Should Ford owners in India be worried?

I wouldn't want it to become a garage queen, waiting a month for parts to be imported from overseas.

BHPian phamilyman recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I am the fairly happy owner of a 2017 April Ford 1.5 AT, that has generally been good for me.

I am worried after seeing posts like @ask_017 who got delivery of his car today at 1 p.m. and was unaware of the circumstances. Imagine a car that lost 50% of its value in 3 hours!

I will happily run this car for as long as I can, but I would want to stock up on any drivetrain parts since the AT barely sold. I am not worried about the regular plastic items or electricals, but AT specific parts. Are there any parts (the equivalent of clutch plates for instance) I should buy? Just last month, I began feeling a mild judder in reverse gear without accelerator, hence I was anyways wondering about impending expenses.

I wouldn't want it to become a garage queen, waiting a month for parts to be imported from overseas.

For me, it is no different from buying bike parts in advance of a Ladakh trip - investment in peace of mind.

Am I thinking about it right? How would you think about it?

• Would you chill about it right now and buy items only when they start going out of stock?
• Or do you trust local after-market OEMs to step up for this large user base with replacement parts?

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

Don't sweat at all.

1. Ford, GM etc. have a reputation to maintain. If they leave their customers in the lurch, it affects their global reputation in this era of social media.
2. GM has kept Chevrolet owners satisfied and Ford will do the same. Ford India has time & again proven its corporate / social responsibility.
3. Hypothetically, even if Ford were to disappear, there are enough Figos, Aspires, EcoSports & Endeavours on our roads for the after-market to support them. There is a lot of money to be made for businesses. Heck, I still get many Mahindra spare parts for my '97 Classic, despite its 2.5L engine being discontinued years ago. Thanks to the thousands of Boleros & CJs roaming around rural India.

You are okay for another 7 - 10 years easily. Once these models are too old & start going to the scrapyard (like say, Ford Mondeos), then it will be a problem.

Here's what BHPian speedmiester had to say on the matter:

I don't think there is any need to worry about spares and support.

All manufacturers are mandated to provide service and warranty support for 10 years after a model is discontinued, this holds good for companies exiting their operations as well.

There is another thread on GM owners being relatively happy with the support provided by GM post their exit and this is after 4 years.

Chevrolet owners, how is the spare parts availability & service since GM left India?

Ford service had picked up quite a bit and don't think this will do down drastically and Ford is obliged to support all their cars for another decade.

Here's what BHPian vigsom had to say on the matter:

Your car is just 4 years old, so just enjoy the experience. It is possible that you might want to part with the car when she turns 7 or so by when only a suspension job is likely. The automatic transmission never needs attention unless it's been tortured OR the oil hasn't been changed as recommended.

A 2013 Ford EcoSport Titanium Plus diesel with 83,000km of drives in Mumbai has just demanded work on the front struts, rear shocks, link rods, lower arms and engine mounts. This car has been driven on all kinds of roads in all seasons. So that should give you an idea of what to expect on your Aspire.

So, my recommendation to you would be to relax and enjoy the car. Cross the bridge when you reach it. When you eventually need parts, you'll easily get them. Yours is not like the rarest of rare imports that will end up like a garage queen.

Here's what BHPian PaddleShifter had to say on the matter:

No need to worry about the spares availability.

Ford has merely stopped production, they will remain present as a CBU player (atleast for some years I guess).

There are many new Fords in the market. Had they sold like a Premiere Rio, then it could have been a cause to worry.

Resale value should not matter. Just use the car as per your liking and then evaluate at the time of upgrade. The way diesel cars are reducing in terms of sales, it may be worth keeping the present ones for longer duration of time.

Buying and stocking spares is a useless persuit since one never knows what part may be needed in future. Stocking periodic maintenance parts such as oil filter, fuel filter is even more wasting of time and energy as they are always available. Remember, there are people who are still running and maintaining Fiat Uno/Palio, Mitsubishi Lancer, Pajero etc.

The only additional care I would recommend a Ford owner is to be more caring towards the car. Perform all periodic maintenance on time and do not drive rashly over bad roads.

Here's what BHPian CrAzY dRiVeR had to say on the matter:

A manufacturer that couldn't run the show with the Ecosport and Endeavour will now run the show with the Mustang and Mach-E? Even if Ford does want to run a CBU show - will the loss making dealerships play along with 5-10 units a month?

For most of us, this restructuring just means the end of the road for Ford showrooms in India.

Owners don't have to panic because there are a good number of cars on the road to keep the service centers happy.

Realistically, I expect the showrooms to move to other emerging brands like Kia, MG, etc with the service centres continuing to cater to Ford (and an additional service center for the new brand). Over the longer term, some of these service centres may move out of the city or to smaller places to save on rental - but there should still be enough of a business model for them to continue serving Ford customers.

I wouldn't panic. If GM and FIAT owners (like me) are able to maintain cars without a headache - Ford owners should be good for 10 years at least.

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