I love both cars my 2017 is 33,000 miles no problems same tires car runs great I am very upset that they discontinued the focus I just don’t understand why I would’ve bought another one In 2020 I don’t know what I’m gonna To buy next time I don’t like SUVs
Carl ,very good that your car both of your cars are running excellent ! I have a 2015 I have trouble which the power trans , the noises car I have ever drove, it is a truly blessing that you never had any trouble out of yours sorry that I was not blessed to be so lucky.
Ford Focus Ford Fusions they should have never been put on the market to be sold bad transmission the nuggets on your tires melt the gas line had a recall and my car was a Ford Focus 2012 I just paid it off this year then back to the to service department 12 * it’s a sad thing that these people have got customers money and have not made no attempt to contact the the customers fall the wrongdoing selling bad cars with bad Transmissions f*** out for buyback but Ford is still making calls to cell and some of them have recalled
I like my 2013 ford focus for its curb appeal and performance* when it isn’t in the shop for its umpteenth transmission repair. 3 clutches, numerous seals, a lawsuit, and my wifes fear to turn across traffic in case it stalls has totally killed this car for us. Brand loyalty is dead and only the product will keep you afloat. Killing the product and a closing legacy of duds has basically removed ford from my consideration ever again.
2013 focus,4 transmission repairs in 35,000 miles.this car is a piece of work.never buy another ford product.overpriced,with poor dealer service.no surprise that Japanese cars along with koreans are dominating the market.they sell value cars with no inherent defects.they also have a resale value when it’s time to sell.fords are worthless.
Buying Japanese or korean does not avoid inherent defects just go on the internet sites for problems from those makes.I do agree though ford has made a right mess of this particular transmission saga and if you do get a this pertically trainsmission in certain age of car its a disaster.I have own Ford’s all my life and my family and never had a mayor issue just routine service bills.
i agree.the asian cars do have issues,however you dont see many owners dissatisfied like gm /ford or chrysler.i also own an f150 and its a good truck .it seems that ford is spending more money on its trucks than the car line. toyota and honda and nissan dont seem to have an issue building cars that go over 300,000 miles.
we are stuck with them until we pay them off a trade the car in
I have a 2012 Ford Focus it has been back to the dealership service department 13 * transmission noma’s our problems I paid the car off this year and March and Miami this is a dealership what are they going to do about buying these cars back from all the customers of paying them are taking the cars that they knew they had problems when they will too and sold them that just straight-up robbing people