Mechanics Agree This Car Brand Has Gone Downhill: “Engines Are Hot Garbage”
Car experts say Ford may no longer be a reliable vehicle option.
It usually doesn’t take much for drivers to form a lifelong grudge against a specific car brand, whether it’s due to getting stranded midcommute by a breakdown or visiting the repair shop almost as often as you hit the grocery store. Some companies have been fortunate enough to build up a good reputation over the years, which can help drive prospective buyers their way. However, according to some mechanics, there appears to be a wide consensus that Ford is one car brand that has gone significantly downhill as of late.
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Mechanics warn that Ford vehicles tend to have issues.
Let’s be clear: Every car on the road has its own set of issues. But in a recent video posted to TikTok by Austin, Texas-based Genuine Automotive repair shop, most employees didn’t have to think twice when asked which brand has gone downhill the most in the last 10 years.
Out of four mechanics polled, three immediately jumped to Ford as their answer. And while other mechanics peppered in brands like Chevy, Jaguar, and Nissan, the famous American make was the most mentioned by a mile.
This isn’t the only repair shop to notice an issue with the company’s vehicles. In a separate video, Colorado-based Accurate Automotive got deeper into the details by asking several mechanics on staff which issues were the most common with Ford.
One pointed out the Integrated Wheel End (IWE) hubs found on the 4-wheel drive system of the popular F-150 pickup trucks, while another mentioned transmissions in general. But others were more tongue-in-cheek, with one claiming, “I don’t think there’s a video long enough for that,” and another simply saying, “Everything!”
One mechanic simply couldn’t hold back. After a long laugh, he asked, “Do you really want to go there?!” before launching into a long list: “I love Fords. Start with their [expletive] timing chain problems, or their phaser problems, or the fact that they have a big F-O-R-D on the front of their [expletive] vehicle: That’s a problem.”
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Drivers agree with these harsh takes on Ford.
In a post to the r/Mechanics subreddit, one user says that while they currently drive a 2012 Ford Escape with roughly 240,000 miles with minimal issues, they’re concerned that Fords are as bad as their reputation might suggest. And while it wasn’t a pile-on, many weren’t exactly reassuring.
One user replied that it depends on the year, model, and trim options when sussing out lemons. “Certain engines and transmissions are bad. Some of them are pretty good and would last 300k+ miles if they’re maintained well,” they explained, adding that Ford has traditionally made “cheap,” powerful vehicles with okay-ish reliability, despite newer models being “overpriced.”
However, they say the real issue with newer Fords is related to software. “Car companies aren’t good at software, and new cars have more of it every year,” they write, complaining that quality standards in the software industry have gone down and will probably continue to go down. “The industry wants everything done fast, cheap, and able to be reused in all sorts of different hardware, [and] that is a recipe for bugs and lag.”
“My main gripe with Ford’s has always been the small [expletive] such as door lock actuators, collision sensors and other small electrical crap which to me doesn’t make the car undrivable but rather an annoyance,” shared a Redditor. “The guts of the Ford will be fine but small crap all over it will tend to break faster.”
Others were sassier with their replies, with one claiming that Ford stood for “Found On Road Dead” or “Fix or Repair Daily.”
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Some Ford models stand out as particularly bad.
In a recent post to the r/Ford subreddit, one driver asked which were the worst Ford vehicles released in recent years. But while they cheekily suggested it was the Ecosport, others had plenty of dirt to spill on regrettable rides.
“The last gen Taurus was pretty bad,” one user replied. “Full-sized body but less interior room than the smaller Fusion.”
Another agreed that the Ecosport stood out as one of the worst. Specifically, they cite the “horrible driving feel, shoddy wiring, and that stupid swing gate” as the main reasons.
One user couldn’t decide, saying it was a tie between the Focus and Fiesta. “I currently have a 2012 Fiesta and 2013 Focus. I’m just lucky like that,” they bemoaned. “Both have the garbage power shift transmission and just a whole lot of other problems to boot. [But] the Focus is actually worse for me. Weird electrical issues along with the crap transmission.”
“From my limited experience with Fords, I can say that they are alright,” one owner replied. “[But] some engines are hot garbage, like the 1.0 Ecoboost with the wet belt.”
