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Remembering The 25 Worst Cars That Ford Ever Made

Cameron Eittreim September 3, 2021

Ford is one of the most well-known and respected automakers in the world, but even well-respected companies have a dud when it comes to the business every once in a while. We ranked some of the worst Ford vehicles that were ever made.

There were several reasons why these cars topped Ford’s list of duds. Whether it’s because of a rollover controversy like in the case of the Ford Explorer or just the perceived quality problems on vehicles like the 2000 Mercury Cougar, we looked at it all. Read on below to remember the 25 worst cars made by Ford.

25: Ford Aspire

The main problem with the Aspire was its pure lack of quality. The KIA-designed car was also universally panned for a lack of standard features. The underpowered four-cylinder engine was an underwhelming experience for any driver, even if you bought the Aspire for a good deal. (via Repair Pal)

In later years, the car has become a pain to find replacement parts for, so much so that many of these cars have ended up rotting away (via Motor Biscuit) If you can find the parts to keep an Aspire on the road, you still probably don’t want to drive one. The Aspire was overshadowed by the comparable Geo Metro in its heyday.

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24: 1974 Ford Gran Torino Elite

The 1974 Gran Torino Elite was a failure from the gate, with the only reason for the car’s existence being the Thunderbird’s hefty price tag. Ford needing an affordable personal luxury coupe quickly put the Gran Torino Elite together. However, consumers were not blind to what was being done to them and the car was a flop (via Hemmings).

On top of questionable sales numbers, the exterior design of the car was downright hideous to look at. You couldn’t justify the awkward shapes and lines even if you tried to, and this was a problem with many cars during this generation.

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23: 1984 Ford Bronco II

The original Ford Bronco was a massive V8-powered SUV with a removable top. So when GM introduced the compact Blazer, Ford needed something to compete. The Bronco II was brought into the picture riding on the same frame as the Ford Ranger. While it was a capable little SUV at going off-road it was missing a few notable items (via Motor Trend).

There was a distinct lack of a removable top, and there was also no V8 engine option. Both of these things alone made the Bronco quite the awkward proposition when you compared it to what else was on the road at the time. The SUV segment was also under fire at this point due to rollover incidents that involved a few prominent Japanese SUV models.

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22: 1958-60 Ford Edsel

The Ford Edsel was an experimental car that had a lot of unique features to it. Unfortunately, the unorthodox style of the car just didn’t resonate with consumers from this period. The Edsel was too far ahead of its time for consumers to grasp. While the performance was on par, a lot of the other features were just too quirky for drivers to get used to seeing in a new car (via Road and Track).

The button-mounted transmission shift was one such feature that we didn’t see again up until recently. Ford was innovating at such a high pace that the designers of the Edsel were trying anything to make the car a smash hit.

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21: Ford Probe

The Ford Probe was a car that was initially pegged to replace the Mustang. But after an outcry from consumers, Ford decided against the move. The Mustang got to stay and the Probe was sold as a cheaper alternative. The naming of the car was unconventional and the butt of many jokes. There was a special 24V edition, but for the most part, the Probe was a fairly unassuming coupe (via Motor 1).

Ford carried the model well into the 1990s until the car was deemed a loss and discontinued. The build quality of the Probe wasn’t the best and it always lurked in the shadows of the Mustang.

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20: Ford Mustang II

Ford’s Pinto-based Mustang II was a gamble from the start. Taking a legendary icon and shrinking it down was questionable at best. The Mustang II was vastly underpowered and the exterior styling was a far cry from the original brand. There was a special Cobra edition but for the most part, the Mustang II was a joke when you compared it to the previous generation car (via Motor Trend).

The controversy surrounding the Pinto this time was enough to stop the Mustang II in its tracks. The car just couldn’t overcome the reputation of its humble economy car-based roots and live up to the prior reputation that the Mustang brand had built up.

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19: 1971 Ford Pinto

Likewise, the Ford Pinto itself also had an issue proving customer satisfaction. After a brief period of controversy due to a rear hatch design flaw, the Pinto saw a dramatic sales decline as well. Sadly, the platform was one of the most potentially good ones to come out of Detroit around this period (via Tort Museum).

The AMC brand was seeing a rapid decline and GM was also having troubles adapting to the new emissions regulations. If you were a gear head around the 1970s, you were being let down left and right by automakers. Ford just couldn’t catch a break with the Pinto.

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18: 1995-2000 Ford Explorer

The Ford Explorer was a massive hit for the Ford Motor Company, but with massive success also comes the massive risk of controversy. The Explorer suffered this during its second generation with the Firestone Tire recall and resulting rollover epidemic. It was found that Ford weakened the roof of the second-generation Explorer in an attempt to make the design more aerodynamic (via Auto Safety).

Consumers were floored that a company would do something like this. As a result, the second-generation Explorer was ultimately marked for life. Firestone also had its reputation ruined forever when the company paid out over a billion dollars in lawsuits.

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17: 1990 Ford Escort

Cheap and quality don’t go together. But Ford still tried to give consumers that with the 1990 Escort. The problem was that the car just didn’t deliver in the areas that it should. Unfortunately customers were the ones who had to suffer. The build quality of the Escort and the carbon copy Mercury Lynx were downright awful (via Repair Pal).

Customers would routinely bring these back to the dealership. Their reasons were everything from interior pieces falling off to random oil leaks. Indeed, this was probably the least reliable generation of the Escort and it tarnished the brand’s image.

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16: Lincoln LS

When Ford purchased Jaguar, there were going to be some intrinsic benefits for the Blue Oval. The first of which was the fact that the company would have access to all kinds of great automotive technology and platforms. The Lincoln LS was based on the Jaguar S-Type and was designed to bring young car shoppers back into showrooms (via Car and Driver).

Equipped with a V8 engine and daring looks. you’d think it was going to do just that. Unfortunately, the car was notoriously unreliable and expensive to fix, which sent owners running for the hills. The LS has managed to cultivate a loyal following years later but it was never a sales success for Ford.

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15: Jaguar S-Type

The S-Type was released after the Ford and Jaguar marriage was official. During this time, Ford was trying to introduce new and fresh products into the market. The problem is that the S-Type had a horrible reputation when it came to quality and most consumers just weren’t having it. The S-Type with the optional V8 engine spent more time in the shop than on the road (via Auto Trader).

The S-Type had a smooth exterior body and the interior was fairly well-appointed, but that wasn’t enough to sell cars. The S-Type would routinely get low marks with the automotive press and Ford finally discontinued the car after a lengthy run and years of failure.

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14: Jaguar X-Type

Sold right alongside the S-Type was the X-Type, which was also based on the same platform. Both were Ford products and also suffered from the same reliability problems. Ford was a confused company during this time and the X-Type was evidence of that because the car didn’t know if it was a sports sedan or a high-end luxury car (via Car and Driver).

Jaguar X-Type R — Photo Credit: Motor Trend

Luckily, Jaguar would change the brand’s focus years later but the X-Type is still the butt of many Jaguar quality jokes to this day. The car would routinely spend a good deal of time in the repair shop and the repairs were often costlier than owners anticipated.

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13: Ford Tempo

The Tempo is another car that got off to a bad start thanks to a less-than-stellar reputation. It’s no surprise that compact American cars were at their lowest quality levels in the 1980s. The automakers were just trying to squeeze as much profit as possible. But the Tempo pretty much takes the cake when it comes to a cheaply-made American compact car (via Curbside Classic).

If you could keep the vehicle on the road, it managed to prove to be an affordable ride but that was just about it. The Tempo managed to get one of the most questionable reputations of any Ford car and the company’s small car branding never recovered.

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12: Mercury Topaz

The Mercury brand was also confused around this same period as the corporate clone of the Tempo was being sold. The Topaz was pretty much an identical car in every sense of the word. There was no difference aside from a front fascia. The Topaz could have been a unique proposition for the Mercury brand, but instead, the car ended up being a dud (via: TTAC).

Consumers were looking for a compact car that had style and substance. Yet the Topaz didn’t have either of these qualities. Instead, it was a poorly engineered clone of the Tempo that didn’t offer anything in the way of a unique driving experience.

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11: Mercury Capri

The Capri was another failed attempt by Ford to garner some traction for the Mercury brand in the 1980s and early 1990s. The first variation of the car was a knockoff of the Mustang 5.0 with a much uglier-looking front clip. The second variation came at the start of the decade in the form of a compact roadster (via Road and Track).

The brand was looking to compete head-on with Mazda and the Miata, but the result wasn’t anything to run home with. The Capri is a blip in the otherwise complicated history of Ford rebadging certain cars and trucks for Mercury.

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10: Mercury Mystique

In the 1990s, Ford had several compact cars on the market at the same time. After the hype surrounding the launch of the new Escort and Contour twins, there was a lot of hope for the Mystique. But the car didn’t offer anything in the way of a unique experience and that was a bit of a letdown for most Ford enthusiasts (via Auto Safety).

The Mystique was pretty similar to the Escort in a lot of aspects from the exterior to the standard features. So it begged the question, why even buy a Mystique in the first place? From paltry reliability to a cheap-feeling interior, the Mystique just didn’t cut the mustard when it came to a new car choice.

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9: Ford Escort ZX2

The Escort ZX2 was an add-on to the standard Escort lineup. Offering a compact two-door allowed the brand to branch off into new territory without alienating the existing customer base of the car. However, Ford didn’t do anything to make the ZX2 a unique option and it ended up getting a bad reputation for the perceived lack of quality (via Motor Trend).

The ZETEC engine was among one of the worst to come out of Detroit, and with the new Ford, the sales of the ZX2 fell flat. You’ll still see these cars on the road every so often, but the car just wasn’t a popular choice with consumers for several reasons.

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8: Lincoln Blackwood

You’ve got to at least give Ford credit for trying new things and the company did just that with the Lincoln Blackwood. This was probably the first authentic luxury pickup truck from a domestic automaker, a unique feat. The problem is that consumers want more than just a unique nameplate and the Blackwood just failed to deliver on a lot of fronts (via Motor Trend).

The truckbed was utterly useless at a time when consumers were using pickup trucks more than ever before. The Blackwood was more of a novelty item than a useful vehicle and this is partly the reason that the truck faded into obscurity after one year.

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7: Lincoln Mark LT

A few years after the failure that was the Blackwood, the folks at Ford were up to their old tricks again. This time it was with the launch of the Mark LT full-sized pickup truck, which boasted a chromed-out exterior design. The Mark LT was a much more appealing option than the outgoing Blackwood was, but at the end of the day, it was just an F-150 (via Car and Driver).

Luxury pickup trucks were still a new thing and at this point. Drivers only had a choice between the Mark LT and the Cadillac Escalade EXT. The Mark LT did manage to cultivate enough of a following that Ford found it profitable to release the F-150 Platinum a few years down the road.

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6: Lincoln Continental

The new Continental was released to much fanfare in 2017 complete with a heavy advertising campaign featuring actor Matthew McConaughey. Sadly, the result was a car that made big promises but fell flat on its face. The first glaring problem with the Continental was the lack of a V8 powerplant (via Motor Biscuit).

Traditional buyers were looking forward to a rear-wheel-drive V8-powered full-size sedan once again. The Continential had a lot going for it but the lack of some fundamental features that traditional Lincoln buyers were looking for left it in the lurch this time around.

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5: Ford Focus

When the final generation of the Focus came out, there was a lot that Ford did right. Its gas efficiency and performance were at the top of its class, but fast forward a few years later and the Focus is one of the worst used cars (via Car and Driver). There are a few reasons for this and it comes down to cost of repairs.

The Focus ST was notorious for transmission complaints among consumers, and this is one of the most costly repairs. When it comes to having a brand new car the last thing that you’d expect is for the transmission to go out on you. But the Focus was experiencing more of these problems than other cars in the same segment.

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4: 1996 Ford Taurus

The original “Oval”. Taurus was a game-changer for Ford and shifted the momentum for the popular Taurus into the negative. The 1996 Taurus was universally panned for its overtly oval styling but there were also reliability issues with this model. The head gaskets on these Taurus models were notorious for going out, as were the automatic transmissions (via Road and Track).

Consumers developed a negative perception of the Taurus brand beginning with this generation and the brand never fully recovered. Before this release of the Taurus, the car was the most popular family car in the United States, but by the 1990s favor had shifted toward SUV models.

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3: Lincoln Aviator

The Aviator was released at the height of the SUV boom in the early 2000s. Ford already had great luck with the Navigator so they thought it would be profitable to release a smaller offering. Sadly, the Aviator was nothing more than an overpriced Ford Explorer and consumers were hip to this revelation (via Car and Driver).

There were some unique aspects to the Aviator such as the shared a powerplant with the Ford Mustang Mach-1. That helped to increase the performance to new heights but as far as the rest of the car went it was a relatively standard offering. Most consumers weren’t willing to pay a premium price just for a Lincoln badge.

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2: Ford Taurus X

The Ford Five Hundred wagon was not a great seller for the brand, so Ford tried to reinvigorate the model by renaming it after the popular Taurus. But guess what? Even with a Taurus badge on it, the Taurus X wasn’t a popular offering by any means. Consumers just didn’t see the promise in driving a lifted wagon and thus the Taurus X died off.

The Taurus X had the usual reliability issues that came out of this generation of Ford cars. The transmissions are notorious for going out and the safety ratings were questionable. From a practical standpoint, there were much better options that you could choose from besides the Taurus X (via Motor Biscuit).

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1: 2000 Mercury Cougar

Affectionately known as the “cateye,” the 2000 Mercury Cougar was a departure from traditional Mercury vehicles. As the brand shifted its focus toward a female demographic the Cougar was one of the first cars. The performance wasn’t anything to be excited about as the car shared most of its components with the Ford Focus.

As the years went on reliability was a problem for the Cougar and the brand was eventually shelved altogether. The car was not a success for Ford by any stretch of the imagination. The Mercury brand as a whole was disbanded in the late 2000s (via Car and Driver).

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Remembering The 25 Worst Cars That Ford Ever Made

25: Ford Aspire

24: 1974 Ford Gran Torino Elite

23: 1984 Ford Bronco II

22: 1958-60 Ford Edsel

21: Ford Probe

20: Ford Mustang II

19: 1971 Ford Pinto

18: 1995-2000 Ford Explorer

17: 1990 Ford Escort

16: Lincoln LS

15: Jaguar S-Type

14: Jaguar X-Type

13: Ford Tempo

12: Mercury Topaz

11: Mercury Capri

10: Mercury Mystique

9: Ford Escort ZX2

8: Lincoln Blackwood

7: Lincoln Mark LT

6: Lincoln Continental

5: Ford Focus

4: 1996 Ford Taurus

3: Lincoln Aviator

2: Ford Taurus X

1: 2000 Mercury Cougar

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