Ford $F reported second-quarter U.S. vehicle sales of 549,200 units on Thursday, a 10% decline from a year earlier, as the planned discontinuation of two models and a collapse in rental fleet volumes weighed on the quarter.
The automaker said the drop reflected the phase-out of the Ford Escape and Lincoln Corsair as well as a 69% decline in daily rental sales, the company said. Stripping out those factors and assuming flat rental volumes, Ford estimated its second-quarter sales would have risen roughly 0.5%.
F-Series sales dropped 11% from last year, mainly because two fires at a key aluminum supplier in late 2025 limited the materials needed for the trucks. Production is recovering, and Ford expects stronger sales in the second half of 2026.
According to CNBC, all-electric models accounted for one of the quarter's sharpest declines, with EV volumes sliding 40.7% against the same period last year. The quarter's outcome cleared the bar set by at least one major forecaster: Cox Automotive had penciled in an 11.5% contraction, meaning Ford's actual result came in ahead of that projection.
Despite the overall volume decline, Ford said its estimated June retail market share rose 0.2 percentage points to 12.3%, supported by demand for its large SUVs and F-Series trucks. Combined sales of the Bronco, Explorer and Expedition rose 10.1% in the first half, the best performance for that lineup in 25 years, the company said.
Several models posted gains. Maverick Hybrid sales set a second-quarter record at 29,457 units, up 19.3%. Bronco set both a first-half and second-quarter record and outsold the Jeep Wrangler in the quarter. Explorer sales grew 21% in the first half to 126,925 units. First-half Mustang sales climbed 22% to 28,725 vehicles, the company said.
The Louisville Assembly Plant is being retooled to build an electric small pickup truck on Ford's Universal Electric Vehicle platform, with production expected to begin next year, the company said.
"Gaining retail market share last month even as we are phasing out some high-volume models shows the strength of the Ford lineup," Andrew Frick, president of Ford Blue and Model e, said in a statement. "F-Series widened its lead over competitors, and we continue to lean into our strengths: the Bronco family, large SUVs, off-road performance and Ford Pro commercial vehicles."
Ford Pro Intelligence paid software subscriptions topped 900,000, up roughly 20% in the first half. The company's hands-free driving system, BlueCruise, surpassed 12 million cumulative hours.