Ford Car Finance Claims: PCP & HP Compensation
Scheme status (updated 5 August 2026): parts of the FCA motor finance redress scheme are temporarily suspended while the Upper Tribunal considers legal challenges. Lenders do not currently have to calculate or pay compensation under the scheme, the original decision and payment dates no longer apply, and no payment under the scheme is guaranteed. If the scheme proceeds, first payments are expected in 2027 at the earliest. Any dates mentioned below were set before the suspension.
Think you were mis-sold PCP car finance with Ford? You could claim compensation for hidden commissions, unfair terms, or undisclosed fees – check eligibility and start claim today.
In this guide
- Who Is Ford Credit Europe (FCE Bank) — And Why Does the Name Matter?
- Ford Stopped DCAs in 2018 — What That Means for Your Claim
- How Exposed Is Ford Credit Europe to the Redress Scheme?
- Three Types of Commission That May Have Affected Your Ford Agreement
- Are You Eligible to Make a Ford Car Finance Claim?
- How Much Could a Ford Car Finance Claim Be Worth?
- Key Dates for Ford / FCE Bank Customers2007–2018 — DCAs used by FCE Bank on Ford finance agreements
- Why You Should Complain to Ford Credit Europe Now
- Which Ford Models and Agreements Are Covered?
- How Claims Bible Helps With Ford / FCE Bank Claims
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Our Partner's Fees Explained
- Think You May Have a Motor Finance Claim?
Who Is Ford Credit Europe (FCE Bank) — And Why Does the Name Matter?
Most people who financed a Ford vehicle think of their agreement simply as ‘Ford finance’. But the actual lender behind most Ford car finance in the UK is Ford Credit Europe, trading as FCE Bank.
This matters because:
- If you received a letter or correspondence about your finance claim, it may have come from FCE Bank rather than Ford directly
- When searching for where to complain or checking the FCA register, you need to look for FCE Bank or Ford Credit Europe — not ‘Ford Motor Finance’ or ‘Ford Financial Services’
- FCE Bank is headquartered in Essex and serves approximately 410,000 retail customers across the UK, France, Italy and Spain
If you are unsure whether your Ford finance was arranged through FCE Bank, Claims Bible can trace your agreement in under two minutes using your name and address history.
While Ford Credit Europe’s case is notable – it is one part of a much larger scandal covering historic Car Finance Claims across the UK. To understand the scale of the issue, you can compare FCE Bank’s exposure against major high street providers like Lloyds / Black Horse (the largest lender by provision) or Santander (the third largest), or examine how other manufacturer-lenders such as Volkswagen are affected. For those looking to proceed, our Ultimate Guide to Car Finance Claims provides all the necessary details, including how to make a car finance claim without paperwork and how to estimate your compensation using our car finance claims calculator.
Ford Stopped DCAs in 2018 — What That Means for Your Claim
Here is the detail that sets Ford apart from every other lender in this scandal — and that no competitor page is explaining properly.
Ford Credit Europe (FCE Bank) ceased using Discretionary Commission Arrangements in 2018 — three years before the FCA formally banned them across the industry in January 2021. The company has confirmed this in its own financial disclosures.
What this means in practice:
- If your Ford finance agreement started before 2018, it may have involved a DCA — meaning the dealer could inflate your interest rate to earn more commission
- If your agreement started between 2018 and November 2024, a DCA is unlikely to have been involved — but this does NOT mean you cannot claim
- The FCA scheme covers three types of commission mis-selling, not just DCAs. Unfairly high commission and contractual ties also qualify — and these apply to agreements right up to November 2024
Important: Do not assume you cannot claim just because your Ford finance was arranged after 2018. The absence of a DCA does not mean your agreement was fairly sold. FCE Bank may still have paid undisclosed fixed commissions to dealers that were not properly disclosed to you. If you are unsure, Claims Bible can check your eligibility.
How Exposed Is Ford Credit Europe to the Redress Scheme?
Ford Credit Europe has raised its provision for motor finance redress to £155 million — up from an initial £61 million. The company nearly tripled its estimate after reviewing the FCA’s final redress rules, which is a clear signal that it expects a meaningful level of claims.
Ford Credit Europe received approximately 4.3% of all complaints filed since the FCA investigation began — ranking it 7th among all UK motor finance lenders by complaint volume. Given that Ford is one of the UK’s best-selling car brands, that percentage represents a very large absolute number of affected customers.
£155m provisions set aside by FCE Bank for motor finance redress
£61m the original provision — nearly tripled after FCA final rules
4.3% of all UK motor finance complaints received by Ford Credit Europe
~410,000 retail customers served by FCE Bank across the UK and Europe
Three Types of Commission That May Have Affected Your Ford Agreement
The FCA scheme covers three types of commission arrangement. Your agreement only needs to have included one of these to potentially be eligible.
1. Discretionary Commission Arrangements (DCAs) — pre-2018 agreements
Before 2018, FCE Bank allowed dealers to set or adjust the interest rate on your Ford finance agreement. A higher rate earned the dealer more commission at your expense. If your Ford agreement was arranged before 2018, this is the most likely basis for a claim.
2. Unfairly High Commission — all periods
Even after DCAs were stopped in 2018, dealers could still receive fixed commissions from FCE Bank. If that commission amounted to at least 39% of the total cost of credit and 10% of the loan amount, it may have been unfairly high — and you may be eligible regardless of when your agreement was arranged.
3. Contractual Ties — all periods
If FCE Bank had exclusive or near-exclusive arrangements with Ford dealerships, limiting the finance options those dealers could offer you, this may also provide grounds for a claim. Note: the FCA scheme excludes contractual ties where there were visible links between the lender, manufacturer and franchised dealer — which may affect some Ford agreements where the manufacturer, dealer and lender are closely linked. Claims Bible’s legal partners can assess whether this exclusion applies to your specific agreement.
Are You Eligible to Make a Ford Car Finance Claim?
Use the table below to check your situation. Note the Ford-specific row regarding DCAs and the 2018 cutoff.
| Your situation | Likely eligible? |
|---|---|
| Financed a Ford vehicle on PCP or HP through FCE Bank / Ford Credit Europe between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024 | YES |
| Personal use or sole trader (loan under £25,000) | YES |
| No longer own the vehicle | YES |
| Finance already ended or paid off | YES |
| Settled the agreement early | YES |
| No longer have original paperwork | YES — agreements can be traced |
| Ford / FCE Bank previously rejected your complaint | YES — re-submit under expanded FCA criteria |
| Agreement started after 1 November 2024 | NOT ELIGIBLE |
| Personal Contract Hire / leasing agreement | NOT ELIGIBLE |
| 0% interest finance deal | UNLIKELY — check with us |
| Already received compensation for this agreement | NOT ELIGIBLE |
| Finance taken out by a limited company | NOT ELIGIBLE under FCA scheme |
| DCA claim for Ford agreement made after 2018 | UNLIKELY — Ford stopped DCAs in 2018, but other commission types may still apply |
Ford-specific note on contractual ties: The FCA scheme excludes contractual tie claims where there are visible links between the lender, manufacturer and franchised dealer. This may affect some Ford agreements — particularly those arranged through an official Ford dealership — where Ford Credit Europe (the lender), Ford Motor Company (the manufacturer) and the Ford dealer are all visibly connected. However, DCA and high commission claims are not affected by this exclusion and remain valid.
How Much Could a Ford Car Finance Claim Be Worth?
The FCA estimates the average payout across the scheme is £829 per agreement. Here is how Ford Credit Europe’s provision compares to other major lenders:
| Lender | Provisions set aside |
|---|---|
| Lloyds / Black Horse | £1.95 billion |
| Santander Consumer Finance | £461 million |
| Mercedes-Benz Financial Services | £424 million |
| Northridge Finance | £350 million |
| Barclays Partner Finance | £325 million |
| Close Brothers | £300 million |
| BMW Financial Services | £277 million |
| Ford Credit Europe (FCE Bank) | £155 million |
Your individual payout depends on: the original loan amount; the interest rate you paid; the size of the undisclosed commission; the length of your agreement; and whether it falls in the 2007–2014 tranche (21% loss rate) or 2014–2024 tranche (17% loss rate). Interest is added at the Bank of England base rate plus 1%, minimum 3% per year. Each eligible Ford agreement is a separate claim — so if you financed multiple Ford vehicles over the years, each one counts individually.
Key Dates for Ford / FCE Bank Customers2007–2018 — DCAs used by FCE Bank on Ford finance agreements
Ford Credit Europe used discretionary commission arrangements on used vehicle retail finance agreements. Dealers could inflate interest rates to earn higher commission.
2018 — FCE Bank stops using DCAs
Ford Credit Europe proactively ceased using DCA models in 2018 — three years before the FCA ban. However, other commission arrangements continued.
January 2021 — FCA bans DCAs across all motor finance
The FCA formally banned discretionary commission arrangements. All Ford agreements from before November 2024 remain eligible for review under non-DCA commission grounds.
January 2024 — FCA investigation launched
The FCA announces a formal investigation into historic motor finance commission practices. Ford Credit Europe is among lenders within scope.
April 2025 — FCE Bank sets aside initial £61 million provision
Ford Credit Europe makes its first formal financial provision for potential redress costs.
March 2026 — FCE Bank raises provision to £155 million
After reviewing the FCA’s final redress rules, Ford nearly triples its provision — a clear signal of expected claim volume.
30 March 2026 — FCA confirms redress scheme
The FCA formally confirms the nationwide compensation scheme. Ford Credit Europe customers with 2007–2024 agreements are within scope.
31 May 2026 — Complaints pause ends
FCE Bank must begin responding to outstanding complaints from this date.
30 June 2026 — Scheme opens — post-April 2014 agreements
FCE Bank was required under the original timetable to contact complainants within three months, with responses by 30 September 2026. That timetable is suspended and no longer applies as stated.
31 August 2026 — Scheme opens — pre-April 2014 agreements
Second tranche covers Ford agreements from 6 April 2007 to 31 March 2014.
31 August 2027 — Final complaint deadline
Last opportunity to submit a complaint and be included in the scheme.
Why You Should Complain to Ford Credit Europe Now
Ford Credit Europe has nearly tripled its provision after reviewing the FCA’s final rules. That is not a sign of a lender expecting minimal exposure — it is a sign of a lender preparing to pay significant redress.
Under the original timetable, complaining before 30 June 2026 placed you in the priority group with a decision due by September 2026. Those dates are suspended; FCE Bank is not currently required to calculate or pay compensation under the scheme.
Complaining now also means:
- You are in the faster track for compensation — ahead of customers who wait to be contacted
- Your current contact details are on record with FCE Bank
- You avoid missing the 31 August 2027 final deadline
- Your complaint is logged even if FCE Bank’s own records of your agreement are incomplete
Which Ford Models and Agreements Are Covered?
Any Ford vehicle financed through FCE Bank / Ford Credit Europe on PCP or HP may be eligible. This includes some of the UK’s most popular vehicles over the past two decades:
- Ford Fiesta — the UK’s best-selling car for many years
- Ford Focus — consistently a top-selling family hatchback
- Ford Puma and Kuga — popular SUVs
- Ford Ranger — pickup truck, often financed on HP
- Ford Transit and Transit Connect — commercial vans (note: commercial use may affect eligibility)
- Ford Mondeo, Galaxy, S-Max — family and people carrier models
- Ford Mustang and other performance models
The claim relates to the finance agreement, not the vehicle model. Any Ford vehicle financed through FCE Bank between April 2007 and November 2024 on PCP or HP may be eligible, regardless of model.
How Claims Bible Helps With Ford / FCE Bank Claims
Claims Bible works with specialist legal partners on a no win, no fee basis.
Step 1 — Trace your Ford agreements
We locate all historic FCE Bank / Ford Credit Europe PCP and HP agreements in your name — going back to 2007 — in under two minutes. No paperwork needed.
Step 2 — Assess your eligibility
Our legal partners review each agreement against all three FCA scheme criteria, including the Ford-specific considerations around DCAs, high commission and contractual ties.
Step 3 — Submit your complaint
A formal complaint is prepared and submitted to Ford Credit Europe / FCE Bank on your behalf. Your legal partner handles all correspondence.
Step 4 — Receive your outcome
FCE Bank must respond within scheme timelines. If rejected, your case is escalated to the Financial Ombudsman Service for free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the actual lender for Ford car finance?
Ford Credit Europe, trading as FCE Bank. When you arranged finance at a Ford dealership, the lender behind the agreement was almost certainly FCE Bank — not ‘Ford Finance’ or ‘Ford Motor Finance’. If you are tracing old agreements or submitting a complaint, use the name FCE Bank or Ford Credit Europe.
Ford stopped DCAs in 2018. Does that mean I cannot claim for a post-2018 agreement?
No. Stopping DCAs does not mean all commission practices were fair after 2018. The FCA scheme covers three types of commission mis-selling. Unfairly high commission and contractual ties both apply to agreements arranged after 2018, right up to November 2024. Claims Bible can assess your specific agreement against all three criteria.
How much has Ford Credit Europe set aside for redress?
FCE Bank raised its provision to £155 million in March 2026 — up from an initial £61 million. The company nearly tripled its estimate after reviewing the FCA’s final redress rules, reflecting an expectation of meaningful claim volumes.
What is the contractual ties exclusion and does it affect Ford claims?
The FCA scheme excludes contractual tie claims where there are visible links between the lender, manufacturer and franchised dealer. For some Ford agreements arranged through official Ford dealerships, FCE Bank (the lender), Ford Motor Company (the manufacturer) and the dealer are visibly connected — which may limit contractual tie claims. However, DCA and high commission claims are not affected by this exclusion and remain fully valid.
Can I claim for a Ford van or commercial vehicle?
The FCA scheme covers personal use only (or sole traders with loans under £25,000). Finance taken out by a limited company is not covered. If you used a Ford Transit or other van for personal use or as a sole trader, you may still be eligible. If it was financed through a business, it falls outside the scheme.
I no longer have my Ford finance paperwork. Can I still claim?
Yes. Claims Bible can trace your FCE Bank agreements using a credit reference check, going back as far as 2007.
What is the deadline to claim?
The deadline to submit a complaint to Ford Credit Europe is 31 August 2027. Under the original timetable, complaining before 30 June 2026 (post-2014 agreements) or 31 August 2026 (pre-2014 agreements) placed you in the priority group under the original timetable. Those dates are suspended, but a complaint made now is still logged and queued if the scheme resumes.
My Ford finance has been paid off. Can I still claim?
Yes. Eligibility is based on the original agreement terms, not whether the loan is still active.
Think You May Have a Motor Finance Claim?
The FCA estimates average compensation of around £830 per eligible agreement, but eligibility and payment amounts vary. Some customers may receive nothing. Complaints about agreements started from 1 April 2014 should be submitted by 30 June 2026 to be considered under the earlier timetable. Different dates apply to older agreements. The scheme is currently subject to legal challenge, so dates and payment timings may change.
