Personally, I’ve owned a few Fords and never had any issues with them. Eventually, I switched to a Honda Civic because everyone kept telling me how reliable they are, but I’ve had nothing but problems since getting it in 2018. Now, I can’t wait to get rid of it. What’s been your experience with Ford or other car brands?
In Europe, Ford is well-regarded for its reliability and ease of repair, largely thanks to interchangeable parts (my current car even has a Transit engine) and the availability of aftermarket options.
Additionally, the mandatory annual safety inspections here help catch minor issues early before they turn into major problems.
It’s pretty much the same in North America. I’m not sure what reputation people are referring to. I’ve always driven Fords, and none have ever broken down on me, aside from regular maintenance. That’s more than I can say for the Chevys and Dodges I’ve owned.
There’s a reason most fleet vehicles and police cars are Fords (and no, not just the Crown Vics).
If people are basing Ford’s reputation on their cheapest models like the Fiesta, Focus, or Pinto, then maybe I get it—but that’s not the whole picture.
Ford, by far, has the most recalls compared to any other car brand. That doesn’t exactly shout reliability—it suggests they’re being made with cheaper parts and lower quality control.
Not even close my dude. For 2022 only maybe. By in far they’re one of the better NA manufacturers over the last 20 years.
With two manufacturers offering such a wide variety of models, engines, transmissions, and other components, it’s natural to have some years that are better than others and some that fall short.
Honestly, any car can be reliable if it’s built well and properly maintained. But we never really know both sides of that. I’ve had and seen Hondas and Toyotas turn out to be terrible, while BMWs and Audis have been great. I’m not sure where the “unreliable Ford” idea even comes from, to be honest.
It’s a mixed bag, like anything in life.
I know plenty of Ford drivers who never had a single issue. I used to rave about how reliable and solid my Fords were! After 16 years and three cars, I did have engine failure in one, which Ford said was due to a parts failure that regular maintenance wouldn’t have caught. Go big or go home, right? 
It took a while to fix, and a few minor issues popped up afterward. It was a major headache at the time, but now it makes for a fun story.
My oldest Ford was flawless—never had an issue, and I still regret selling it. Even today, I’m still driving Fords and believe they’re a solid brand overall.
Every car company builds a pos every now and then, Ford is no exception but for the most part my Fords have been as reliable as any other brand I’ve owned and I’ve owned a very broad range of manufacturers.
I’ve owned 1 Ford, but I’ve had a lot of friends own Fords and their experiences were horrendous. I went with a 2017 Ford Focus because, at the time, it was the cheapest car we could find. Within the first three months of owning the car, we had a check engine light on. It was the Diagnostic CPU, and it was a known issue with that model. Under warranty, free replacement. Then we had small issues here and there until about 2 years ago. It started stuttering on a start, and acting weird when accelerating. We took it in multiple times, and I was sure it was the transmission. We were told: “it’s nothing serious”, “it’s a common issue with the Focus, there’s nothing abnormal.” “It’s normal behavior for a transmission.” for almost 2 years. Finally we took it in just today, and suddenly the transmission is a problem. Just when we’re outside our warranty. This car has less than 9k miles because it’s only driven to and from my wife’s work, which is only about 2 miles away, 3 times a week. I’ve owned several cars (differing brands), but I’ve never seen a car brand with as frequent of issues as Ford, mine and others included. Transmission issues, bad gaskets, poor motors in the windows, bad electronics off the lot… you name it, I’ve seen or heard about it directly. Is it fair to say that Ford is definitely worse than all other car brands because of my anecdotal experience? Probably not, but I’ve heard plenty of others with similar issues, and in here it’s an echo chamber of people who don’t think that’s the case. Maybe they’re lucky, maybe they’re lying, but I think (and that is an opinion) Ford has earned that reputation.