Ford has been a popular car brand over the years and ever since the release of its Model T in 1908, it has been a game-changer in the automotive industry. They have been really innovative in their production and have released a lot of iconic vehicles compared to that of other automotive brands. However, it doesn’t mean they have always released the best as there are a few that many would consider a huge mistake. Some of the drawbacks that have made some of their releases the worst include issues such as engineering flaws, safety issues, weird executions, and other major issues. In addition, they have made some cars that just didn’t sit right with industry critics and general car lovers. Well, let’s get rolling to see why everyone is going crazy about the Maverick Compact Pickup Truck.
BEST: Ford Thunderbird (1955-1957)
The Thunderbird was launched in 1955 as a competition against the Chevrolet Corvette where the two-door sports car segment was concerned. However, it initially labeled the car as a luxury car shifting from a sporty style to more or a convenience style.
Best Ford Thunderbird 1955 1957
This Ford edition turned out to be a great success for the company as it out-sold the Corvette by close to 23-to-one during its launching year. The version released in 1955 was designed with a 4.8 L Y-block V8 engine, one powerful enough to produce 198 horsepower. It could easily go up to 60 mph within 11 seconds which was a really good time back then.
WORST: Ford Pinto 1971
The Pinto is by far one of the worst cars ever made and released by any car manufacturer, not just only Ford. For some people, it is considered the worst as it was poorly designed and everytime it would get involved in a rear-end collision, it would almost always go up in flames. Sadly, after its release in 1971, the car reportedly killed a number of people even though Ford still managed to sell well over 3 million during the nine years it was in production.
Worst Ford Pinto 1971
Ford was told on numerous occasions to correct the issues with the car so the number of deaths would stop rising. However, they chose to pay the amounts in damages as this option was cheaper than correcting the car issues. A number of studies were later conducted on the Pinto.
BEST: Ford F-100 (1953-1956)
The Ford F-100 sold over 40 million units and is the best-selling F-Series in the North American market and the second highest-selling vehicle in the world. The series was super special and the series released between 1953 to 1956, was among the best cars ever released from the automotive industry. If you are not sure about that fact, try to get some details on this from a hot rodder and you’ll see what we are talking about.
Best Ford F 100 1953 1956
The second version of the F-100 released was one of the best-looking trucks ever made. The looks were carried with an intriguing resilient chassis and heavy-duty engine. It also featured a 137 hp 6-cylinder then went up to 170 hp Y-block V8 and then 300 hp powerplant as the years went by.
WORST: Ford Edsel (1958-1960)
The Ford Edsel was named after Henry Ford’s son and was considered the “jack of all” for Ford’s brand. It was built for all demographics and while they tried for it to master craft, it was terrible at what it did and a mistake in the industry.
Worst Ford Edsel 1958 1960
The Ford Edsel suffered a lot of issues such as stuck buttons, oil leaks, and by itself, was a complete disaster. The company forked out over $250 million to release over 18 variations of this car. However, they ended up losing over $350 million which would be equivalent to about $2.3 billion today.
BEST: Ford GT40 (1964-1969)
The GT40 was among the best Ford ever made and released. Interestingly, this Ford series is responsible for breaking Ferrari’s winning Steak and won the endurance race consecutively from 1966 to 1969. Only about 135 units of the GT40 were designed but have been used as one of the main inspirations behind the current Ford GT we have nowadays.
Best Ford GT40 1964 1969
It is said that the GT40 was born from the grudge that was circulating through automobile history. Enzo Ferrari, owner of the Ferrari car company, had his company up for sale and Henry Ford II was interested in purchasing. However, Enzo Ferrari changed his mind at the last minute and this angered Ford to build a car to out-do the competition. Well, he was successful with it!
WORST: Ford Bronco II (1984-1990)
The Bronco II was famous in its time but not necessarily for anything good. It was known to be involved in a lot of accidents due to its narrow track, tall center of gravity, and short wheelbase. However, there were issues of stability with the production that slowed the process but this was overturned after the stability report went mysteriously missing during document handling.
Worst Ford Bronco II 1984 1990
The rollover accidents were bad to the point that even at 20 mph, drivers were at risk. These accidents claimed more than 800 lives throughout its production years with more injuries being sustained. Ford had to pay out over $113 million to settle hundreds of injuries and wrongful death. But, Ford claimed the accidents were caused due to bad driving and owners altering the vehicles.
BEST: 2017 Ford Focus RS
The 2017 Ford Focus RS is classified as a platinum-grade compact hatchback ride that is a leader for all the other vehicles in its class. It is designed with a turbocharged 2.3-L inline 4-cylinder that pushes up to 350 horsepower under the hood.
Best 2017 Ford Focus RS
The 2.30L EcoBoost engine featured on the car was the same that was used in the 2017 Mustang. It works in connection with a six-speed manual transmission and a torque-vectoring AWD system that enables your car to go as fast as 165 mph.
WORST: Ford Thunderbird (1980-1982)
The release of the Ford Thunderbird in 1980 just showed how much Ford seems to enjoy the idea of spoiling a perfect vehicle. The release in the 50s of the Thunderbird was a classic for the company but the new changes made things go downhill for this release.
Worst Ford Thunderbird 1980 1982
Ford initially cut the size and made it into a Fairmont. Customers and car lovers weren’t very much appreciative of the new changes and this caused the company to get a lot of negative reviews and as such, the sales plummeted.
BEST: Ford Mustang (1965-1973)
The first-gen Mustang is by far one of the best Fords of all time. The term “muscle car” was born from this release and has also become a household name in North America. The Mustang nameplate was initially released in 1964 and until its last production in 1973, the car became an icon in the automotive industry.
Best Ford Mustang 1965 1973
This car was powered by a 4.7-L V8 power plant with a 271-horses production and could go up to 60 mph even from a standstill position in 9 seconds.
WORST: Ford Focus (2012-2016)
Yet another Ford Focus that was an epic failure as it was far below being reliable. The Ford Focuses released between 2012 to 2016 were part of several recalls due to its malfunctioning exhaust system and its automatic “PowerShift” transmission.
Worst Ford Focus 2012 2016
The series released in 2014 is an all-time worst Fords to ever be manufactured and released as it had grinding noises, excessive vibrations, and failure to get into gear. There were also major issues as it relates to electric power steering.
BEST: Lincoln K Series (1931-1940)
The Lincoln K Series was released in 1931 and was the replacement for the L Series and featured a 6.3-L V8 and 7.3-L V12 power plants. This ride pushed up to 150 horses and during that period, this was a pretty good power.
Best Lincoln K Series 1931 1940
However, this ride was never about performance but more of luxury…which this car had a lot of. This car was in the likes of Cadillac, Bentley, and Packard and was one of the highest-luxury-rides for decades.
WORST: Ford Fiesta (1978-1980)
This Ford Fiesta didn’t have enough power and it was pretty much ugly compared to other unattractive rides. It featured a 1.6-L inline-4 that could only push a maximum of 54 horsepower, low-quality interior design, and the car didn’t have the basic safety features.
Worst Ford Fiesta 1978 1980
The Ford Fiesta was initially developed in Europe but was not necessarily designed for the US market. However, Ford decided to bring the car home in order to compete against the Volkswagen Rabbit. There was a major blow for the series on the US market and while it remained a best-seller in Europe, it was among the worst ever created by Ford.
BEST: Shelby GT350 (1965-1966)
The Shelby GT350 was considered the performance version of the first-released Mustang and was also the first collaboration between Ford and the automotive designer, Carroll Shelby.
Best Shelby GT350 1965 1966
This car was super lightweight and featured an aerodynamic status that aided in it traversing any route it was driven on. The vehicle has the ability to take on new levels other releases couldn’t. It also featured a modified 4.7-L V8 power plant pushing up to 306 horsepower and allowing a 0-60 time of 6.6 seconds.
WORST: Ford Mustang II (1974-1978)
The Mustang II was a failed attempt by Ford to sell more cars as the sales of Mustangs had been going down over the years. However, this new release came with a lot of drawbacks as the main features that helped the car to stand out were removed.
Worst Ford Mustang II 1974 1978
This release was based on the same platform as the already poorly-manufactured Pinto platform which already had everything going wrong for it. It was super slow with a 0-60 time of 10.5 seconds. Unfortunately for Ford, their plan of success backfired as the new release was a major disappointment.
BEST: Ford F-150 SVT Raptor
The Ford F-150 pickup was already a major hit and the F-150 SVT is bigger and better than it so you can only imagine the greatness it comes with. This series was an all-wheel-drive truck and featured a twin-turbo 3.5-L V6 engine fully equipped with a 10-speed auto transmission.
Best Ford F 150 SVT Raptor
It has an amazing 450 HP output and can easily hit 60 mph from a standstill in a matter of seconds…not without the fact that this can still be done no matter the load you add to it. This machine is perfect for off-road travel which makes it one of the best Ford releases.
WORST: Ford Fairmont (1978-1983)
There was nothing exciting about the Ford Fairmont released back in 1978 as car lovers deemed it dull and unattractive. The interior of the car was way below par as it featured some weird dashboard gauges and a funny-feeling front seat. In addition, the performance was nowhere near great.
Worst Ford Fairmont 1978 1983
The vehicle featured a weak engine…a 2.3-L inline-4 that could only support 88 HP. It was a major failure even though it was praised for its efficiency from a space-per-weight perspective.
BEST: Ford V8 (1932-1934)
The Ford V8 that was released in 1932 brought power and performance to the people. You can consider this an upgrade to the Model T that initially brought cars to the masses and the Model A that brought style. Originally, the car was marketed as the Model 18 when released but was commonly called the V8 by car lovers.
Best Ford V8 1932 1934
This series is designed with a 3.6-L flathead V8 engine rated at 65 hp and was considered the first affordable car to have a V8 engine. This was a record breaker for the automotive industry.
WORST: Ford EXP (1982-1988)
Ford made a huge mistake when they released this two-seater sports coupe as it didn’t seem to have the purpose that will motivate people to love it. It was underpowered as it only pushed up to 70 hp and didn’t have any special features to it. Buyers and car lovers were not impressed by the car from the moment it was released. Furthermore, the initial release of the Pontiac Fiero and Honda CRX made matters worse.
Worst Ford EXP 1982 1988
The Ford EXP was the slowest-selling compact sports coupe from the company and seeing the market was already flooded with these types of vehicles, it wasn’t long before the series was discontinued.
BEST: 1949 Ford Custom
Interestingly, the Ford Custom released in 1949 was said to be the breakthrough vehicle that saved the company from bankruptcy during the post-war period. The release came with a lot of new features and the design was welcomed by the masses. This series did a great job in lasting in the automotive industry for more than 35 years.
Best 1949 Ford Custom
The Ford Custom was created by George Walker, a famous automotive designer and with the intriguing “envelope” design, it gave the car a sleek look. Records show that more than 1.1 million of these cars were sold on the market and are deemed one of Ford’s best cars.
BEST: Ford Maverick (2022)
Just imagine a car manufacturer having to stop taking orders for car manufacturing as there was too high a demand for the vehicle. Seeing the pick-up truck is super affordable, people have been flocking the ride and the manufacturer was caught off guard with the demand.
Best Ford Maverick 2022
The Maverick is the first Ford compact truck to be released in over ten years as the last release, the Ford Ranger was discontinued in 2012. The price was also quite affordable as it started around $19,995.
WORST: Ford Th!nk City (2002-2012)
When a car has an exclamation mark in its name, the least we can expect is for it to be a super boss car. However, the Ford Th!nk City was far from that as it could hardly even be considered as a car. It was the brainchild of TH!NK Mobility, a short-term Ford partner from Norway.
Worst Ford Think City 2002 2012
This release was tiny and all cramped up and not to mention, overpriced, yet only having a range of 50 miles. The car was recalled on numerous occasions and had a lot of issues. Ford cashed out on the ride in 2003 and by 2011, TH!NK Global had to file for bankruptcy.
WORST: Ford Gran Torino Elite (1974-1976)
The Ford Gran Torino Elite was designed with two-doors and featured a luxury-styled ride. It was a less expensive option to the Thunderbird that was released by Ford. However, like the Mustang II, the Gran Torino Elite was based on a Mercury platform, like the Cougar XR-7 to be exact.
Worst Ford Gran Torino Elite 1974 1976
One of the only stand out differences from the Cougar XR-7 was that this one featured a mildly restyled front end that looked a lot like the Thunderbird. It was super loud and there were countless faults with the vehicle that made many people move away from it.
BEST: 1982 Ford Mustang GT
Mustang was returned to the former glory it was known for when the Mustang GT was released in 1982. The Mustang that was released in 1981 featured a 4.2-L engine while the 1982 release had a 4.9-L V8 engine.
Best 1982 Ford Mustang GT
The 1962 GT had an amazing performance with a 0-60 time in around 7 seconds and came spitting out up to 157 horsepower. One of the best Mustang released in 1979 featured a “Fox body” and with this release, it was a major breakthrough for the Mustang series and was a starting point to what we now know as the modern-day muscle cars.
WORST: Ford Explorer (1991-2002)
Do you remember the Bronco II? Well, let us help you out…it was the “roll-prone” SUV that killed so many people in different rollover accidents. Interestingly, the Ford Explorer was its successor. Just like its big brother, the Ford Explorer did the same damage as it ended up killing more than 330 people, the same way the previous release did.
Worst Ford Explorer 1991 2002
This second leg of the disaster from Ford came with lots of condemnation as Ford was lashed out at for not paying more attention to the safety of their vehicles. Ford ended up blaming Firestone tires for the fault the vehicles were facing and resorted to ending their 90-year relationship with the tire manufacturer. This decision by Ford was sided by Congress.
BEST: Ford GT (2017-2022)
The Ford GT is a perfect remnant of the GT40 but is a limited-production supercar. The project was slated to release about 1,350 units starting in 2017 and would end in 2022 with another model setting to be released. If you think the GT (2005-2006) was amazing with its supercharged V8, then you would need to understand how powerful this series was.
Best Ford GT 2017 2022
The Ford GT is fully equipped with a twin-turbocharged 3.5-L V6 EcoBoost engine and spits out a whopping 660 hp and can go up to 216 mph. In addition, it has a 0-60 time within just 3 seconds.
WORST: Ford Contour (1996-2000)
The Ford Contour was launched to replace the Tempo on the North American market in a bid to override the compact sedan segment. Many people saw it as the Belgian-built Ford Mondeo that was released in 1992 and went on to become a best-seller on the European market.
Worst Ford Contour 1996 2000
In general, the Contour wasn’t so bad as it featured a nice built and interior setup. However, it was deemed overpriced compared to its rivals and with a faulty transmission, the series was later discontinued in 2000.
BEST: Lincoln Continental (1961-1969)
The Lincoln Continental was one of the longest nameplates in the automotive world and got its fame from its fourth generation that came out in 1961. While it was much shorter than its predecessor, it sure served some greatness to car enthusiasts.
Best Lincoln Continental 1961 1969
It featured a luxurious setup and clean styling and boasted a 7-L V8 powerplant that dished out up to 300 horses and 465 lb-ft of torque. Interestingly, the Cadillacs of the era got strong competition from this Ford series.
WORST: Ford Taurus (1996-1999)
Ford is famous for messing up a perfectly good car and no other manufacturer is close to them. After reigning as one of the best-selling cars in America, this third-gen Taurus was painfully rejected.
Worst Ford Taurus 1996 1999
The redesigning was poor both inside and out which was among the many reasons why the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord took over the top reign. These two new powerhouses never came down from the top rank as Ford never got the opportunity to get a top sedan spot again.
BEST: 1966 Shelby Cobra 427
Being one of America’s top sports cars, the Shelby Cobra 427 features a 427 cu-in 7-L V8 engine. This ride is the brainchild of the legendary Carroll Shelby and was manufactured from 1962 to 1967.
Best 1966 Shelby Cobra 427
Similar to the GT40, this ride was designed to set records on the race track against it’s Italian rival -which it did numerous times. Interestingly, only 31 of this ride was made with road-legal specs as the general features saw it delivering up to 425 horsepower and could go up to164 mph.
WORST: Ford EcoSport (2018-2022)
The first generation of Ford EcoSport was at a really low standard and the second generation was even worse. In a highly competitive class, this ride came in with the lowest ratings of all.
Worst Ford EcoSport 2018 2022
The Ford EcoSport had a lot of drawbacks to it as it gave an unexciting ride, had lots of safety issues, and didn’t do too well with fuel. Without a doubt, this ride is one of the worst Ford releases in years and with sales going down drastically, they decided that the year 2022 would be their last released version. There is proof that the European version of the mustang is one of the best vehicles released by ford.
BEST: 1969 Ford Capri
The Ford Capri was Europe’s “pony” car before Mustang got released on the market. It was a major success throughout Europe and to this day, the platform is still being sought after to be used as other vehicle modification.
Best 1969 Ford Capri
The Capri is a combination of both the mustang and the Cortina so you know how amazing it is. This release is a rear-wheel-drive and is among the best releases of Ford outside of the North American market.
WORST: Ford Tempo (1988-1994)
The Ford Tempo is the first passenger car to feature all-wheel-drive and also an airbag on the driver’s side. Interestingly, more than 400,000 of this unit was sold in 1984 alone…the same year it was released. This was a successful release for Ford as it helped them to keep afloat and not run bankrupt during the 80s.
Worst Ford Tempo 1988 1994
However, the second generation Ford was one of the worst releases for the auto giant. It had a faulty ignition as well as acceleration and steering issues. To top off the drawbacks, the design was super poor. This among other issues caused the sales to plummet and caused Ford to discontinue the series in 1994.
BEST: Ford Escort RS2000
The Ford Escort has always been a popular name in Europe even though it is almost rare in the North American market. It has been one of the most sold cars of all times as records show over 20 million units have been sold. The ride that was released in 1968 was considered an iconic ride in automotive history.
Best Ford Escort RS2000
The series involved the Ford RS2000 which was the most acclaimed. This ride featured a turbocharged 1.8-L 4-cylinder engine which pushes up to 250 horses and 220 pound-feet of torque. In addition, the RS2000 can go up to 60 mph.
WORST: Ford Festiva (1986-1990)
Initially, the Ford Festiva was designed by Mazda for the European and Australian market. Kia made the North American versions but was marketed by Ford and was later sold under Aspire nameplate.
Worst Ford Festiva 1986 1990
Even though three major auto giants from three different countries were involved in this series, its overall make was inferior to many others. Its overall look was funny and didn’t entice auto lovers around the world. Every aspect of the Festiva spells cheap and low-standard. The only “special features” on the car were mainly the tachometer and cloth seats.
BEST: Ford Transit
The Ford Transit is not as popular as the Ford trucks but they do have some amazing highlights as the popular F-series. Interestingly, these vans have been doing their rounds around the world and have been deemed among the best vehicles to be produced by Ford.
Best Ford Transit
Since being released in 1965, Ford has sold more than 8.5 million Transit vans, which makes them one of the most sold commercial vehicles around the world. The Ford Transit is also known as T-series in some countries and has been popular in Europe since it was initially launched.
WORST: Ford Probe (1989-1997)
The Probe was launched by Ford as a sports car back in 1989 as a successor to the EXP in North America and the Capri in Europe. They based this series on the Mazda MX-6 platform and both Ford and Mazda made this ride.
Worst Ford Probe 1989 1997
This ride was the fourth generation of Mustang and was used as a form of reducing production costs. Furthermore, Ford didn’t wish to add the same features like some of the releases before but wanted something different. However, the changes didn’t do too well for the brand and was initially discontinued in 1997.
BEST: 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500
By far, this is one of the best Fords ever made and released – the 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500. This ride made it big when it was featured in the 2000 blockbuster film, “Gone in 60 Seconds”, which starred Angelina Jolie and Nicholas Cage.
Best 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500
The GT500 had everything you would need in a car as it had style, class, and performance. It featured a Ford Cobra FE 428 cu-in (7-L) V8 engine and also had 600 CFM Holley four-barrel carburetors that pushed up to 400 horses. While it had a good output, the looks had so much more to do with it.
WORST: Ford Windstar (1994-1998)
During the early nineties, there was a minivan craze and Ford wanted to be a part of it. While it was evident Ford didn’t have a chance in this segment, they did manage to score a good amount of sales. The Windstar was produced in 1994.
Worst Ford Windstar 1994 1998
However, numerous complaints started to surface and this started to somehow devalue the car. Some of the stand out issues included head gaskets that easily blew out, a faulty cooling system, a tighter engine bay, and other reliability issues. There were also transmission and suspension trouble as the Winstar didn’t age well either.
BEST: Ford Mustang (6th Generation)
The Mustang will always hold the title of the ultimate pony car. While it has never been removed from history or ever gone out of style, the 6th generation took things to a new level. These new changes made it possible for the Mustang to be in high demand for years to come.
Best Ford Mustang 6th Generation
This Mustang was designed to dish out a strong performance ability as well as feature a good look. The 2022 Mustang, with all its features starts at a great price – $28,400, which allows auto lovers to easily access this amazing pony car. It features a 2.3-L EcoBoost engine that dishes up to 310 horsepower and some interesting amenities.
WORST: Ford Model T (1908-1927)
The Ford Model T has a firm place in automobile history but while it has some good features, many people consider it one of the worst cars ever released for Ford. After it was released in 1908, a reported 31 people were killed in the summer of that year, in Detroit alone.
Worst Ford Model T 1908 1927
Many people referred to it as a dumpster on wheels as the gas tank was located under the seats, as well as the brakes being non-existent. The flat glass windshields were relatively dangerous as well as once there was an accident, it would usually cut the victims. After all, there were no accidents that this car was involved in that ended well.
BEST: Ford Model T (1908-1927)
Shocked at seeing the Model T again? Well, we have to say it is unfair that people would label it as one of the worst because of safety issues. That is more than injustice to such a foundation for the Ford brand.
Best Ford Model T 1908 1927
While it may have killed a few people, one has to understand that it was over 123 years ago. Seeing it was the first car made available for working-class Americans, we have to give credit to it. Furthermore, it was one of the highest-selling cars for Ford with more than 16.5 million units sold over its 20 year run.