Overview & Reviews

For more than 100 years now, Ford Motor Company has been selling mass-produced automobiles in the United States and around the globe. Known as one of the Big Three American manufacturers, Ford has attracted millions of loyal customers with a wide range of vehicles that offer considerable value. The automaker's trucks and SUVs have been especially popular. For decades, Ford's F-Series truck has been the best-selling vehicle in America.

The company was founded by Henry Ford in 1903. Ford dreamed of building a car for the masses, and that's precisely what he did, most notably with the immortal Model T of 1908-'27. The latter was bought by 16.5 million Americans during its 20-year lifespan and was affordable enough for Ford's own factory workers to purchase. Ford's early years were also distinguished by its introduction of the moving assembly line. It was the first to utilize this more cost-effective method of production, and its innovation became a mainstay of the manufacturing process.

Ford expanded into the luxury-car market with its purchase of Lincoln Motor Company in 1925. Over the next few years, the company broadened its focus even further by creating the Mercury division to produce mid-priced cars. By the late '30s, Ford had unveiled the stylish Lincoln Zephyr, introduced a low-priced V8 engine and built more than 25 million vehicles.

The 1950s saw the introduction of the legendary Thunderbird. Offering sleek styling and spirited performance wedded to available luxury features like power windows and a signal-seeking radio, the car was a huge hit. Another model of that decade, the Edsel, met with a somewhat less enthusiastic reception. In the wake of abysmal sales, the Edsel was discontinued just a few months into its third model year.

Ford regained its footing in the early 1960s with the introduction of the compact Falcon, a model that was warmly received by the public. By the middle of the decade the automaker had given enthusiasts something to cheer about with the launch of the sporty Mustang, a car that went on to become one of the biggest sellers of its day. Buyers adored the Mustang's low price, available powerful V8 engines and sporty styling. The Mustang even created a brand-new vehicle category: the pony car.

By the 1970s, Ford, like other domestic automakers, was starting to suffer the effects of changing consumer tastes and new government regulations. Many of its cars became shadows of their former selves. But the seeds of rebirth were planted in this decade. In 1979, the company acquired a stake in Mazda; this move would later aid Ford significantly in co-development projects. The company also emerged with a new mindset of global competitiveness.

By the mid-to-late '80s, Ford was showing new strength with its popular Escort and Taurus models while further expanding its empire with the purchase of the Aston Martin and Jaguar brands. Meanwhile, its full-size LTD sedan (later renamed the Crown Victoria) remained a staple of taxi companies and police forces throughout America.

Ford rode a wave of popularity in the 1990s, thanks in part to the huge success of its Explorer midsize SUV. The truck played a huge role in ushering in the era of the SUV. In 1999, Ford expanded its family yet again with the purchase of Volvo's car division, and, in 2000, it acquired Land Rover. For awhile, there was talk of Ford even taking General Motors' spot as the No. 1 automaker in the world.

But the new millennium initially saw a downturn for Ford. Increased competition, a continuing operating loss for Jaguar, legacy costs and a reliance on SUVs for profit took their toll. To compensate, the company sold Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo and introduced a wave of successful new products. Models like the F-150, Fusion, Fiesta, Focus, Flex and Mustang have allowed Ford to regain its health and standing as a very competitive manufacturer.

User Reviews:

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  Long may you run - 1995 Ford Aspire
  By aspirerich@yahoo.com - December 26 - 6:49 pm

  I bought my 95 Aspire in 1997 with 11,000 original miles on it. It wasnt fancy but it had a lot more room than I expected. The greatest thing about it was it allways ran. It got me thru blizzards, hail storms and city traffic. My son just texted me a picture of the aspire before he took it to the UPULLIT lot. I felt like I was losing a friend. Long may you run-long may you run!

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  Easy to work on - 2008 Ford Ranger
  By Jason - December 26 - 3:28 pm

  My second ranger, bought first one new in 99 and drove it 14 years. This one is AUTO with CC. It was wrecked, but Ive had no issues. The 2.3L is pretty pathetic, but I get 25+ mpg. The parts are cheap and its easy to work on, simple is good. I bought it with 45K in 2010 and put 50K on it. The only thing that broke was the heater/AC fan clicks if not adjusted right after riding on a bumpy road. Ive changed front rotors, breaks and bearings, all the shocks and struts, the rear diff fluid, AT fuild and filter, plugs and wires, and flushed radiator. I did cause a steering pump leak by putting radiator flush in it, but theyre only 60 bucks. It is VERY easy to work on, I am not a mechanic. Ive towed/loaded heavy stuff and ripped up stumps. She will run. Its really small on the inside. Rangers are awesome and reliable.

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  Satisfied customer - 2013 Ford Escape
  By Steve - December 26 - 4:54 am

  We purchased a new Escape (August 2013) after owning a previous model for 10 years (~130,000 miles, engine gave out after teenage son drove in spite of loss of radiator fluid due to a punctured hose). The newer model is more comfortable and quieter. The car is very peppy and fun to drive (2.0 L engine). We get much better mpg on the highway in the new car (26 - 30) than in the older car (20 - 22 3.5 L V6), but city mpg is not so good in the new car (~15 mpg). We have had no mechanical problems (23,000 miles 2.5 years) and the few recall notices have been taken care of when getting an oil change (yes, the dealer is more expensive than the local oil change joint, but after factoring in convenience and a courtesy vacuum and car wash, it is not too terribly expensive - we like our dealer, one of the reasons we buy Fords). Handles fantastic in the snow (this weekend had 8-10 inches). Rear visibility is not great because of the small slanted back windows, but I noticed this in almost all the new small cross-over SUVs that I test drove (in fact one must look carefully to tell the exterior difference between an Escape and a RAV4). We have been pleased with the cargo capacity when the rear seats are down (it is not like the Expedition, but for a small SUV, it is very roomy). We are not much into the SYNC technology, but have had no troubles (although I still find it jarring when the radio is interrupted by an incoming call - but then I dont like to talk on the phone when I drive, hands free or not). The radio controls are a little complicated, but once we figured out the items we like to change, it is not so bad. Although the car is not perfect (I have never owned one that was), I am more than pleased with the purchased and would consider buying another when this one gives out (assuming it also makes it to over 100,000 miles).

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  Coco the focus - 2009 Ford Focus
  By Tyler - December 26 - 2:31 am

  This is a great car for a first time driver or small family. Im 20 years old and I needed to upgrade really bad. I was driving a 1993 cavalier. I didnt have a lot of money to spend and I wanted t dependable car. So after looking and looking, I found a 2009 1 owner focus with 46k miles. This was just 9 months ago. Ive already drove 16k miles! This is a great car. I do have the base model but that helped with the price.

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  Will not die - 1993 Ford Festiva
  By Neil.hutchison - December 25 - 7:19 pm

  I have owned three,my brother three and brother in-law fixes them for resale. We all love them! To many miles on all of them never saw one die! Best combo fuel injection paired with a five speed manual.

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  DAVE05777 - 2015 Ford F-150
  By Dave puhalla - December 25 - 1:55 pm

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  Very happy after 4,000 miles - 2015 Ford F-150
  By Matt - December 25 - 10:20 am

  I grew up driving a Chevy heavy-half ton and used to tease Ford owners. But Im an adult and decided to buy the best truck regardless of its badge. I have never seen a pickup truck amaze people like this does. Im averaging 21 mpg, my best tank was 23 so far. I do drive it easy, maybe 70% highway but I get into traffic and live in hilly Western PA. The fuel economy is impressive, but this thing has a lot of power, especially out of the gate. My friend was not happy when I bested his GMC v8 two weeks ago. If the aluminium, turbos and auto-start/stop dont impact reliability too much, then this truck has made all the others obsolete. Only time will tell, though I trusted that Ford engineers would do their homework cause their betting the company on it.

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  Fun at first! Nightmare when things go wrong! - 2015 Ford Edge
  By phil - December 24 - 1:01 pm

  I had my Ford Edge Edge towed to the local Ford dealership here in Idaho Falls, ID on November 23rd. It is now December 24th and it is sitting at the dealership under a couple feet of snow. I have just made my car payment for my reliable Ford vehicle. Two modules went out that control the remote entry and the push button ignition. I was stranded in the middle of winter with no heat and had to call for a tow. The dealership has been horrible with communication. I was sent to my regional customer service representative who said he would work on getting the part here faster. I was told the part would be here on December 17th. I finally called that evening to find out that the weather has slowed the shipping and it should be in on the 18th. Apparently the mule they are using walks very slow cause the shipment came in last night. It is now almost 11:09 am in Idaho and they still have not located the part. No vehicle for the weekend! Repairs made this year on my Ford Edge: -Main system that runs my climate and radio had to be replaced. -Rails on panoramic roof needed replacement. -Alarm stopped working on automatic tailgate stopped working. -Brake Booster tore. Known problem. -PTU seal leaking and stinks up car. Known problem -Two modules went out on remote entry and ignition. This caused my battery to fry and needed replacement. ****Please read the car complaints forums before you buy a Ford Edge***** I would not recommend this vehicle to a friend or family member!

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  Instruments somewhat hard to read - 2007 Ford Explorer
  By Richard Hedman - December 23 - 5:05 pm

  the steering wheel somewhat blocks the gas gauge difficult to read the speedometer because of the way its illuminated. The cruise controls are awkward to set (located on left spoke of the steering wheel).

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  Wort Vehicle Ive Ever Owned - 2006 Ford F-150
  By Stewart - December 23 - 8:33 am

  My 2006 FORD F150 4X$ 4.6 motor was probably the best looking land-boat (break out another thousand) that I ever owned. I purchased it as a lease return in 2008 with 26,000 miles on the odometer. Within 30 days the four wheel drive crapped out, costing the dealer $1,800.00 to repair. At another 30 days the instrument cluster dies and I had to wait two months for a new one. Three months later the left front vacuum operated locking hub froze and had to be replaced. Apparently this was a once a year issue for me (owned the truck for 5 years) as water and crud would work its way into the sealed unit. Then both front window regulators starting squealing so bad everytime the window went up or down, that they were replaced. Then the posi rear-end stopped being posi and the clutch disks had to be replaced. Then the real fun started. At about 120K miles the alternator died on the way to work. It was replaced but the the truck would engage in four wheel drive all by itself and the alternator would discharge all the way. Id have to stop the truck and shut everything off. Re-start and then wait (usually within minutes) before the whole sequence would start all over again. Three alternators later.....same thing. Traded it in on a RAM.