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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  Great Features, terrible reliability - 2013 Ford Fusion
  By mattj2125 - August 24 - 12:54 pm

  Transmission started jerking at 6,000 miles. Gas mileage not even close to advertised on window sticker. Features are out of this world for the price and the leather is great. Headliner screws keep coming loose and everything rattles in the car.

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  Rust Issues - 2005 Ford Escape
  By alexm80 - August 24 - 8:24 am

  We bought a 2005 Ford Escape off of craigslist knowing full well that it came with rust issues. At the time we bought it, the rust looked to be only cosmetic. But about after about 10 months, the rear right wheel well began to rust through and then rust away. Some of inner portion of the wheel well was gone and you could see the material used to line the inside of the vehicle. As a result, the rear right shock was barely hanging on and every time you hit a bump just right, there was a very loud popping sound coming from the area. Quotes to fix it were between $700 and $1600.

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  Solid truck- Ranger Extended cab 2006 XL V6 3.0 2WD - 2006 Ford Ranger
  By meatdowntown - August 23 - 9:38 pm

  I considered my 2006 ranger a solid truck. I am not impressed with the mileage, but I think I can live with it. I should have bought a 4x4 if I knew they were going to go out of the market, but oh well. I was ready to trade it in about two months ago and realized that the only competitors (Toyota and Nissan) have the same problems with fuel economy and dated models. They have added fun stuff like USB ports, etc but cruise control is still optional? That is kind of crazy. Pros: It handles well on the highway, low price compared to the Japanese models, cheap repairs. Cons: no cruise control, no steering wheel with positions adjustment, questionable fuel economy, clunky ride, bad brakes.

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  Best suv ever - 2003 Ford Explorer
  By devildog8821 - August 22 - 6:06 pm

  I absolutely love my explorer had it for 2 years and no major problems bought it when it had 75000 miles on it and it now has 115000 miles. One thing I learned is its not the vehicle its the driver that makes stupid mistakes. Just cause its an suv doesnt mean its meant for off road use. I also disagree with the gas mileage I have the 4.6 v8 and it gets 17.2 in the city and 24 on the highway absolutely love the fact that when I fill it u p it says 387 miles to empty and it only costs about 65 to fill it up. Absolutely love it!!!

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  5 years and going strong - 2009 Ford F-150
  By james_neil - August 22 - 9:48 am

  so far the most reliable truck I have ever own in Canada

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  F150 for life - 2005 Ford F-150
  By f150freak - August 21 - 5:30 pm

  This is my second F150 Ive owned and Im so happy with the results! These trucks offer both power, longevity and reliability. Im at 118k miles, owned this for 2 years and havent seen a single problem (aside from a cylinder mis-fire which turned out to be a spark plug out of place) I love the look of the truck and the 5.4 is the dominator! The power behind the wheel is awesome, Ive taken other (stock) trucks and not that speed is everything, but it holds its own and cleans their clocks. I would absolutely recommend this truck to anyone looking for a lighter truck (non-diesel) that will tow and is fun to drive.

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  The Dream Car - 2007 Ford Explorer
  By memartin7 - August 20 - 2:01 pm

  I love this 4th generation Explorer the most out of all of them. The interior and exterior is designed to my liking as well as the ride and handling. I was concerned the vehicle looks narrow, but its very spacious and "wide-looking" once you get inside. The reliability is good until you reach a certain mileage range (100-120k) where a lot of age related repairs come to play. My only issues that are not typical is the LED radio display going out and the power running boards failing. But, after they are fixed, you are good to go another 100k miles. I would recommend this generation for someone in the market for a used car. Oh, and gas is better than expected. Dont be fooled by low mileage!

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  Everything You Didnt Expect - 2004 Ford Explorer
  By memartin7 - August 20 - 1:45 pm

  We bought our Explorer new, having owned both generations prior. This is by-far our favorite, and still sits in our driveway next to our 2007 Explorer today. We use ours for a daily driver and could not ask for a better vehicle given our needs. We have driven the majority of the time trouble free, but once we hit around the 110,000 - 125,000 mile marker, we started running into some issues, which is normal repairs that come with age. And despite the infamous transmission and tailgate cracking, we have encountered neither - but are aware that the problems exist. I would definitely purchase another one without hesitation. Its definitely a vehicle you will enjoy and want to keep.

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  Ecoboost blues - 2013 Ford F-150
  By linkdevon - August 19 - 7:24 pm

  Worst. Truck. Ever! Im on my SECOND, Ford bought back my first F150 because of issues with the engine "misfire" and "stumble" They cant fix these things! Mine has had numerous updates, reflashes, parts changed, and yet it still suffers from hesitations. Im also having problems with Sync, the A/C, and recently a driveline vibration and pulling to the right. Top it off with poor fuel economy nowhere near what Ford advertises! The final straw was results from a oil analysis, Other Ecoboost owners are having very high fuel dilution in their oil, mine is no different. I doubt these engines will live much past 100,000 miles.

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  Drives Like A Sports Car - 2015 Ford Explorer
  By dngrwill - August 18 - 8:23 am

  We just purchased a 2015 Explorer Sport. Surprised at the power and the launch speed. Even more surprised at the vehicles agility. The sport version drives like our Accord Coupe V6 but has a great amount of room. Ford has upgraded the leather they use (YEAH!) and the in-dash buttons look fantastic and are easy to use. My wife is thrilled with the purchase (her car) and keeps saying how nice it is to have an SUV again.