I'm nearing the third anniversary of purchasing my Trend Ecoboost in September 2021 and have just realised there's an arguably sneaky aspect to my PCP. The original quote was for 36 months; then after some discussion about extras that I did and didn't want, the salesman proudly told me that my monthly repayments would be reduced slightly. He didn't add that they would now be over 38 months. The cynic in me makes me think I would have had the car serviced and MOT'd, to the dealer's benefit should I hand it back.

(This is the same salesman who as soon as I'd placed my order immediately put bodywork protection and scratch insurance on my order without consulting me, eventually offering the former on a complimentary basis, but somehow including the cost on my final invoice, then suggesting I must be misunderstanding the situation - until I produced print-outs of the various stages of the order, the on-screen version having been altered several times.)

Last year one of his colleagues contacted me to advise that my PCP was ending soon - a year before it actually did - and I should consider my options.

Ill-health has meant that I've used the car even less than I'd expected, with just 7,600 miles on the clock. I should be able to drive it a bit more now and am minded to do more mileage, partly for the sake of it. Ever mindful of the "belt", I'm thinking of making the balloon payment next month and buying a new car next year. Nothing in the Ford range appeals, as I told the lady who rang me last week to say that I'd been specially selected to a Grand Viewing at the dealership - this after a couple of invitation emails.

Any thoughts? I gather that my limited use (with yearly oil changes) might not have done the belt much good, but I guess that dealers are aware that as a Ecoboost gets older, so does the risk of belt failure, and reduce their offer prices accordingly.

If you've had the oil changed and you're only on silly mileage I would purchase the car, then make a profit on it when you decide to sell it. And tell Ford where to shove it, I have.

I was stuck in the PCP trap from 1999 to 2020, each time I tried to get out of a car that I'd had for the sake of just having a new car, I was told I had negative equity.

When the 2019 Focus was 12 months old I decided I really needed to get out of it to get an auto, because my knees were shot.

I was told I was in £2500 negative equity.

Roll forward to August 2020, when the used car values shot through the roof, I was told had had £2,300 equity! Bye Bye Focus!

I've never looked back and will never buy another Ford again

56 minutes ago, Marlburian said:

He didn't add that they would now be over 38 months. The cynic in me makes me think I would have had the car serviced and MOT'd, to the dealer's benefit should I hand it back.

I think that's pretty usual - my 2 year deal started in April but ends May, so I'd be paying for the 2 year service. If I decide I'm not going to.keep the car, I'll just pay it off early and move on as Dave suggests above.

My '3 year' deal was for 37 months, so I'd have needed to pay for MOT if I'd done the full term.

I sold the car at 2 years old (just before the major service) as there was still a load of equity in it and I couldn't use it anyway due to health conditions. 

(Is there anyone with a fully working body on here?😄)

5 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

(Is there anyone with a fully working body on here?😄)

Hmmm.....Does "after a fashion" count?😀

Stopped buying new many years ago. My Brother-in-Law worked at Ford and we got good discount back then, 25% off main stream models.

I would buy new each year, the discount allowing for full deposit add a few Quid and I could move up the range yearly. Starting with a basic Fiesta.

So one year the salesman says have you heard of Options ? An early PCP type deal. £1800 cash back, £30 reduction in payments all for the same car ! No Brainer ?

Big mistake. Before long I was going back down the range, eventually part ex'ing for a Rover 220D and that dealer paid off the finance. Only good deal I got was when I had to wait 6 weeks for Ford 'voucher' before I could replace. Eventually found a dealer who had a buyer for my car, Orion TD LX, the best I had, in Silver with boot Spoiler. They lent me a 1.6 Petrol free for the time.

When finances allowed I bought the Mondeo I currently drive with a Bank loan.

On 8/1/2024 at 11:24 AM, Marlburian said:

Nothing in the Ford range appeals, as I told the lady who rang me last week to say that I'd been specially selected to a Grand Viewing at the dealership - this after a couple of invitation emails.

I mentioned elsewhere that I'd had a letter from Ford about my options when my deal expires.

The other day I got an email on the same topic with an attached questionnaire asking what my intentions were.

I filled it in for amusement and can't quote the exact wording as these things "disappear" once completed, but the gist was:

Q: Will you buy another Ford A: No

Q: Is there anything Ford or your dealer could do at present to persuade you? A: No

Q: Reasons for not choosing another Ford, tick all that apply:

The list included:

Current model no longer available: Tick

No Ford model of interest: Tick

No interest in current range of Ford EVs: Tick

 

So it seems someone at Ford may be aware that they have turned off customers by culling popular models, without an alternative (however powered) at present, also as I posted elsewhere in the "energy chat" thread recently:

More interesting chat from a senior motor industry figure, this time Ford. Looks like there might eventually be good news for those who would like an "e-Fiesta":

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/electric-ford-fiesta-game-changing-affordable-ev-due-2026

What caught my eye though was the comment on the EV timetable in the Q&A bit near the end:

Ford planned to sell only electric passenger cars in Europe by 2030.

Was that too ambitious?

“Yeah, I think customers have voted, and they told us that was too ambitious – and I think everyone in the industry has found that out the hard way. I would also say reality has a way of making you adjust your plans.” “We don’t see that going all-electric by 2030 is a good choice for our business or, especially, for our customers.”

 

 

 

 

It would be very difficult and very expensive to bring Fiesta back now as they've ripped it all out.

They should've shifted Fiesta to Romania, with Puma, until full EV adoption.

I feel Ford are going to suffer worst over early EV shift, very poor management

But they still don't seem to be bothered about volume on Focus either, they are probably still loosing loads of money per unit, the car has always been over budget

On 8/1/2024 at 12:50 PM, TomsFocus said:

(Is there anyone with a fully working body on here?😄)

The reason I bought an automatic Tom.

I think anyone with half an interest in vehicles could have told Ford and most other manufacturers that the 'plan' was to ambitious.

They would have been better served by investing some of those Million£ into other fuel sources.

A gradual transition may have worked, being forced into change was not really an option.