It’s hard to find many positive signs in Ford’s August sales report for the US market, whether you look at propulsion type, body style, or brand. With the company’s lifeblood running thin – F-Series pickup truck sales down 10.9% through August compared to the same period last year – it certainly has Dearborn’s attention.
But when falling sales also hammer Ford’s popular SUV lineup, well, that presents yet another severe pain point.
Ford SUV Sales Take A 25% Punch To The Chin
2027 Ford Expedition 30th Anniversary Package from the front three-quarter angleFord
Stumbling SUV sales are a bigger problem for the Ford brand than for the Lincoln luxury division, which saw a 10.4% dip in its all-SUV lineup last month (to 7,506 units) compared to August 2025, as well as a 12.3% drop in year-to-date sales (to 62,605 vehicles). As for Ford, its tally of 55,032 SUVs last month represents a 24.8% decline from August 2025. Ouch.
It’s not quite as bad when looking at year-to-date sales, which are merely down 15% to 460,893 SUVs. Overall, the Ford brand sold 163,175 vehicles in August (down 10.3% from year-ago) and sold 1.3 million vehicles year-to-date through August (down 9.6% from 2025).
With the exception of the Bronco Sport, the Ford brand’s SUVs all took a dive in August. The Expedition fell 11% (to 7,765 units) for the month and 11.6% year-to-date (to 53,973). Bronco dropped 8.8% last month (to 12,204 units) but is holding onto a 3% year-to-date growth (to 102,215 units) compared to 2025.
Likewise, Explorer sales for the month were down 4% (to 19,801) compared to August 2025, but it was doing better earlier in the year, as 2026 sales so far are up 14.7% to 165,630 SUVs. It’s safe to say Ford is really hoping the current SUV downturn is just a blip instead of a trend. Another month like August could wipe out much-needed gains from earlier in the year.
What’s Going Wrong At Ford?
2026 Ford Escape Platinum HEV front 3/4Ford
The troubling sales numbers reflect the departure of the Escape, which ended production in December. As a result, year-to-date sales for the Escape were a mere 28,182 units, down 73.4% from the same period last year. That means a loss of about 78,000 Escape deliveries. Ford also reports about 1,200 Escapes still on dealer lots across the country as of August, in case you want to try swinging a good deal on one.
With the Escape exiting the lineup, Ford is trying to usher those shoppers into the Escape’s platform-mate, the Bronco Sport, which is somewhat more expensive, with a starting price of $33,840 including destination charges. So far, it appears that strategy is not working.
Sales for the Bronco Sport show August growth to 11,827 units, up 8.3% from August 2025, while sales are up 1.2% year-to-date to 95,409 units.
Bronco Sport Plans Haven’t Panned Out
2026 Ford Bronco Sport Bronze Appearance PackageFord
But when Ford announced the Escape was leaving the lineup, the company said the Bronco Sport should make up the difference by pulling in Escape shoppers. If that were happening, Bronco Sport sales would be much higher. As Escape inventory nears zero, Ford really needs to see Bronco Sport sales climbing steadily. There are lots of Bronco Sports on dealer lots: 32,300 units, according to Ford.
If Ford doesn’t start selling more Bronco Sports, the company may need a lower-priced base model to become more competitive with offerings from other brands. The Mustang Mach-E is also a factor in the SUV slide; sales were down 72.5% in August (to 1,989 units) and down 54.9% year-to-date (to 15,484) compared to 2025. A year ago, many shoppers who were undecided about an EV made their purchase before the $7,500 federal tax credit disappeared. So year-over-year EV sales for all brands are likely going to be terrible for the next couple of months.
2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E Eruption Green Front Angled ViewFord
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
There is still another problem hindering the strategy to grow Bronco Sport sales: the Bronco Sport is built in Mexico, meaning it is subject to import tariffs when crossing the border, which can translate to a higher price. And while we mentioned Bronco Sport inventories earlier, there are two other Ford SUVs with extremely high inventories in the US: 52,800 Explorers fill dealer stocks today, as well as 34,500 Broncos, which means production is outpacing consumer demand. Are new incentives on the way?
We will have a better understanding of Ford’s SUV situation and where it stands among Detroit brands in about a month. That’s when third-quarter sales drop, giving us a close look at General Motors and Stellantis brands, which may well have big problems of their own.
