Ford is to close down its operations in Japan and Indonesia and withdraw from the markets.
The US giant will shut its Japanese dealerships and stop selling the Focus, Fiesta and Ford Mustang by the end of this year. The brand also offered the Ecosport, Kuga and Explorer SUVs through its dealers.
Ford also sold two Lincoln models in Japan - the Navigator and MKX SUVs - which will also be withdrawn from the local market.
Ford has had a retail presence in Japan since 1974 but according to Reuters it only managed to sell 5000 cars in 2015, a tiny share of the country’s new-car market. It is thought about 52 dealerships will close and 300 people will be made redundant.
Ford’s Indonesian presence is also being wound up this year. A Ford spokesman was quoted as saying there was no "reasonable path to profitability" for the company’s operation in that country.
Ford imported cars into Indonesia and could not compete with established Japanese brands that have factories in the country, according to sources.
In a statement published on the Ford Indonesia website, local MD Bagus Susanto says: "Today we have announced a difficult business decision to withdraw from all our operations in Indonesia in the second half of this year. This includes closing Ford dealerships and stopping the official sale and import of all Ford vehicles."
Susanto says Ford dealers will remain open until "sometime" in 2017 before the brand’s warranty and repair responsibilities are handed over to a third party.
