FORD sales drop 34% in september ...

[palintology]

MSNBC News Services
updated 12 minutes ago

DETROIT - Ford said Wednesday its September U.S. auto sales were worse than expected, dropping 34 percent.

It was the company’s worst sales month of 2008.

Other top automakers are expected to report their September U.S. auto sales later Wednesday. Their sales numbers are likely to be worse than expected because of the credit crisis, which is making it harder for consumers to secure auto loans.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. Credit crisis my ass!

http://www.allstretchedlimos.com/resources/_wsb_513x302_22+pac.jpg
MPG: 1 City, 2 Hwy

[Kalyke]

2. Only wealthy people own that. Geesch.

The Ford Focus is an excellent car.

Personally, my Fords have always been terrific cars, while the in-laws Toyotas are always in the shop for the oddest, littlest thing (usually some electrical issue).

[screembloodymurder]

3. Their mix is bad!

They've got plenty of the cars no one wants, but just try and deal on a fuel efficient model.

[Kalyke]

7. Well, that's just the rule of supply and demand.

Although, the Big 3 are borrowing money from the federal goverment to re-tool their manufacturing plants to now build more fuel-efficient cars.

The problem, up until now, has been that Americans, being brainwashed by the media, have DEMANDED big, hulking cars; however, that gig is up (thankfully) and all the hype in the world won't make them go back to big SUVs and trucks.

[sufrommich]

4. So have mine. Escape for 8 years and just bought a Fusion

last year.I'm amazed they did so poorly,I see Fusions all over the place.Of course I live in the Detroit area where most people drive a Big 3 car.

[JackintheGreen]

24. Argh! The focus!!!

I loved my Focus, until absolutely everything went wrong with it in quick succession. The cowl leaked, flooding the car (a recall), the electrical system totally spazzed, my sister dented it (not Ford's fault, I admit), the sterter fritzed, and this is just the beginning.

To give them their due, it was the first model year, and i should have known better. I've heard nothing but raves for the following years.

Still this gives me a bit of schadenfreude: their dealerships were always awful.

[msallied]

27. ha! I had a leaky cowl in my 06 Rav-4. It was three months old when that happened.

Horrible mess that made. Sigh. It was also the first model year, so I guess that kind of stuff does happen.

[JackintheGreen]

28. Worst part is

I had just picked up my brother original Kinks vinyl, from their first all the way to Celluloid Heroes. Some valuable stuff all in near-mint condition. When the car flooded, they were destroyed. :cry:

[msallied]

18. Did you ever see the Daily Show segment...

where the guy was talking about how he doesn't have a problem with gas prices? He was wiping one of these down and then hopped into a little white compact car and drove it around to the other side so he could wipe down the other side. LOL

[GCP]

26. Rob Corrdry

That was a brilliant sketch! He drove about 10 yds between fill-ups!

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

31. No.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=115013&title=Grand-Heft-Auto

[timber84]

5. I work in the automotive industry and this year has been flat out the worst

in my 20 years working in it.

[uponit7771]

6. This has NOTHING to do with people not being able to get credit either. Ford should make a fuel..

..efficient LINE of cars that are VERY VERY affordable.

Like, sell them for stupid cheap.

[timber84]

10. Yes it does.

Leases on cars are going to be phased out, for example Chrysler doing away completely with it's leasing practices. Rates are rising and credit decisions are becoming more strict.

[thewiseguy]

12. Yes it does. People can not get credit. People can not buy cars.

Car sales go down. Manufacturing jobs are lost.

Thats very simple. In fact NPR had a segment on it yesterday. They were saying how people are denied loans even though their credits are not bad.

[msallied]

15. Have you ever been able to buy a brand new car without credit?

I'd sure love to be able to reach into my pockets and whip out the roughly twenty grand it costs to buy a new car.

[Kalyke]

22. They're working on it.

The auto loan provisions were sought by General Motors Corp., Ford Motors Co., Chrysler LLC and others who said they needed taxpayer help to finance a shift to making more fuel- efficient cars.

Ford issued a statement today saying the legislation would be a ``key enabler to Ford's plan to pursue advanced technologies'' and comes ``at a time when the capital markets are distressed.'' General Motors said the loans ``will help speed the transition to cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicles.''


http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=avu5.KY0TQf4&refer=home

[AlCzervik]

8. i wish Ford would bring the same designs they use in europe here to America, people would buy them.

i saw so mnay cool ford's this spring in London, Scotland and Prague and i know they would sell here.

[msallied]

13. I agree! So many great American cars only sold overseas. I hate that!

I watch Top Gear regularly (a British show) and I am always asking why in the hell we're not seeing so many of those cars on American roads.

[AlCzervik]

17. i saw some ford's that i didn't even know were Ford's until i saw the badge.

why the hell can't we have that? Why can't we have nice things! Gaaaa!

[msallied]

20. Euro diesel cars are great too. They have excellent performance and gas mileage.

We never see things like that over here either. I think it's because Europe has always had the demand and infrastructure for such vehicles. They live in cramped ancient cities and their gas costs twice as much as ours. We'll be seeing the shift soon, though. I am seeing Smart cars all over the damn place now. For the same money, you can get a roomier Kia Rio, though. And only sacrifice 5mpg.

[romulusnr]

19. did you see that commercial

I don't remember who makes it, it's meant to look low-budget, citing a "myth" that they don't have any cars that could meet European efficiency requirements. "You deserve the truth" and it starts listing a couple of cars, I think the best MPG of them all was 30!

Whee! 30 MPG! That's real American engineering know how right there. That's what, European class G economy? Way to achieve, US automakers!

[blue_onyx]

21. Yeah, it seems every time I see a really nice smaller car...

from the 3 US car companies, it's for the European or Asian market. Either that, or it takes longer for that model car to get here. I think the new Ford Fiesta and Chevy Cruze are cute but it will be a while before we get them here....I think the foreign markets are getting them sooner.

[Kalyke]

23. I actually don't like the looks of any of those save the Fusion Cabrolet.

I'm tired of cars that are so round. I like sleeker lines.

[LiberalHeart]

29. The Fiesta is coming here.

[ogneopasno]

9. Too bad. We just bought our second Ford Focus

and love it. I bought a Taurus a year ago and love it as well. I get 27-28 mpg on my Taurus and 37 with the Focus. And they're union made in the USA.

[romulusnr]

11. really? that's the reason?

It's not because they've had to dump their massive pile of gas-sucking monstrosities at basement prices? Or because they are incapable of building vehicles that are remotely efficient? My fricking 2000 compact gets better mileage than 99% of cars in GM's inventory.

[msallied]

14. It seems the American auto industry is in the midst of a massive transition.

They know what people want now, but they are going to have to cut a LOT of fat before they finally get there. And unfortunately, they probably have a shit ton of Explorers, Expeditions, Excursions, and F-series trucks in their inventories.

[AndyTiedye]

16. Ford Could Have Done So Much Better

Ford introduced the Escape Hybrid in 2004.


It is the most fuel-efficient SUV on the US market. Still.

Why haven't they offered that powerplant in a car?
They get 34/30 EPA in an SUV, they could likely have gotten
well over 40 putting it in a car body.

[marlakay]

25. My daughter is a manager of a car ownership that has 5

in bay area CA, GM is soo bad that they are thinking of getting rid of them and just keeping Honda and Mitsubishi.

She said they can't keep Honda accords in stock but GM and larger cars aren't selling at all. which to me is a no da statement.

and they also had to lay off some office employees because of how slow it is...

[rucky]

30. We have enough cars on the road.

Let's adopt more and breed less.