Ford Motor Company
F
Consumer Discretionary
5
exclusion reasons
4 themes
This page is part of our public exclusion list — a transparency tool that shows which companies we screen out and why. It is not investment advice, and it is not an accusation. But it is subject to change as our understanding of the facts evolves.
Ford Motor Company paid $365M in March 2024 to settle customs fraud charges for systematically evading import duties on Transit Connect cargo vans manufactured in Turkey. From 2009 onward, Ford outfitted the vans with sham passenger seats designed to be removed immediately after clearing customs, misclassifying them as "passenger vehicles" (2.5% tariff) instead of light-duty cargo vehicles (25% tariff). Just over half the settlement ($183.5M) was restitution for owed duties. The scheme was exposed by a whistleblower. A separate $12.8M FCPA-related settlement for foreign bribery violations is recorded on ViolationTracker.
Ford was hit with a $2.5B jury verdict in 2022 over a fatal rollover crash caused by a defective roof structure. Ford has a decades-long history of product defect deaths including the Pinto fuel tank fires.
Ford Motor Company has a documented history of unfair labor practices, including NLRB complaints and the landmark Supreme Court case NLRB v. Ford Motor Co. (1979). The company has faced ongoing charges of anti-union conduct and interference with worker organizing rights.
Supplies vehicles to Israeli military and police that are armored and retrofitted for combat operations in occupied territories. Ford F-350 trucks serve as the platform for SandCat light armored vehicles used in Gaza and the West Bank, the Segev unmanned ground combat vehicle patrolling the Gaza barrier, and Wolf armored personnel carriers deployed throughout occupied Palestine since 2006.
Ford vehicles are the base platform for the SandCat armored vehicle and Elbit's Segev unmanned combat vehicle — both deployed by Israeli forces. SandCat units were delivered to Israel in December 2023 during active Gaza operations. Ford has not restricted these downstream military applications of its commercial platforms.
Research Sources
8 organizations
Related Exclusions
Wondering what we do invest in?
The Naughty List
A digest of changes to our exclusion list — new additions, removals, and the evidence behind them. We review the list continuously as new evidence surfaces.
Companies appear on our exclusion list based on our investment judgment — not because they've done anything illegal. This is a difference of values and opinion, not an accusation of wrongdoing. Exclusion does not constitute a recommendation against investing in any company, and absence from the list does not constitute a recommendation to invest.
This information is provided for educational and transparency purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice. Data is drawn from independent watchdogs, NGOs, government registries, and Ethical Capital's ongoing research — see Research Sources for the full list.
Ethical Capital LLC is a state-registered investment adviser in Utah (CRD #316032). Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training.