Ford could face legal actions from the customers in India. The American carmaker recently announced that it will stop manufacturing cars in India with immediate effect. This, as one would imagine, came as a shock to lakhs of Ford car owners in the country. While everyone was aware of the predicament Ford was in, no one thought that they would exit Indian so suddenly. Ford was operational in India for 25 years and gave the Indian public some unique and great products. The latest product of these great cars is the EcoSport. The previous-gen EcoSport with Ecoboost engine was one of the best in the segment. That engine also received the Engine of the Year award at prestigious international events. But now the EcoSport has not only been stopped manufacturing in India but also in the US, which is the native market of the compact SUV. Let us see what Ford might have to face in India in times to come.
Also read: What Could Be The Effect of Ford Exit On The Used Car Industry?
Ford Could Face Legal Actions From Customers In India
According to Indian law, a carmaker is liable for a lot of things even after it has exited the country. In the case of Ford, it is technically still operational in India with a few niche import products. Hence, the company could be facing legal actions from customers if they face some issues with the dealerships and services. There have been many instances that have come to light after Ford’s big decision. People are facing severe issues after the dealerships have been shut down. Only a handful of service workshops have been left running and that too in big cities. Customers in small cities are finding it difficult to locate service centres just to get the basic service done. Things will only get worse from here as more and more dealerships will start shutting down.
Also read: Unlike Indians, Americans Celebrate Discontinuation of Ford EcoSport!
The dealerships are rendered helpless because they won’t be able to sustain their business for a long time. The service centres could still find some value for at least 5 years or so. But the customers are the ones finding it extremely challenging to deal with this situation. In such a scenario, if they approach the legal panel, Ford could face difficult times to deal with all these. However, it must be said, that Ford has been open about the entire situation and has officially announced that the customers don’t need to worry about the services for the next 10 years. With some cooperation from the carmaker and customers, the entire situation could be handled well. But we will have to wait and see if Ford faces any legal actions from the customers in India.
Also read: Ford Dealerships Come Together to Assure Customers of Great Service
Source
