There’s no arguing about it, Ford has made some great cars over the years. Things like the Escort Mexico, the original Mustang and the F-150 Lightning all showcase the best the Blue Oval can muster.
But with more than 100 years of car-building history under its belt, not everything can be a hit, right? So we turned to you to help track down some of the worst cars Ford has ever built.
Click through the following slides to uncover your picks for Ford’s worst cars of all time.
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According to Bob: We Need More Weird Cars!
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2 / 20
Model T
Model T
“It’s probably the Model T, isn’t it? No knock against the Tin Lizzie, just that it’s likely objectively worse than every car that came after it (which, I suppose opens up how it compares to the handful of cars they built prior). It’s slow, kind of flimsy, and most people couldn’t just hop in and drive it without a lesson prior.
“Tomorrow’s question better be what their best car was though.”
You know what they say, first the worst.
Suggested by: maymar
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3 / 20
Ford Tempo
Ford Tempo
“If you said anything besides the Ford Tempo, you just were never there.
“Pintos really weren’t that bad… certainly better than their Chevy Vega competitors, save for that whole combustible ‘73 thing.”
On sale between 1984 and 1994, the Ford Tempo was one of the Blue Oval’s early attempts at aerodynamically-designed cars. It was a bit of sales hit, with Ford shifting more than 100,000 units in the first year alone.
Suggested by: Joshua Baer (Facebook)
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4 / 20
Ford EcoSport
Ford EcoSport
“The Ford EcoSport. An import no one asked for.”
Neither economical nor sporty, the Ford EcoSport was killed off in the U.S. last year after Ford announced plans to reduce its production in India.
Suggested by: thedriveress-
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5 / 20
Ford Taurus
Ford Taurus
“Basically every Taurus past the original, honestly.
“1st: revolutionary, really changed market
“2nd: essentially a refresh. Nothing terribly new
“3rd: ugly, weird. SHO had issues
“4th: cost cutting everywhere, rust
“5th: ZZZZZ...
“6th: cramped mess. SHO not competitive with GM/Mopar”
A lot of suggestions for the Ford Taurus came in today! You didn’t like its engines, its stylings, or its interior across almost every generation.
Suggested by: @El_Grump0 (Twitter)
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6 / 20
Ford Focus
Ford Focus
“Ford Focus with the dual clutch. You are pretty much driving around with a grenade for the powertrain. And when it goes... and it will... good luck fixing it or getting Ford to fix it.”
Codenamed DPS6, Ford’s dual-clutch transmission has proven to be a never-ending headache for the company. In 2019, the system even became the subject of a $4 billion lawsuit.
Suggested by: SennaMP4
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7 / 20
Ford Thunderbird
Ford Thunderbird
“I have had several cars in my time (I am 82) I must say the absolute worst was 1987 Thunderbird.
“I got this car in 1989 it had 19k miles on it, my first day driving it started to stall out, had a modulator replaced, then the battery had to be replaced, then I had every hose on that car replaced (leaking) the the transmission quit working, then the engine mounting blocks replaced, then it was the windshield wipers, absolutely the worst car ever.
“That was the last Ford I ever bought.”
Y’all might have disagreed with me on the 11th generation Thunderbird, but this 1980s example definitely deserves a spot on this list.
Suggested by: Terence J Langford (Facebook)
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8 / 20
Ford Flex
Ford Flex
“Just based on the clientele who bought them, it has to be the Flex. An awful lump of metal, mostly driven by awful drivers, who are just awful people. The official SUV of ‘I want to speak to your manager’.”
To me, this will always be that weird-looking car Schmidt drives in New Girl. It does not exist outside the TV universe.
Suggested by: skeffles
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9 / 20
Ford Pinto
Ford Pinto
“There’s plenty of not-so-great ones but I’d say objectively the worst is the one that had a tendency to explode and killed dozens of people.”
In total, 27 deaths were tied to the Ford Pinto and its tendency to explode. that seems like a fair enough reason to count it as one of Ford’s worst cars.
Suggested by: @xtremely_normal (Twitter)
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10 / 20
Ford Five Hundred
Ford Five Hundred
“This?
“It was dishwater dull to look at, wasn’t particularly fancy or budget-y, and most people would have no idea what it was if you asked them. The original Taurus was such a game changer, and even with that history, they made...this.
“I say worst because it was such a ‘meh’ car.”
Honestly, I’d completely forgotten about the Ford Five Hundred. It’s a dull car with dull looks and a dull name. Dull.
Suggested by: fiveliters1
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11 / 20
Ford C-Max
Ford C-Max
“For me, it has to be the C-Max – it is only beaten into second place as the worst car I’ve ever driven by the first generation Toyota Yaris, which actually made me feel motion sick when driving it.
“The C-Max promised so much but was a complete flop, not only was it heavy to drive and performed like a barge going around corners, it was unresponsive, fuel thirsty and had a totally uncomfortable driving position plus it was a complete b***ard when it came to cleaning it with lots of little slots and unnecessary cubby holes.
“Changed it for a 2018 Kuga and that has been a nice car in comparison.”
Most people that drive around in an SUV should probably be driving around in a minivan. Just, maybe not a Ford C-Max minivan.
Suggested by: Robert Isherwood (Facebook)
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12 / 20
Ford Aspire
Ford Aspire
“Ford Aspire. No one, I mean no one wanted to buy this even if Ford made them for 4 years (or is it 5?).”
There is literally nothing aspirational about this car. Next.
Suggested by: minardi
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13 / 20
Fox Body Mustang
Fox Body Mustang
“My first car was a 1983 Mustang GL I bought in 1991. Three-liter V6, automatic. Burgundy paint, burgundy interior. No power windows, no power locks, no air, no cruise, no tilt – a complete plain-Jane that was, at best, a mediocre imitation of a legendary make and model.”
We can all agree that the Mustang is an icon in Ford’s history. But this poster’s experience is proof that not every model has been a stone-cold killer.
Suggested by: @Seymour_from_GP (Twitter)
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14 / 20
Ford Mustang II
Ford Mustang II
“The Mustang II. Sounded good at first... a smaller platform, less weight, potentially more nimble? Perfect for a sports car! But Ford based it on the Pinto platform. It came with a 4-cylinder engine making under 90hp. But you could get an optional V6 making just a hair over 100!
“They did eventually offer a V8 though. With a whopping 140hp.
“I was going to say a Honda Civic has better performance, but that’s too generous. To put things in perspective, the Mustang II’s performance was about on par with a modern-day Mitsubishi Mirage.”
And here we have yet more proof that not all Mustangs are created equal. The Mustang MKII was basically a re-bodied Ford Pinto, so brought with it further risks of combustion.
Suggested by: skuhnphoto
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15 / 20
Ford Granada
Ford Granada
“‘75 Granada/Monarch. It took a special kind of talent and very precise engineering to wring only 72 horsepower out of a 4.1L inline six. The cars took 25 seconds to go from 0-100 km/h when equipped with an automatic transmission. They also rusted at the mere mention of road salt. These cars weren’t exactly worthy of the Falcon platform on which they were based.”
Ford’s attempt to take on the luxurious sedans coming out of Germany in the 1970s didn’t go quite as planned. At least we got some funny adverts out of it.
Suggested by: Chris Marsh (Facebook)
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16 / 20
Ford Escort
Ford Escort
“The mid-80s Escort L that belonged to my first wife while we were still in high school (and the car was still relatively new). It would randomly stop running all the time. Middle of an intersection, stops running. Driving down the street? Stops running. Look at it funny? Stops running.
“After we were married, we pawned the Escort L off on her sister, but she was able to get herself a Pontiac Sunbird, so the Escort L was returned to us. Thankfully, somebody ran into the car in our apartment parking lot one day, and the insurance gave us enough to put a down payment on a better car.
“(And just to steal the joke: the worst part was that she got kicked out of her Escort drag racing club because she had the L model. It just wasn’t fair to the other drivers when she showed up in an L).”
When you’re thankful that someone has run into your car, you know it’s a bad one.
Suggested by: mortbrewster
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17 / 20
Ford Explorer
Ford Explorer
“Explorer. More than 200 deaths and 700 injuries in the US have been blamed on Ford Explorer rollovers on Firestone May-Pop tires.”
The early 2000s Ford Explorer and its Firestone tires proved to be a deadly combination. Rightfully, it’s regarded as one of Ford’s worst cars of all time.
Suggested by: @DingBell5 (Twitter)
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18 / 20
Edsel
Edsel
“I’m not sure what I’m more surprised by: the fact that this is even a question when the Ford Edsel exists, or the fact that I haven’t seen anyone else mention it yet.”
Why does this car look like someone doing a bad goldfish impression?
Suggested by: vernonfreedom
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19 / 20
Ford Transit
Ford Transit
“Ford Transits, nothing is good about them, the strut bolts sit under the dash, replacing quarter panels in them make you want to rethink your career choices and question life in general. Even makes you think on how In the hell did they hire the guy that designed it.
“The front door glass is just as dumb as the van itself they took what could have been a simple design and decided to overly complicate it. The turbos go out and idk why they decided to have two rebars upfront. And the hood hinges are a mistery to adjust when they get replaced.
“You’d be better off using a donkey and a wagon as a work van than the transit. More reliable, cheaper to run, and not as complicated.”
No, you’re wrong.
Suggested by: Cris Alcantar
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FAQs
What's the worst car ever made? ›
Car and Driver named it one of the 10 most embarrassing award-winning cars, stating, "The Chevy Vega is on everyone's short list for Worst Car of All Time. It seemed the only time anyone saw a Vega on the road not puking out oily smoke was when it was being towed."
Why did Ford stop making the Crown Victoria? ›The end result was a large, heavy car that simply didn't fit into modern day society. One of the main reasons that Ford made the decision to discontinue it was because of its size. It was becoming less and less popular because people were switching to smaller cars that weighed less.
What is a Ford Pinto? ›The Ford Pinto is a subcompact car that was manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company in North America from the 1971 to the 1980 model years. The Pinto was the first subcompact vehicle produced by Ford in North America.
What's the worst car to own? ›- Kia. 1 of 11. Kia Soul. ...
- Chevrolet. 2 of 11. Chevrolet Camaro. ...
- Lincoln. 3 of 11. Lincoln Navigator L. ...
- Kia. 4 of 11. Kia Forte. ...
- Eric Perry Photography. 5 of 11. Lincoln Navigator. ...
- www.guenterschmied.com. 6 of 11. Mini Hardtop 2 Door. ...
- Mercedes-Benz. 7 of 11. Mercedes-Benz G-Class. ...
- Chevrolet. 8 of 11.
A “lemon” of a car, or a vehicle covered by the act, is a vehicle that's been: Out of service for 30 days or more for warranty issues. Repaired by the manufacturer for general warranty issues at least four times or twice for problems that could lead to death or severe injury.
What are the worst reliable cars? ›- Lincoln. Ford's luxury brand Lincoln retains the dubious honor of being the least reliable, with the Aviator being the most egregious offender.
- Tesla. ...
- Jeep. ...
- Genesis. ...
- Volkswagen. ...
- Mercedes-Benz. ...
- GMC. ...
- Ram. ...
...
Used Cars to Avoid Buying.
Model | Year(s) to Avoid | |
---|---|---|
Chevrolet | Impala | 2011 |
Chevrolet | Malibu | 2013, 2016-2018 |
Chevrolet | Silverado 1500 | 2015, 2017, 2019-2020 |
Chevrolet | Silverado 2500 HD | 2015, 2017 |
Why Ford Dominates The Market For Police Vehicles - YouTube
What are the old Ford police cars? ›The Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor (colloquially referred to simply as the CVPI, P71, or P7B) is a four-door, body-on-frame sedan that was manufactured by Ford from 1992 to 2011. It is the law-enforcement version of the Ford Crown Victoria.
How fast can a police Crown Vic go? ›
The Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, manufactured from 1992 to 2011, has a top speed of 129 mph. As the name implies, the iconic cop car was actually a modified version of the Ford Crown Victoria sedan.
What car blew up when rear-ended? ›Nowadays, most people are aware that the late great Ford Pinto was widely considered to be a rolling death trap during its reign of terror from 1970 through 1980. This is mainly due to allegations that if it were rear-ended, the doors would jam shut and the bomb-like rear gas tank would explode upon impact.
How many Ford Pintos actually blew up? ›Schwartz methodically determined the actual number of Pinto rear-end explosion deaths was not in the thousands, as commonly thought, but 27.
How many Ford Pintos are still on the road? ›Once among the most popular cars in America, the Pinto is an endangered species. Of the 3 million Pintos manufactured, experts estimate that fewer than 10,000 are still on the road.
What is the best Ford ever made? ›The Ford Mustang, in many people's eyes is the best Ford car ever produced. So quintessentially American, it has power, muscle and holds such an iconic look. It was designed by Ford to make high performance muscle cars slightly smaller and more affordable for younger drivers and that is exactly what it did.
What does a Ford Model T look like? ›Released on October 1, 1908, the Ford Model T was a self-starting vehicle with a left-sided steering wheel, featuring an enclosed four-cylinder engine with a detachable cylinder head and a one-piece cylinder block. Fashioned from vanadium alloy steel, it offered superior strength despite its light weight.
What is a Ford GT? ›The Ford GT is a mid-engine two-seater sports car manufactured and marketed by American automobile manufacturer Ford for the 2005 model year in conjunction with the company's 2003 centenary. The second generation Ford GT became available for the 2017 model year.
What is a Ford Cortina? ›The Ford Cortina is a medium-sized family car that was built initially by Ford of Britain, and then Ford of Europe in various guises from 1962 to 1982, and was the United Kingdom's best-selling car of the 1970s. Ford Cortina. Ford Cortina Super two-door saloon ("Mark 1") Overview. Manufacturer.
What is Ford's best selling car of all time? ›Answer: The Ford F-Series.
A little tinkering in 1953 turned it into the F-100. Over the generations, the Ford pickup truck grew and changed to meet the needs of the population, and after thirty years on the market, it claimed its place at the top of the rankings in sales.
- Ford Edge. Ford Edge. ...
- Ford Mustang. Truly an American icon, the Ford Mustang offers a stable of powerful engines for drivers looking to a buy a modern muscle car. ...
- Ford Fusion. Ford Fusion. ...
- Ford Expedition. ...
- Ford F-150.
How fast could a Model T go? ›
The engine was simple and efficient, with all four cylinders cast in a single block and the cylinder head detachable for easy access and repair. The engine generated 20 horsepower and propelled the car to modest top speeds of 40–45 miles per hour (65–70 km/h).
What would a Model T cost today? ›So, if the Model T were to be sold today, in the year 2021, it would carry a sticker price of $25,223.10.
How long did a Model T engine last? ›Its production run for the U.S. consumer market for passenger cars and pickups was shorter, being the 19 years' production run of the Model T itself for that market (1908 to 1927).
What is Ford's fastest car? ›The 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 takes the top spot in terms of speed. This monster has a massive 5.8-liter, 32-valve supercharged aluminum engine that produces 662 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 631 pound-feet of torque at 4000 rpm. This is the most horsepower ever produced in the United States.
Which is the best car in the world? ›Name | Top Speed | 0-100 kmh |
---|---|---|
Ford GT | 348 kmh/216 mph | 3.3 seconds |
Lamborghini Aventador SVJ | 350 kmh/217 mph | 2.8 seconds |
Aston Martin Valhalla | 354 kmh/220 mph | 2.5 seconds |
Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ | 482.80 kmh/300 mph | 2.4 seconds |
Hennessey Venom GT: 270.49mph (435.3km/h)
However, the car currently holds the world record for the fastest production car and there is no doubt that this machine is a real super car.
Read on to see what are officially now some of the rarest cars in Britain, starting with the Ford Cortina. According to How Many Left, there are now only 3,814 remaining of the 4,154,902 Cortinas of all types produced between 1962 and 1982.
How much did a Ford Cortina cost in 1973? ›Cost | In today's money | |
---|---|---|
Ford Cortina 1300 2d saloon | £1,950 | £10,200 |
Volkswagen Golf | £2,099 | £11,000 |
Triumph Spitfire 1500 | £2,184 | £11,500 |
Volkswagen Beetle 1200L | £2,228 | £11,700 |
It's simply perfect. A Ford 302 slips between the fender wells of a Cortina Mk II like it was made to live there from the get-go. And maybe it was, or should have been.