Legacy automaker Ford (F) won a prize that it would probably rather not have recently. It likely would have preferred to not even be in the running for this one. Ford currently has four models that are on the list of largest projected number of recalls in a study from iSeeCars. This did little to dampen investors’ enthusiasm, though, as investors sent shares up fractionally in Tuesday afternoon’s trading.
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Ford led the way in the last 12 months, but what it led the way in was total number of recalls. Ford recalled 19.6 million vehicles. This was not only more than its nearest competitor, but also, it was more than the rest of the entire industry as a whole. Ford managed to set a record in 2025 with 152 total recalls, the single largest number ever fielded in a year.
Worse yet, the Ford Bronco, the Ford Maverick, the Lincoln Aviator, and the Lincoln Corsair were four of the top five models that were most likely to see a recall. Executive analyst with iSeeCars Karl Brauer noted, “It doesn’t reflect well on a premium brand to be in that group. It further proves that, under the skin, which is where recalls happen, there are as many Lincolns as Ford branded vehicles being recalled. You have genuine quality problems, whether it’s in the engine or the quality of manufacturing or software.”
Affordability is a Problem Also
Buying a new car in the first place is also proving to be a problem. Reports note that car buyers are bringing “…significant negative equity into their next loans.” That alone would be bad enough, but it gets worse. There are more car buyers approaching their next loan with negative equity, which compounds the problem of just how much negative equity the car buyers have when they come in.
Reports noted that, in the first quarter of 2026, 30.9% of new car trade-ins came with negative equity. The only quarter that even kind of compares is the first quarter of 2021, when 21.9% of trade-ins were in similar condition. The average outstanding amount due on a trade-in in 2026’s first quarter was $7,183. That is the highest for any first quarter ever, and the second-highest figure for any quarter of any year, suggesting that new car purchases may get sidelined for a lot of buyers to come.
Is Ford Stock a Good Buy Right Now?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Hold consensus rating on F stock based on three Buys, eight Holds and one Sell assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 33.37% rally in its share price over the past year, the average F price target of $13.79 per share implies 6.95% upside potential.
