Ford is the best-selling car make in the United States. Its F-Series trucks continuously outsell any other car make and model. According to Auto Week, there are 14 cars in the series, starting with the Ford Bonus-Built in 1948. Currently, we are on the 14th generation, which is more commonly known as F-150.

Interestingly, the F-Series is the best-selling car make in the United States, but only the second-best in the world. The Toyota Corolla is the best-selling car of all time, selling over 44 million units since 1966.

Continue reading to learn more about what makes Ford an American staple and why the F-Series continues to turn profits year after year.

 What Draws Americans to the F-Series?

CNBC says that the F-Series has been the best-selling car make in the United States for 39 consecutive years. Americans’ love for the F-Series was not impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Although sales in 2020 dropped by 12.2 percent, moving 787,422 units, Ford still managed to come out on top.

Here are some of the reasons why time and time again, the F-Series leaves its competitors in the dust:

Ford Is Deeply Imbedded in American Culture

Henry Ford’s contributions to the auto industry dovetail with what it means to be an American. His larger-than-life legacy is even touched on in Aldous Huxley’s 1932 Brave New World, where Henry Ford is presented as a god-like figure.

Ford (the man, not the brand) is known for:

• Creating the assembly line
• Inventing the Model T (one of the first mass-produced vehicles)
• Building the “horseless carriage”

Ford also got a good reputation because his assembly line workers were paid a living wage. For a day’s work, they would get $5. This was in 1927, when you were lucky if you made $11 a week. By today’s standards, that would be the same as getting paid $76.11 a day.

The F-Series Is Relatively Affordable

For years, Chrysler and Dodge have been vying for the number one spot for best-selling trucks. Yet, despite having affordable pickup trucks, for the past 39 years, they are continuously beaten by Ford’s F-Series. Why?

Well:

• Ford has a reputation for churning out well-made cars. The same cannot be said for Chrysler, which has a less-than-ideal reputation.
• Ford’s pickup trucks have relatively low depreciation values.

Chrysler and Dodge are also related to Fiat, which is considered one of the least reliable car brands, per USA Today. 

Ford’s Scandals Are Old History

If you lived through the 1970s and 1980s, you might remember the joke “FORD: Fix Or Repair Daily.” This was because Ford was at the center of one of the biggest recalls of all time.

Long story short, Ford released thousands of cars with faulty transmissions. You would think that your car was in park, when really, it would go into reverse or full throttle with no warning. Per CNN, over 21 million vehicles were recalled.

By then, it was too late. By the end of the recall, Ford’s faulty transmissions had claimed the lives of over 100 people and caused around 6,000 accidents.

Ford was able to brush off the scandal by putting warning labels on their newer models. It was only a matter of time before the recall scandal was out of the headlines and out of people’s minds.

Other Contenders for America’s Best-Selling Make

We already mentioned that Ford and Toyota dominate the auto industry. However, according to Kelley Blue Book, here were some of the best-selling cars of 2020:

• The GMC Sierra
• The Honda Civic
• The Chevrolet Equinox
• The Toyota Camry
• The Honda CR-V
• The Toyota RAV4
• The Dodge Ram pickup truck
• The Chevrolet Silverado

Resources note that Tesla’s line of cars is slowly making its way into the top 20 best-selling cars, narrowly missing the list last year.

The Worst-Selling Car Makes in the United States

Now that we’ve discussed the best-selling cars in America, here is a glimpse at some of the worst. According to USA Today, some of those vehicles include:

The Dodge Dart

The Dodge Dart only sold 16 models in 2019. Because of poor sales, the car was discontinued in 2019 by Fiat. Although it was only in production for four years, it quickly gained a reputation for:

• Having poor sensors
• Experiencing ignition coil problems
• Failing transmissions
• Having faulty gas caps

Once the car hit 25,000 miles, it would need hundreds of dollars in repairs.

The Jeep Patriot

Jeep is undeniably an American favorite, so you would think that the Jeep Patriot would do well. This was not the case. Similar to the Dodge Dart, it was discontinued and only sold 27 models in 2019.

The Chrysler 200

This bad boy only sold 48 units nationwide in 2019. It was discontinued after Fiat was less than impressed with its sales.

In Conclusion

While Toyota reigns supreme as one of the best-selling cars in the world, when it comes to the United States, Ford is king. There’s no resisting that four-wheel drive, spacious flatbed, and impressive horsepower.

Source: Plato