There is absolutely no question that Ford is easily one of the most popular car manufacturers in the entire history of the automobile world. This is largely due to the fact that they have been able to constantly give us some truly marvelous vehicles over the years. Whether it be a speedster or an old reliable pickup, Ford has been able to create many car models that have been some of the bests of all time. However, although this clearly is the case, it is essential to recognize the fact that they have also given us some truly poor cars as well.

With all that has been stated thus far, we will be looking at 20 times that Ford gave us bad cars. These vehicles will be coming from a wide variety of decades, as well as many different types of automobiles. Some of these cars will even come from very popular series, but they simply were a rare lemon from the lineup. This is going to show the fact that one should always do their research before purchasing a car, even it is from a very dependable car manufacturer like Ford. At the end of the day, criticism is truly warranted when it comes to these vehicles because they just aren't up to the standards of what we, as consumers, have come to expect from such an established brand.

Now, let's look at these bad Ford cars!

20 1996 Ford Explorer

The 1996 Ford Explorer definitely had the potential to be a solid vehicle. There is no question that the car manufacturer had a pretty good track record with the series, so success was expected. However, the 1996 Explorer was just made in a very poor fashion.

According to Car Complaints, this vehicle was prone to having an immense amount of issues when it came to its engine and transmission. When seeing how stability with both of those elements are needed for a dependable and safe car, it is safe to say that the 1996 Explorer was a disappointment to everyone who bought one.

19 1984 Ford Bronco II

The Ford Bronco is one of the most beloved vehicles in the history of the car manufacturer. This is largely because of the fact that it holds a very nostalgic spot in the hearts of many of today’s car enthusiasts. However, that does not mean that every model year from the series was good.

The 1984 Ford Bronco II is a clear example of this being the case, as it was extremely poor when it came to its overall structure. When seeing how this vehicle would break down in a matter of months and was in need of constant repairs, it is clear that criticism is truly warranted for it.

18 1957 Ford Thames Trader

For a number of decades, Ford has been known for being able to make some very solid trucks. However, with the 1957 Ford Thames Trader, it is clear that they did not follow this pattern in the slightest. This vehicle was just a complete and utter lemon from the start of its time on the primary market.

Its below average style can be ignored, as it was a vehicle that was supposed to be primarily used for working conditions. However, this truck was far behind its time with its overall towing capabilities, so it would face a lot of criticism from its owners for a number of years.

17 1971 Ford Pinto

The 1971 Ford Pinto came into the automobile world with a very high amount of expectations. This makes a lot of sense, as the car manufacturer clearly saw it as a potential top-seller. However, it evidently would be rushed into development, which made it come with many issues.

The biggest problem that would end up occurring frequently with this vehicle was that it was prone to lighting up if hit from behind. This would end up leading to the car manufacturer facing a lawsuit, as over 100 people from this vehicle would end up seriously injured or in some cases, even fatally wounded.

16 2017 Ford Focus

Ford has truly cemented itself at the top of the automobile world during this decade. They have been able to release top-notch vehicles fairly consistently and this has allowed for sales to continue to improve. However, the 2017 Ford Focus was a bit of a letdown, at the end of the day.

US News considered this vehicle to be one of the worst cars of its release year and this is entirely justifiable. When seeing how this vehicle already is experiencing a plethora of issues with its brakes, it is quite apparent that it is not going to possess a lot of durability as time goes on.

15 1974 Ford Mustang II

The Ford Mustang series is easily one of the most iconic ones in the entirety of the automobile world. This makes a lot of sense, as there have been some truly magnificent cars from this series, and of course, it is the primary vehicle that has made Ford one of the best manufacturers ever.

However, the 1974 Ford Mustang II definitely was a complete failure. Edmunds sees it as one of the worst cars to ever enter the automobile world and this may come as a shock to some when they see the Mustang label. However, this just proves that even the greatest of series has its blemishes.

14 1988 Ford Festiva

The 1988 Ford Festiva is another vehicle on this list that definitely was seen as a potential top-seller. This does make a lot of sense because of the fact that the car manufacturer advertised this vehicle immensely. Also, the series had a solid reputation up until that point.

However, this car would end up having major issues when it came to its engine. This would require the owners of these vehicles to constantly visit repair shops. However, like all lemons in the automobile world, the issues from this car never seemed to fully disappear after being touched up.

13 1990 Ford Escort

The 1990 Ford Escort may look like a nice car but it is clear that it was not a very solid one. This is largely because of the fact that the car manufacturer clearly rushed it when it came to its development stages. This would sink its overall value at a very quick rate and would hurt the company.

According to The Motor Digest, this vehicle failed immensely when it came to its sales because of its unoriginal appearance. So, at the end of the day, this vehicle clearly had nothing going for it. This definitely was disappointing at the time, as the series was solid up until that point.

12 1974 Ford Gran Torino Elite

The 1974 Ford Gran Torino Elite was clearly supposed to be a top-notch vehicle from the car manufacturer. There is no question that when it came to its overall apperance, it looked like a luxury car. However, it was built in an extremely poor fashion, so it came with many issues.

Many people who owned this vehicle would constantly complain about the extremely loud noises that would come from it. It also had many issues with its steering, so it could be deemed as dangerous to drive. At the end of the day, it easily is one of the worst cars to ever come from Ford.

11 1980 Ford Fiesta

The 1980 Ford Fiesta was supposed to be a very solid vehicle overseas but at the end of the day, it failed immensely. A lot of this has to do with the fact that it simply lost its reputation of being a very solid family vehicle. Everything about its past was completely gone with this car.

Engine issues were the primary concern when it came to this vehicle, as it was prone to breaking down at virtually any turn. It also was prone to having a very short life cycle, as well. There is no question that Ford simply did not produce this vehicle at the level it truly deserved.

10 1993 Ford Aspire

The 1993 Ford Aspire was supposed to be a solid seller in its release year, but that would, of course, not end up being the case. It is probably for the best that this did not end up occurring, as the car manufacturer clearly did not build this vehicle is an effective manner.

During its start on the primary market, not many individuals were intrigued by this vehicle because of the fact that it was just a very boring looking car. However, its value would drop off immensely as soon as people caught wind of how many electrical issues this car would have.

9 1958 Ford Edsel

The 1958 Ford Edsel can go down as the biggest mistake that the car manufacturer ever made. A significant reason behind this is the fact that Ford would go on to lose a plethora of money while producing this model. They focused on its overall design far more than its overall quality.

Buyers were just not impressed with this vehicle from the start, as they felt that it was too similar to other vehicles around it. When seeing how this car was set at a far higher price than its competition, this would make people dislike it even more. To put the icing on the cake, it also drove extremely poorly.

8 2004 Ford Excursion

The 2004 Ford Excursion had a lot of people intrigued by it when it was first released. This made a lot of sense at the time, as it was a new car that had a lot of size, so people expected it to be very powerful. However, this did not end up being the case.

This vehicle would go on to have so many major issues from the very start of its time on the primary market that its value dropped off in a matter in months. It was simply built in a horrible fashion, so it was not good in working conditions at all. In fact, it did not offer much protection, either.

7 1984 Ford Tempo

The 1984 Ford Tempo definitely was a solid vehicle for the car manufacturer when it first came out. This is presented in the fact that it would go on to make a plethora of overall sales. However, as time would pass by, it became clear that this was a very poor vehicle.

The vehicle would go on to have a serious amount of problems with its steering, as well as a very faulty engine. This would naturally lead to its drivers having to go through a number of issues with this car and it would make it obtain a very bad reputation. At the end of the day, Ford messed up with this one.

6 1972 Ford Cortina

The 1972 Ford Cortina definitely is another vehicle by the car manufacturer that can be deemed as bad. This was another example of a vehicle that quickly would drop in value, as buyers realized that it came with far too many problems. It simply was not built to last.

When looking at how critical people were of this vehicle, it is fair to state that it was entirely justifiable. This vehicle had far too many problems when it came to its engine, so it naturally would not last long. With that being said, this is another major mistake by the car manufacturer.

5 1997 Ford Probe

The 1997 Ford Probe was supposed to be the car manufacturer’s next legendary model. They had hoped that it would be able to take over for the Ford Mustang series, so they made sure to advertise it as much as possible. However, this car ended up being a complete lemon.

According to The Motor Digest, this vehicle ended up being heavily disliked throughout the entire automobile world because of how poorly it ran. It did not help its case that it also had a very unoriginal design. Today, this is seen as one of the worst Ford cars to ever be produced.

4 1981 Ford Courier

The 1981 Ford Courier is another truck from the car manufacturer that just did not reach the level of expectations that were handed to it originally. Although it has an extremely cool design and gives off the perfect vintage look, it simply was not a productive truck in the slightest.

The primary issue that would come from this pickup was that it was prone to breaking down in working conditions. This was a major negative for the vehicle, as it was supposed to compete with other pickups in that department. Due to its failing to do so, it easily can be deemed as a bad vehicle from Ford.

3 1994 Ford Contour

The 1994 Ford Contour was supposed to be a reliable vehicle from the car manufacturer. However, it would end up being the complete opposite, as it would go on to have far too many issues when it came to its overall structure. This would lead to it needing constant repairs.

According to Car Complaints, this vehicle would go on to have a number of major problems when it came to its transmission, as well as its faulty engine. This would end up sinking its overall value and the series itself would go on to possess an extremely negative reputation.

2 2006 Ford Escape

When the 2006 Ford Escape first entered the primary market, it would go on to have a very large number of sales. This is due to the fact that many people believed that it was going to be another quality SUV from Ford. However, this ended up not being the case in the slightest.

This vehicle would completely lose its family car reputation, as it would go on to have a number of major issues. It had a lot of problems when it came to its steering and this would ultimately make its protection features far worse than they needed to be. At the end of the day, this was an underperforming vehicle.

1 1998 Ford Expedition

The 1998 Ford Expedition definitely would end up being a complete and utter disaster from the very start of its release. This is largely because of the fact that the car manufacturer clearly released it far too early. This would lead to it having far too many issues that could have been avoided.

According to Car Complaints, this vehicle would have very weak interior accessories that would lead to it needing constant repairs. To make matters worse for this vehicle, it also would have an unpredictable engine that would break down fairly consistently. This would definitely make it lose all of its overall value.

Sources: Car Complaints, Edmunds, The Motor Digest, and US News.