RANK & VISUALIZE

Ford Struggles in the One CX Category that Matters Most

Ford’s staff ranks second to last of all the automakers (Lincoln is last) in positive mentions in Google reviews in 2024, despite 14.3% growth over last year. 

The industry average grew 14% as well, meaning Ford’s performance is effectively flat.

Why this matters: Staff is the number one driver of positive feedback across the industry, and it’s not even close. Ford is lagging in the one topic that drives good customer experience. Every rooftop needs to get this right.

The silver lining: Ford ranks #5 for having the fewest negative mentions of staff in reviews. This suggests the brand may not necessarily have a problem with staff negativity, but rather with not taking advantage of its staff's power to drive positive outcomes (when compared to other OEMs). Ford needs to activate its happy customer base by encouraging them to share positive experiences with staff in public reviews.

The graph above is from the 2025 Brand Scorecard Report.

EXPLORE

Ford's Under $30k Strategy: Will it Pay Off?

At NADA, Ford told dealers it plans to increase production of affordable vehicles, focused on buyers shopping under $30,000. 

The hiccup—the two models the brand highlighted, the Maverick and Bronco Sport, are both manufactured in Mexico. That said, of the big three, Reuters reports Ford is the least exposed to tariffs. It seems Ford is one of the few automakers to speak out simply because its scheduled earnings call happened to fall just after the tariff announcements.

In Widewail’s data, we find price negativity was, in fact, not a problem for Ford in 2024. The brand ranked 9th for the fewest complaints related to price last year, with negativity dropping 2% from 2023.

Ford’s “price/cost” topic rankings vs. other OEMs:

Negative Reviews: 9/32 for fewest mentions of price/cost
Positive Reviews: 3/32 for most mentions of price/cost

My take: This initiative from Ford appears to be designed to attract net new customers to the brand, as its existing customer base has few complaints.

UPCOMING WEBINAR

Reputation Management Masterclass: Benchmarks, Strategies & AI Insights

To win in 2025, dealerships need a reputation strategy that sets them apart. What does success look like?

✔️ 60+ Google reviews/month per location
✔️ 4.6+ average rating
✔️ AI-powered insights on key topics

Join Widewail as we unpack AI-driven analysis of 8.1M Google reviews to reveal:

• What top-performing dealerships are doing right
• Reputation mistakes to avoid in 2025
• How AI can help you learn how to improve the customer experience at your dealership

Don’t miss this data-driven masterclass on turning feedback into a competitive advantage.

Register here.

See you next week - Jake, Marketing @Widewail

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