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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  Old Faithful with 200,000 miles - 1997 Ford Expedition
  By adeanhobdy - September 3 - 1:16 pm

  The car that doesnt die. If you want reliability, this car doesnt get the props it deserves. It keeps going. We bought the car in 2011. After purchasing it, we realized that it hadnt had regular maintenance. Had never even had a tuneup and had the original spark plugs. We were a little worried but it has never given us one problem. We even took it climbing a few times and it faired well. The one con is that it doesnt have the power I would like. We dont feel comfortable pulling our 25 foot trailer with it. We solved that by recently purchasing the Excursion. Hope the Excursion will be as reliable as the Expedition

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  Love my SUV - 2013 Ford Escape
  By rgtstylist - September 2 - 9:05 pm

  I have owned my Escape SEL almost a year. Yes I have had recalls, 4 in fact. But recalls are not unusual in the industry. Toyota Honda GM Hyundai etc have all had recalls. I love my SUV and the service Department at my Ford dealership is fantastic. Most of the gas mileage complaints seem to be coming from AWD models as I have read thru the reviews. My SUV is FWD and I have gotten over 30mpg with cruise control set on a highway ride. for the price of my SEL model that is really loaded I think it is a great choice for a smaller SUV. Power and handling with exceptional style.

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  Lemon, lemon, lemon - 2013 Ford Focus
  By sds5858 - September 2 - 2:22 pm

  I bought this brand new 2013 focus one year ago three months after I had it I had to put new tires on it because they were almost bald, then it started to shutter like my transmission was going out(they have finally recalled that part) terrible terrible terrible in the snow and now the air conditioning is out.. Mechanically This car is a piece of crap! DO NOT BUY THIS CAR RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN AWAY FROM IT!!!

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  Great Ride! - 2014 Ford Fusion
  By dagnab - August 30 - 5:21 pm

  We traded 2009 Fusion SEL for 2014 SE and love it. It is the Ecoboost model and get great mileage and power plus the great ride!!

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  Nice to look at, but thats it. - 2013 Ford Escape
  By ondemand26 - August 29 - 7:51 pm

  Bought this car in Oct 13. Very beautiful and a little out of my price range, but I decided to get it since it had every possible option on it. That was a mistake! This car has been out of service almost 2 weeks total and started having issues at 1,100 miles. Rattling in the front, wheel thumping and loud noise in strut sounds like its coming off after a sharp turn, hatch wont shut correctly, sync system randomly shuts off, blind spot monitoring system doesnt work sometimes or its incorrect. I have to second guess it constantly. The only nice thing is the way it looks inside and out. Interior storage space is virtually nonexistent and legroom up front isnt great.

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  Great Car For The Money, with minor flaws - 2008 Ford Fusion
  By milennia - August 27 - 12:39 pm

  Now owning this car for two years, and I am very satisfied. It currently has 92,000 miles. Pros: The V6 engine performs very well with the 6-speed automatic, the exterior ages really well, its not that expensive compared to the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, etc., and Im averaging 26.5 MPG (80% highway, 20% city). Very quiet interior, comfortable and smooth. Cons: The interior, imo, is a bit vanilla to my taste, also the door handle (on the driver side) is peeling . Another flaw is that the interior material under the airbag is starting to warp. Other than those flaws, its a very nice car, and I would recommend it.

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  Stay Away / Faulty Transmissions - 2013 Ford Focus
  By jack8384 - August 26 - 2:49 am

  I have the Focus SE sedan with the faulty automatic transmission. I bought it brand new and first noticed the transmission to start acting crazy around 4500 miles. Ive read many similar complaints and see that Ford wont correct the problem. They issued a TSB on these trannies only to replace the clutch pack which doesnt help. They say its the way its designed to operate and theres no fix. WHAT ? Then why issue the TSB ? When I test drove the car it didnt do this. I would have stayed away then. Car lunges forward at stops, backs up by itself without giving it gas, the shift shuttering/slipping is the biggest problem.

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  Best Ford ever - 2009 Ford Taurus
  By carguy1654 - August 25 - 5:16 pm

  Lets just say its the most comfortable car Ive ever drove. You can feel the road and feel on top of the car. VERY roomy. Im over 6 ft. And 250 pounds and I can sit in the back seat no problem. I can get 30 mpg on it. Horsepower is insane. If you are debating over the Five Hundred, get a taurus. WAY more horsepower and weirdly more comfortable for having almost the same interior. Also more stylish and reliable than the 500. I have a friend who has a Five hundred with a CVT transmission and it has gone out times. With the taurus, they replaced it with a 6 speed transmission so you wont have that problem. Then only 500s without trans Problems is the limited with 6 speed trans. Get taurus.

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  Focus legacy - 2008 Ford Focus
  By carguy1654 - August 25 - 5:02 pm

  Purchased my 2008 focus SE last summer. It has been so great! 40 miles to the gallon is a plus. It is actually my 2nd focus my first being a 2000. I put 200k on my 2000 and so far 20k on my 2008. Defiantly a HUGE step up. Way better horse power and very peppy style. I would not be afraid to drive either of them across the country tomorrow. Best compact car on the market. Never had a problem with any of my focuss. In a few more years I will be looking forward to buying a next generation focus

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  Should have stayed with Honda - 2013 Ford Focus
  By tamie45 - August 24 - 11:01 pm

  I bought a pre-owned 2013 Focus SE on June 18th 2014. I was initially impressed by the styling and that it was loaded with tech. Unfortunately, all the tech in the world could not make up for the DCT and how awful it was to drive. Even the tech left a lot to be desired. While I initially liked it, I found the controls for the infotainment system to be very hard to use while driving. The saving grace was that it had voice commands to bypass the very convoluted menu setup. It took less than two months to see the writing on the wall about this car and I traded it in for a Honda Civic. I ended up losing money because I traded it in so soon but it was the best decision ever!!