Ford CEO admits 'the customer has spoken' amid company's worst performance slip since 2008 financial crisis: 'It's a big miss'

[AzScorpion]

Yes, this might qualify for the longest thread title. lol

Sometimes I wonder how these people become CEO’s of some of the largest corporations. IMHO Farley has done nothing but drag down Ford farther and farther every year and is always promising to address the problems but never does. In this article he’s now saying he’s going to focus on building more affordable models and pivot from full EVs to gas electric hybrids and plug in hybrids. IOW, give the people what they want and not push full EVs down our throats.

I still believe one of their biggest mistakes was getting rid of their small to mid size cars. Yes they could’ve consolidated them a bit but getting rid of the Taurus and even the Fusion I believe was a huge mistake. They were a good mid size affordable vehicle and I know many who had them (especially the Taurus) and really liked them. My buddy gave his wifes Taurus to his son when they got their Bronco 4 years ago and it's still going strong pushing 200,000 miles. Now they’re axing the Escape which I think is just going to push more people towards Toyota and Hyundai. Also, Fords net losses in just the fourth quarter of 2025 alone were $11.1 BILLION making it it’s worse mark since the 2008 financial crisis. This is why they’re now leading practically everyone else in recalls.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ford-ceo-admits-customer-spoken-233000597.html

And the $30,000 vehicle (which @veedubtuner has a thread about) is now “starting below $40,000. I wish just one of the Big 3 would have the stones to make a stripped down vehicle with just the basics. No touch screen, no power windows & doors and just rubber floor mats. There's so many people who just want a basic, cheap, no frills car to go to and from work and school I'd bet they'd sell like crazy.

"So I think the customer has spoken," Jim Farley, Ford's CEO, said on an earnings call with investors, per Business Insider. "That's the punchline."

While Ford's vehicle sales overall rose by 6% in 2025, its EVs saw a noticeable decline of nearly 15%, according to Electrek, with Farley pointing to high price points as the primary explanation. In total, due in part to significant investment in the EV future, Ford recorded net losses of $11.1 billion in the fourth quarter of 2025 alone, its worst mark since the 2008 financial crisis.

In response, Ford will not abandon its EV efforts altogether and waste its investment. Instead, the company said it would pivot from more expensive EVs to more affordable models. Ford announced plans to release five new vehicles all starting at below $40,000, Electrek reported.

While Ford will continue to make some all-electric vehicles, the automaker will also place an increased emphasis on gas-electric hybrids and plug-in hybrids, indicating its investment may still yet pay dividends despite overestimating customer interest in premium EV offerings under the Ford umbrella.

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[got3fords]

I really liked my 2012 Focus, even with the DCT. Sold it to my coworker who now has probably 250k on it or more. It was such a versatile car. I even hauled wood it one day.

 

[veedubtuner]

I still believe one of their biggest mistakes was getting rid of their small to mid size cars. Yes they could’ve consolidated them a bit but getting rid of the Taurus and even the Fusion I believe was a huge mistake.

Volkswagen did the same thing. Killed the Passat and the Beetle, the asinine thing is they redesigned the Passat CC (which wasn't a huge seller) and redesigned it to the Arteon (which also had horrible sales), but killed the Beetle which was selling more than the CC's and Arteons. I have a feeling after 2026 the Jetta is gone too. VW not having the Beetle, THE VEHICLE THE COMPANY WAS FOUNDED ON, is just ridiculous. It would be like if Ford killed the Mustang.

 

[AzScorpion]

I really liked my 2012 Focus, even with the DCT. Sold it to my coworker who now has probably 250k on it or more. It was such a versatile car. I even hauled wood it one day.

Those were really nice small cars. It was the first car my sister had bought and she drove that thing forever only doing regular maintenance and without any problems. The only reason she sold it was because she got married and had kids and needed a larger vehicle. Sad that these manufacturers are axing these smaller vehicles for these large SUVs. But I guess that's what most want now. Kind of like houses where most need 1,000 sq ft per person instead of a nice smaller 3/2 house.

 

[AzScorpion]

Volkswagen did the same thing. Killed the Passat and the Beetle, the asinine thing is they redesigned the Passat CC (which wasn't a huge seller) and redesigned it to the Arteon (which also had horrible sales), but killed the Beetle which was selling more than the CC's and Arteons. I have a feeling after 2026 the Jetta is gone too. VW not having the Beetle, THE VEHICLE THE COMPANY WAS FOUNDED ON, is just ridiculous. It would be like if Ford killed the Mustang.

It really makes you wonder doesn't it I mean you have a great selling vehicle yet they axe it to force you into something else that usually just pushes people towards a different manufacturer. If you read the comments in the OP many said just that. They loved their Taurus (or Escort) and now that Ford doesn't have any cars they switched over to Honda, Toyota or Hyundai. Yeah, that was a smart marketing move.

BTW...DOn't give them any ideas on the Mustang.

 

[TJC]

Yes, this might qualify for the longest thread title. lol

Sometimes I wonder how these people become CEO’s of some of the largest corporations. IMHO Farley has done nothing but drag down Ford farther and farther every year and is always promising to address the problems but never does. In this article he’s now saying he’s going to focus on building more affordable models and pivot from full EVs to gas electric hybrids and plug in hybrids. IOW, give the people what they want and not push full EVs down our throats.

I still believe one of their biggest mistakes was getting rid of their small to mid size cars. Yes they could’ve consolidated them a bit but getting rid of the Taurus and even the Fusion I believe was a huge mistake. They were a good mid size affordable vehicle and I know many who had them (especially the Taurus) and really liked them. My buddy gave his wifes Taurus to his son when they got their Bronco 4 years ago and it's still going strong pushing 200,000 miles. Now they’re axing the Escape which I think is just going to push more people towards Toyota and Hyundai. Also, Fords net losses in just the fourth quarter of 2025 alone were $11.1 BILLION making it it’s worse mark since the 2008 financial crisis. This is why they’re now leading practically everyone else in recalls.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ford-ceo-admits-customer-spoken-233000597.html

And the $30,000 vehicle (which @veedubtuner has a thread about) is now “starting below $40,000. I wish just one of the Big 3 would have the stones to make a stripped down vehicle with just the basics. No touch screen, no power windows & doors and just rubber floor mats. There's so many people who just want a basic, cheap, no frills car to go to and from work and school I'd bet they'd sell like crazy.

How are you ever going to monitor (and monetize) people's lives if you supply them a basic auto?

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

Volkswagen did the same thing. Killed the Passat and the Beetle, the asinine thing is they redesigned the Passat CC (which wasn't a huge seller) and redesigned it to the Arteon (which also had horrible sales), but killed the Beetle which was selling more than the CC's and Arteons. I have a feeling after 2026 the Jetta is gone too. VW not having the Beetle, THE VEHICLE THE COMPANY WAS FOUNDED ON, is just ridiculous. It would be like if Ford killed the Mustang.

They almost did with that fugly Mach E. The only nice thing about it is the pony badge.

 

[JimJa]

Farley is not without sin, but remember he is driven by Bill Ford, a strong EV guy, as well as the Ford family, most of whom live on Ford stock dividends. And don't forget the government's mandatory EV requirement. That government involvement resulted in billions being spent on new plants, both auto and battery, only to discover current EVs are a niche vehicle and unsuitable for the majority of the public as an only vehicle. When the public rejected EVs en mass and the government backed off, manufacturers had to recoup this huge investment so raised the prices of all their ICE vehicles and stopped production of those with marginal profits. They had to raise prices to the point the average negotiated price is now $50K, a price unaffordable for most folks and why used vehicle prices remain high. Finance options are also now up to 84 months.

EVs have a place, but current battery tech and cost dictates their primary suitability is as a second vehicle in an urban environment. I live in a rural area, 35 miles from a city, and at the moment it's minus 10 degrees, not an ideal EV environment. I do own a hybrid Escape, however.
Toyota didn't go "all in" on EVs, which was a huge gamble and has proven to be correct. They are now much better positioned. Ford, and to a lessor extent GM, went all in. Getting rid of mid and small sedans has proven to be a huge mistake, although, once again, GM is better positioned than Ford. The decision to stop sedans is understandable, but has proven to be bad business and will cost all U.S. manufacturers for a long time as customers move to off shore brands.

I currently have no intention of buying an EV but will look for another Hybrid when the time comes. Unfortunately, this will likely involve looking outside the Ford family.

EVERY TIME the government gets involved it's inefficient and costs the citizens money.

 

[Colo_Ranger]

Yes, this might qualify for the longest thread title. lol

Sometimes I wonder how these people become CEO’s of some of the largest corporations. IMHO Farley has done nothing but drag down Ford farther and farther every year and is always promising to address the problems but never does. In this article he’s now saying he’s going to focus on building more affordable models and pivot from full EVs to gas electric hybrids and plug in hybrids. IOW, give the people what they want and not push full EVs down our throats.

You can't blame Farley for the EV push. That falls squarely on the Fed. They made it clear the only way forward was EV and penalized ICE and incentivized EV. Now that Trump (love or hate him) has removed the incentives for EVs, the market is going back to what people actually want.

 

[TJC]

They almost did with that fugly Mach E. The only nice thing about it is the pony badge.

No "almost" about it, that ain't no Mustang. Calling a duck a pig don't make it so. Ford killed the Mustang.

Of course it isn't without precedent, the Mustang II was no more a Mustang than a Pinto.

 

[woodworker]

How are you ever going to monitor (and monetize) people's lives if you supply them a basic auto?

Exactly, it’s all about one word, CONTROL…,!!

 

[AzScorpion]

You can't blame Farley for the EV push. That falls squarely on the Fed. They made it clear the only way forward was EV and penalized ICE and incentivized EV. Now that Trump (love or hate him) has removed the incentives for EVs, the market is going back to what people actually want.

Sure you can. They (Ford) jumped into this to fast back in 2021 when the had up until 2030 to only have half of the vehicles be zero emissions. If they just eased into this slowly they would've seen within the first 2 years how much of a failure it really was going to be. Besides, they cancelled all their cars way before this so yes, this is 100% on Farley and Ford.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/po...g-half-new-vehicles-be-electric-2030-n1275995

President Joe Biden took the wheel of a plug-in Jeep Wrangler to tout electric vehicles on Thursday after signing an executive order setting a national goal for zero-emissions vehicles to make up half of new cars and trucks sold by 2030.

 

[woodworker]

Those were really nice small cars. It was the first car my sister had bought and she drove that thing forever only doing regular maintenance and without any problems. The only reason she sold it was because she got married and had kids and needed a larger vehicle. Sad that these manufacturers are axing these smaller vehicles for these large SUVs. But I guess that's what most want now. Kind of like houses where most need 1,000 sq ft per person instead of a nice smaller 3/2 house.

Longevity is part of the problem for the manufacturers. If you build something, like the cars mentioned, that run 300,000 miles, people don’t buy as many as something that dies at 100,000.
My friend has a riding mower that is a 1995 model with a Briggs & Stratton 11 horsepower engine that still runs like a top and doesn’t even use oil but the frame and drive line are starting to go finally. I was telling my brother about it, who was in appliance sales for many years, and he said the frame people got with the engine people and said don‘t build your engines so good, they need to wear out with the rest of the mower. Sounds about right to me. He had one of the basic five speed Taurus models that he put well over 200,000 miles on and gave it to someone who is still driving it. It was a good little car.

 

[woodworker]

Sure you can. They (Ford) jumped into this to fast back in 2021 when the had up until 2030 to only have half of the vehicles be zero emissions. If they just eased into this slowly they would've seen within the first 2 years how much of a failure it really was going to be. Besides, they cancelled all their cars way before this so yes, this is 100% on Farley and Ford.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/po...g-half-new-vehicles-be-electric-2030-n1275995

Ford CEO Jim Farley received a total compensation package of $24.9 million for 2024, marking a 6.1% decrease from 2023 due to missed performance targets. His 2024 package included a $1.7 million base salary, $20.6 million in stock awards, and other compensation, with his pay being 253 times the median Ford employee's $98,273 salary.

 

[NotBudule2]

Hopefully Ford will now see the light and give us MORE 4 DOOR TRUCKS !!! And hopefully make the back seats more "kid friendly " and expand it further back...MUCH further back really, so groceries and my briefcase and such can be out of the wind and weather...

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