2012 Ford Focus Availability Issue Waning, Automaker Says
That’s because the initial supply constraints the automaker struggled with are over. “September is going to improve over July and August,” said Ford spokesman George Pipas, who expects good inventory by October or November.
As of last week, Ford had only 7,700 Focus vehicles at its more than 3,000 dealerships, or about 2.5 Focuses for every dealership. Last year at this time, Ford had 27,000 Focus vehicles at dealerships, with 36,000 en route.
That equates to a 27-day supply of Focus vehicles, and “this has definitely held us back,” Pipas said. The average supply for all vehicles was 49 days in August, according to Automotive News.
Relief should come soon, however. More than 10,000 Focus cars are in transit to dealerships, and about 30,000 cars are expected to be available at dealerships in the fourth quarter, Pipas said.
The growing pains for the 2012 Focus are common for a totally new car at a totally new plant, Pipas said, adding, “The supply issues we’re having are being way overblown.”
Car production has fluctuated dramatically at Michigan Assembly, a former large SUV plant turned Focus maker. After being among the top 10 sellers in May and June, the Focus fell off the list because of inadequate supply. In August, the car ranked 17th, behind the Volkswagen Jetta.
The car is doing what the Fiesta did for Ford, by helping the company make inroads to areas where customers usually discount domestic models, says Pipas.
Bottom line, “people want [the Focus],” he said. That’s a good problem for Ford to have.
