Ford Motor Co. raised a caution flag for the auto industry, saying higher interest rates and a steady decline in used-car values will hurt the most important factor in the recent U.S. sales boom: affordability, the Wall Street Journal reported today. The outlook, coming as the company forecast leaner results for the first quarter, comes amid a broader view that car sales in the world’s two largest markets have peaked after a string of record profits and sales for the U.S. auto industry. Ford estimates volumes will fall in the U.S. and China in 2017 and again in 2018.
