The carmaker had a profit of $5.5 billion as sales of its electric vehicles continued to surge, especially in China and Europe.
The yawning disparity between the performance of the electric car company and established automakers last year reflects the technological change roiling the industry.
After struggling to produce cars because of a global computer chip shortage, automakers are trying to move quickly to making electric vehicles.
The electric-car maker managed substantial growth as Europe and China increasingly propelled sales.
The company, which began trading on the stock exchange last month, said it lost $1.2 billion in the third quarter.
The automaker also reported a big jump in revenue, to $13.8 billion from $8.8 billion a year ago, as sales of the Model Y continue to rise.
The electric-car maker has weathered the global shortage of semiconductors better than more established rivals.
Ford has had to halt or slow production of highly profitable models like the F-150 pickup truck and various sport-utility vehicles.
The electric car company made $1 billion in the second quarter as its revenue roughly doubled from the same period a year earlier.
Tesla said sales doubled in the second quarter, but Ford reported a more modest increase as the industry grapples with a semiconductor shortage.