35 Car Models That Ford Probably Regrets Making

Cameron Eittreim December 2, 2020

5: 2003 Ford Thunderbird

By the 2000s, the retro car revival was in full swing, and Ford was going to jump on the bandwagon as well. The retro-inspired Thunderbird was a pretty unique offering, to say the least, with a unique design. The two-seater design was a departure from previous generations of the Thunderbird and the underpinnings were based on the Lincoln LS sedan.

Consumers were not persuaded to buy the Thunderbird because of the high price tag. The lack of options and the fact that it was only a two-seater. These have managed to hold their value after all these years but for the most part, this generation of the Thunderbird was avoidable.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

4: RS200

One of the cars famously owned by Tim Allen, the RS200 is a purist rally car in every sense of the word. A unique design has made the RS200 a reputable car in the rally scene and on the auction block. The small form factor of the car and the short wheelbase also have a lot of drawbacks. The engine was also not the most reliable which lead a lot of enthusiasts to go the way of the Lancer EVO or the STI.

Nevertheless, this was a piece of Ford history. The company has long held a presence in the international rally racing circuit, and naturally, the RS200 stands out from the crowd. But this is such a limiting car that there are better options to choose from.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

3: Excursion

A car that was designed to compete with the Chevy Suburban, the Excursion didn’t have a lot that was particularly special about it. The thing was lacking the same kind of refinement that the GM offerings had, and this made it less popular. The interior was massive and the SUV was based on the heavy-duty offerings from Ford. But the lack of a more refined motor and the lack of fuel economy sent buyers the other way.

Ford has had a tough time competing with GM in the full-size SUV segment, especially when it comes to a vehicle as large as the Excursion. The thing had a lot of potentials and there has since been a resurgence in used models. But for the most part, the Excursion just failed to catch on with consumers.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

2: Ford Windstar

After Chrysler innovated the minivan segment, every automaker was trying to hop on the train. But the Windstar wasn’t what you’d expect from a minivan and it just didn’t compete with the Caravan on a real level. The Windstar had a lot of shortcomings in addition to reliability issues, and its cookie-cutter styling wasn’t doing much for it either. Ford was trying to appeal to a market Chrysler was already dominating.

The van had a lot of innovative firsts, but at this point in the industry, it was too late. The Caravan was the dominant minivan for the majority of the time. The Windstar just couldn’t add up to the hype Ford had put around it.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

1: Ford Freestar

With the Freestar Ford was trying to innovate again, but at this point, the Freestar fell on deaf ears. Although the van was more refined than the outgoing Windstar, it also looked a lot like the outgoing model. The Freestar had a lot of shortcomings when it came to reliability as well, and the van just failed to catch on with consumers.

After this, Ford moved onto crossover vehicles like most of the automakers did. Chrysler dominated and created the minivan segment, and only the Japanese rivals have managed to make a dent in companies’ market share.

<< Previous

35 Car Models That Ford Probably Regrets Making

5: 2003 Ford Thunderbird

4: RS200

3: Excursion

2: Ford Windstar

1: Ford Freestar

POPULAR