The Once Best-Selling Ford Car Customers Are Saying Goodbye To Forever

After a 27-year run that started in 1998, Ford has ended production of one of its best-selling models. Yes, customers are saying goodbye forever to the once-popular Ford Focus. The last Focus model rolled off the production line on Friday, Nov. 14, according to an email sent to Motor1 by Ford of Europe's Manager of Corporate Communications Volker Eis. This means Ford no longer offers any sedans or hatchbacks in its European lineup, leaving consumers with only SUVs and commercial vehicles to choose from. Even in the United States, those wanting a car model from the Blue Oval, one of customers' favorite car brands, have only one choice available: the Ford Mustang.

With the end of the Ford Focus, Autocar reports that the Saarlouis, Germany, factory that produced the model for the European market, will cease car production. Ford has no plans to begin production of a new model at the plant but has yet to announce the future of the former German Ford Focus production facility. Since 2015, when Ford was the second-largest brand in Europe, the company has lost close to 50% of its market share, falling to the 12th place in the region. This comes during a time when Ford has been discontinuing many of its beloved European models, including the Fiesta in 2023 and the Ka in 2020.

The plan to axe the Ford Focus was announced back in 2022, so this recent move didn't come as much of a surprise. Several factors were at play in the car's demise, but fortunately for Ford, the tariffs that are hitting car makers like Stellantis hard don't seem to have be one of them. An obvious contributor, though, might be the government push toward electric vehicles. EU law stipulates that the sale of petrol and diesel cars will be banned by 2035. By ending production of the Ford Focus now, the Blue Oval brand can shift resources to developing cars it can actually sell in Europe once regulations affecting fossil fuel-powered vehicles are in full effect. This pivot ensures the company can better meet the law of supply and demand.

Consumer preferences have shifted toward SUVs in Europe as well, making it vital for Ford to offer the compact SUVs European buyers want to own. The Puma, for example, was the best-selling Ford model in 2024, according to JATO Dynamics data (via Best-Selling Cars), which also lists Ford Focus as one of that year's 50 top-selling vehicles. 

Of course, there is some mixed messaging here. As Ford Authority reports, Christoph Herr, managing director of Ford Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, told dealers that the company is planning to introduce new passenger cars to its European lineup. The additions may come sometime within the next two years, and the vehicles will likely be hybrid, electric, or both.