Based on the aggregated intelligence of 160,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, American auto giant Ford Motor (NYSE: F) has received a distressing two-star ranking.

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at Ford's business and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.

Ford facts

Headquarters (Founded)

Dearborn, Mich. (1903)

Market Cap

$43.6 billion

Industry

Automobile manufacturers

Trailing-12-Month Revenue

$118.3 billion

Management

President/CEO Alan Mulally (since 2006)

CFO Lewis Booth (since 2008)

Return on Capital (Average, Past 3 Years)

(1.1%)

Compound Annual Revenue Growth (Over Past 3 Years)

(9.6%)

1-Year Return

339%

Competitors

Toyota Motor (NYSE: TM)

Honda Motor (NYSE: HMC)

Daimler (NYSE: DAI)

Highly Rated Automotive Plays

Tata Motors (NYSE: TTM)

Spartan Motors (Nasdaq: SPAR)

SORL Auto Parts (Nasdaq: SORL)

Sources: Capital IQ (a division of Standard & Poor's) and Motley Fool CAPS.

On CAPS, 19% of the 1,764 All-Star members who have rated Ford believe the stock will underperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bears include valuemoney and mrindependent, both of whom are ranked in the top 1% of our community.

About a month ago, valuemoney reminded Fools of the company's long history of losses: "I would love to buy [Ford] for 38.79 billion. NOT! If I owned Ford over these last ten years guess what my net income would have been? NEGATIVE $21.2 billion dollars. WOW what a deal. What a return on my investment."

In a direct reply to that pitch, mrindependent takes a more balanced bear stance. Here's an excerpt:

I think Alan Mulally is a first class CEO and he has obviously made huge strides. ... So where does that leave an investor now? I think you are correct that Ford's chances of outperforming the market over the long-term are low. Their product is a commodity. Price is everything. Also, the company needs to use its earnings to pay down mountains of debt. There really isn't much left for shareholders. On the other hand, I think the "good news" effect will tend to buoy Ford's stock price for awhile so I am a little reluctant to red thumb this stock myself.

What do you think about Ford, or any other stock for that matter? If you want to retire rich, you need to protect your portfolio from any undue risk. Staying away from dangerous stocks is crucial to securing your financial future, and on Motley Fool CAPS, thousands of investors are working every day to flag them. CAPS is 100% free, so get started!