Ford Changes New Focus Due to Consumer Complaints

It’s not often that a car company will listen to complaints and actually change a product because of them. It’s even more rare when it happens before a model launches, but that’s just what Ford did in preparation for its launch of the new Focus compact car. The new 2008 Focus debuted at the New York Auto Show in April, and Ford got a lot of feedback about the not-so-hot Focus.

The company reacted and changed a number of features, most notably the front end. It changed square fog lights to round, added more mesh to the grille, and changed the leather and other highlight materials inside. What do you think? Should more automakers do this kind of last-second modification?

Ford Adjusts Focus Facelift (WorldCarFans)

Comments

Yeah, the round fog lights look better but not the same old Ford chrome-looking grille, which makes what could be a sporty car look like grandma's car. Ford is preparing to produce another car to add to a rental fleet.

What Ford intentionally "missed" while listening was the far cry by MANY people on not just doing the facelift of such an old car, but bring the Euro Gen-II Focus here instead.

:)

ford doesn't seem to be listening to market trends either. no more hatchback focus? get a clue.

Okay, here's a complaint: I actually want a new generation Focus, dammit!

I think it is strange that they dropped the hatch too- I had one ('01) before my current car and it was a really great car. It may be that it is an iconic car that isn't making any money, afterall that is the goal of all car makers. My other brainstorm is that maybe they are seriously planning on bringing that Verve to the market sooner than later- that would be really cool. IMO

After driving a Euro Focus u kinda get spoiled & can get let down when driving a "New" US Focus. I am looking into how much 2 bring one over & convert to US spec. Maybe a "C-Max", a tall Focus we have over here, the new '08 freshened Euro Focus looks awesome!

i know my domestic friends dont like to hear this.. but imports are simply better. Ford should do a redesign every 5 years on schedule, just like honda and toyota too. But saying that, the civic remains the best car in this class, and the corolla is always there too. Ford needs to take more chances and make products people want. The focus, like most of the ford lineup, fars well short of honda, toyota, other imports.

It's nice that they listen to consumers, but it does not change the fact that it's still a Ford, a brand that educated car shoppers tend to stay away from.... I will never buy one or allow one to be parked in my driveway!!

The new Focus styling sucks. A few tweaks to the front isn't going to cut it at all. Ford does not listen to anyone. Everyone says bring over the Euro Focus. Does Ford do it? No. The Ford Mondeo is also a car that has some style. Do they do anything with that? No. It's like "how bland can we make this?" The Focus hatch was different and good, so they do away with that. Other than a Mazda which I don't consider a Ford product, I wouldn't consider a Ford product either.

Back to the question at hand,

Import companies tend to release the car and update the cars based on consumer gripes and suggestion throughout their life-cycle. This gives the impression that the next year model will be "new and improved" Did Ford make a wise choice? That's a gamble... Why? How will they sell new and improved models as the years go by? Worse yet, will they continue to sell the same non-updated model for years and years?

Great, they finally gave in a bit, now if we just keep complaining more, they might just bring that darn thing over that we WANT. Including but not limited to: Gen 2 Focus, Falcon, Mondeo.

What difference does this cosmetic surgery changed?

I think it's great that Ford is trying to accommodate consumer opinions. The Focus does look better -- so that may translate into more sales. I recently sent an email to Subaru about the 2008 Impreza not offering a moonroof (or sunroof). A consumer rep said that he would forward the suggestion on to the product design area. So maybe auto manufacturers do listen. Then again, maybe my suggestion ended up in the waste basket (or email delete folder). Ford reacted very quickly -- maybe their manufacturing process allows for last minute changes whereas other manufacturers have to wait until the next model year or next redesign.

Those little external adjustments do nothing. Buyers aren't going to make a decision based upon them.

I hope they didn't spend a penny fooling around with the grille. It isn't worth it.

The round foglights may be saving money. It is hard to see but the rounds seem set in a small plastic panel. The squares lights looked as if they attached right to the metal.

The interior changes may be another matter. Buyers can be quite fussy about those.

Oh yes, they changed the foglamps to round and the door handles from chrome to plastic black.

I will now go and pre-order this car, as well as have a bronzed 1/50th scaled model placed on my mantel, and I will schedule a meeting with my girlfriend so we can break in the back seat of this car immediately.

And if Ford does not know that the preceding paragraph is sarcasm, they will release the Focus as it is now.

I hear everyone complain about how expensive it would be to bring the Euro Focus here. Well one, the Euro Focus could be manufactured at much less expense here (no European taxation, no European wages, no European money-draining-fees). Second, even if it just retained its current pricing, that places its price in-line with what Volkswagen sells its equivalent sized cars for! The top of the line Honda and Focus would be roughly the same in price before options!

I can do Euro to Dollar conversions all day long and come to that conclusion. Why can't Ford? Ford execs, I hear, will sometimes wonder why Americans do not buy American cars. Maybe its because American executives treat their foreign customers better, and foreign competitors treat the Americans better?

The one beef I've always had with the focus are the Leonard Nimoy looking headlights. Perhaps it looks like The Rock's "people's eyebrow"?

They should have done away with that little cut up on the inside/bottom of each headlight, made the inside of each headlight squared off and fit in a third bar to match with the rest of the Ford line. They should have done away with the dumb ass looking fender vents.

Its great that Ford listened to consumer comments and requests before releasing this vehicle but its just too bad they dont listen to the poor sucker who bought one of their vehicles and have problems now. We bought a f350 diesel truck and accidently ran out of fuel and upon refilling the tank and trying to start the truck we blew the injectors-this was a problem with these trucks-so much so that in some cases ford had to replace entire engines in trucks under warranty. We were never told of this problem and of course this happened just as we are 18K miles out of warranty and you think Ford would help us out NO out of warranty-out of luck even though this is a defect on their part..nice huh? needless to say we will sell this truck after we save enough money to get it fixed-each injector is almost $300. x 8 and they couldnt help us out they say...so we will sell our 2 other fords too....THANKS FORD MOTOR COMPANY FOR NOT BEING NUMBER 1 IN CUSTOMER SERVICE LIKE YOU BRAG ABOUT.

So, you:
1) ran out of gas
2) tried to start a car that you just ran out of gas in
3) and you were "just 18K" out of waranty!

LOL, I'm sorry that happened to you, but those all are your fault. I don't know much about mechanics of an engine, but I know that the first two are bad. I guarantee that no carmaker would replace that under warranty. Maybe you should try an insurance claim. Good Luck- When you buy your next three cars, could you do it again and tell us what they do?

Broq