Apparently, as part of the "Way Forward" plan, Ford will be closing dealerships. They say that the impact on consumers will be "minimal". From where I sit, it seems that the impact will hit us right in the wallet - lack of competition usually means higher prices, imagine what dealership service prices will be like now!

http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2...eale.html#more

 

they aren't "closing" dealerships because each dealership is independantly owned... what they are doing is pulling franchises.....they owners of the lots can stay open they just can't sell new fords...

 

^ what he said, they can pull their Franchise though. If the dealer is profitable he will have no problem purchasing another companies franchise.

~HJ

 

True enough, but if they become a Toyota dealership instead will they be servicing Fords? Lack of competition also reduces your ability to haggle - if there is only one Ford dealership in town, I'd say you are stuck with their price.

 

if they become a Toyota dealership, they will service Toyota's....each manufacture requires the techs to be a Manufacture Certified Technitian.

never stuck with 1 dealerships price.....dealerships know that you can drive a few miles to get a better price, you will.....however, dealerships prices in each region are usually so close to each other that there is no reason to go to another dealership, unless you travel for hours to get a better price, because they already have the same price....when 1 dealership in an area runs a special, they all run it....specials are ran by Ford, and not the dealership....Ford or any automaker has to approve the special sale

 

"never stuck with 1 dealerships price.....dealerships know that you can drive a few miles to get a better price" Not if there's only one dealership. The same holds true for the price of service and parts.

 

Ford isn't going to shut down 499 out of 500 dealerships in a 500 square mile area....

 

they might.

 

the biggest prob i can see tho is longer wait times to get your car serviced. around here the wait is already a week, and thats at all the dealers, not just one, so if theres less dealers = longer wait times to get your over pirce pile of junk fixed.