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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  Already Replaced Left Turbo - 2010 Ford Flex
  By kjhgr01 - January 27 - 6:44 pm

  I had to wait 3 months to get my Flex built. Steel Blue with Black Charcoal leather. So far so good. I would never think I would own a Ford. I owned many Honda & Acura and one Volvo. I always despite the Ford products because of safety issues. I never felt more safe in that box! The front brakes are kinda weird when humidity is high or wet. I average about 18 - 19 mpg with the A/C on, and about 20 - 21 mpg when A/C is off. At 22500 miles I had to replace the left turbo (leaked oil), an A/C line and a radiator shroud (technician broke it while trying to reassemble the turbo.) I have been using Mobil 1 full synthetic oil since the 2nd oil change. Fortunately my Ford dealer is nice.

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  Tapping engine sound in truck cab. - 2010 Ford F-150
  By scottnflorida - January 24 - 1:55 pm

  Bought this truck in May 2010. about 5 months later, I start hearing a tapping sound coming from the engine compartment. I figure, no problem. Probably just need to adjust a lifter. I take it into the local Ford dealer and they tell me that Ford has a service bulletin on it. Ford is aware of the noise tapping problem and has determined that this is normal and wont harm the engine or its components. If I heard that tapping when I first looked at the truck, I never would have bought it. After calling Ford, the company refuses to repair or fix the tapping noise. I hope Im able to sell this truck now and convince a buyer that tapping from the engine compartment is "Normal" for Ford trucks.

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  Good Car - 2007 Ford Fusion
  By andrewland2003 - January 20 - 12:53 pm

  I bought my used 07 Fusion in July of 08. Its been a very good car, except for the times that Ive had to take it in to the dealership to have the control arms fixed, several times. No problem though, I bought the extended warranty when I bought the car, which has cover all but $100 of my expenses, and my local Ford dealership (Bartow Ford) hasnt given me any problem with getting a loner car. Ford has really won me over with this car, and their customer service.

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  update from review on 12/24 - 2011 Ford Explorer
  By feels_good - January 18 - 10:22 am

  This is an update on my 2011 ford explorer that I originally posted on 12/24/10. No after having the vehicle for 4 weeks and almost 2000 miles I feel everyone should know about the many bugs in the ford mytouch system. This feature is definitely not what Ford has advertised. The clock is constantly wrong on the display, when starting the vehicle the volume goes crazy and very high/loud. Also, many issues with syncing phone via bluetooth. Often the screen will freeze up when trying to connect my phone...and the problem is not with the phone because same issue occurs with other phones. When driving vehicle screen will sometimes simply "black out". Taking vehicle to dealer tomorrow.

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  truck that wont stop - 1991 Ford Ranger
  By will_walk - January 16 - 12:30 pm

  im 18, father gave me this truck when i was 17 nev failed me milage read apprx. 745,367 mi. love the acceleration of the manual tranny. i can blow most cars off the road.

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  Good Truck! - 2007 Ford Ranger
  By miamioolite - January 15 - 4:37 pm

  Good, basic, truck. No real mechanical problems, I had the tow package so the rear end was squirrely without some weight in the back. The gear box felt like it was taken out of a Sherman tank but it was solid and always worked. The ride is...well rough but, its a truck. the seats are great the radio was great and the clearance and 4WD were excellent. I drove it around forest service roads in Montana for a year and never got stuck, not even close. This is a good all around truck. Not a refined driving experience...but hey,its a truck. Gripes? only small ones, the rear window always whistled...and you can see the jagged edges of the sheet metal on the body. Need a SMALL solid truck this is it

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  fun car to have - 1999 Ford Contour
  By gooddriver250 - January 14 - 11:04 pm

  This is a fun car too have it gets you to where you need to go. Few problems but nothing big. I have about 11,000 miles on it and it still drives like I just got it. I don`t cool in it but its a ride and it beats riding the bus every morning for school. Need to replace the muffler system but I been needing an excuse to get a louder muffler. Good car handles great and its the only car I will ever trust in the snow and rain. Thats big, but you got to remember its a FORD!

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  2011 V6 Mustang-Hesitation - 2011 Ford Mustang
  By richardzuccaro - January 14 - 2:20 pm

  Overall my 2011 V6 Mustang with automatic transmission is a really fine car EXCEPT for the 1-2 second hesitation when trying to accelerate suddenly for passing or entering a highway. The dealer claims its probably only a half-second delay but I confirmed again its close to 2 seconds. At age 61 I am not drag racing. This hesitation has been quite dangerous several times( praise the Lord for his protection)before accelerating like my first new muscle car, a 1969 GTO. I was a part-time auto mechanic in 69-70 and will research the possible cause since the Ford dealer has failed me.

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  NOT Getting My Moneys Worth Anymore - 2004 Ford Explorer
  By wnyfordguy - January 14 - 1:07 pm

  Since my 1st review 1 yr and 8 mos ago, it has cost over $4500 to maintain this SUV. Dont get me wrong - its still very functional & great to drive. Its never left me stranded. But only 15k miles more (67k) of soft driving turned it into a money pit. Best ($$$) Goodyear Fortera TripleTred tires only lasted 29k, lots of brake work, rear bearings (fronts went at 50k), and last & certainly not least, just got a rebuilt tranny. Ive owned 12 Fords since 1984, not one a lemon, but this comes the closest. Dont buy one of the 02-06 models unless you have $$$ to spend on repairs.

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  Fusion Avis rental - 2011 Ford Fusion
  By carman14 - January 11 - 3:25 pm

  Just thought I put my two bits in. Just rented Ford Fusion from rental company for business. car rides on rails and pick up is fast . Overall quality is there but interior design of dash needs some work. Buttons for us baby boomers need to be legible and readable. Also HVAC controls are confusing and near bottom of stack (hard to read and reach). Dash is not impressive and tach and speedometer look like it belongs on a go-cart. Door sill not finished and cheap looking. Overall car rides great and has appeal.