Ford

Reasons to avoid

1. Lobby group fought emissions standards

   Ford is a member of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which lobbied against EPA greenhouse gas emission standards for model years 2027-2032 and has supported rolling back Biden-era clean vehicle rules. The lobbying contributed to a 2026 EPA proposal to delay emissions compliance deadlines by two years, weakening standards Ford's own lobbying group called for.reuters.com·2026-06-03

2. Made data opt-outs unnecessarily difficult

   California's Privacy Protection Agency fined Ford $375,703 in March 2026 for making it unnecessarily difficult for consumers to opt out of the sale of their personal data. The agency found Ford required email verification before processing opt-out requests, which is a step regulators ruled illegal under the CCPA because it added friction to a right that cannot be conditioned on identity confirmation.privacy.ca.gov·2026-03-05

3. Delayed recall of defective rearview cameras

   In November 2024, Ford agreed to a $165 million penalty with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the second-largest auto safety fine in the agency's history. The penalty followed a multi-year investigation finding that Ford delayed filing a recall for defective rearview cameras on F-150s and Explorers and submitted inaccurate recall reports.nhtsa.gov·2024-11-14

4. Accused of ignoring catastrophic engine defect

   A 2024 class action alleged Ford knew as early as 2016 about a defect in 1.0L EcoBoost engines found in 2016-2021 model year vehicles that could cause catastrophic engine failure without warning. Plaintiffs claim Ford failed to adequately address the issue despite awareness of the oil-drive belt tensioner flaw for years before issuing a recall.atlantanewsfirst.com·2024-09-03

5. Disguised cargo vans to dodge tariffs

   Ford agreed to pay $365 million to settle federal customs fraud claims after importing Transit Connect cargo vans from Turkey with temporary rear seats installed to misclassify them as passenger vehicles and dodge the 25 percent cargo van tariff. The company also under-valued certain vehicles to further reduce the duties it owed to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.justice.gov·2024-03-11

6. Conflicted audits of Congo cobalt sourcing

   A 2024 shareholder proxy filing flagged that Ford has not provided independent evidence its EV battery supply chain is free of child labor, despite cobalt sourcing from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where at least 15% of cobalt workers are estimated to be children. Ford's third-party audits use a body on whose board Ford employees sit, raising concerns about conflicts of interest.sec.gov·2024-01-01