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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  Love it so far - 2014 Ford Fusion
  By jordan122011 - July 25 - 2:26 am

  I really thought I needed an SUV, but this car won me over. I have owned an older Fusion in the past that was ok. Its roomy yet gets great gas mileage. I average 32mpg highway and coming from larger vehicles that is awesome to me.

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  Too many things gone wrong - 2005 Ford Escape
  By johnny_canuck - July 24 - 5:02 pm

  Bought in August 2012 with roughly 70k miles, heres what has gone wrong: - one tie rod, other is now in need of replacing - hole in exhaust - fuel pump - spark plugs - front brakes now need replace - transmission is clunking In not even two years, ugh. It cannot handle the 3,500 lbs it says it can, bad mileage, just awful.

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  Poorly Assembled and poor quality - 2014 Ford Fiesta
  By musicmitch - July 23 - 6:16 pm

  The front has a fully independent suspension, but rear has only a cheap beam in the back. And the rear bottoms out on bumps. Engine has Zero torque from A standstill when flooring the accelerator. The gas economy is not 29/39. My trip computer at 15,841 miles, says only 17mpg city and 26 on the highway - I challenge Ford to come and look. The only way this car could have ever gotten the epa estimated 29/39 is, in my opinion, with an anorexic, midget, driver and the only thing in the rest of the car including the trunk was a toothpick. lol. The transmission was rebuilt after only 12,000 miles. The grinding noise continues which is the result of duel clutches

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  NEVER AGAIN FORD - BUY FROM YOU - 2013 Ford Fiesta
  By musicmitch - July 23 - 1:18 am

  The front has a fully independent suspension, but rear has only a cheap beam in the back. And the rear bottoms out on bumps. Engine has no torque from A standstill when flooring the accelerator, almost had two accidents The gas economy is not 29/39. My trip computer at 15,841 miles, says only 17mpg city and 26 on the highway. The only way this car could have ever gotten the epa estimated 29/39 is, in my opinion, with an anorexic, midget, driver and the only thing in the rest of the car including the trunk was a toothpick. lol. The transmission was rebuilt after only 12,000 miles. The grinding noise continues which is the result of duel clutches.

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  Be Warned - 2013 Ford Escape
  By ken117 - July 20 - 3:58 am

  Had a 2013 Ford Escape since April 2103. Got rid of it in July 2014. I was fooled by the seemingly positive reviews which swayed me over past experiences with Ford. Five recalls and a seemingly endless list series of issues. Some small like defective trim to some not so small. Things like the radio volumn which was never satisfactory or an issue with the cooling system which took three days to fix. Thankfully, the thing was still under warranty. Knowing Ford, I owned three previous Ford mistakes, better to trade. Seriously, my BMW had way fewer issues than this Ford. Ford, never again!

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  Eh.. it was okay. - 2006 Ford Fusion
  By dscarchick - July 18 - 6:50 pm

  We got this car used after our bankruptcy discharged. We arent big fans of Ford but I must say it proved to be a very reliable car. We only owned it for 2 years but we never had any big issues. Cosmetically, little things fell apart like the paint on the shifter peeled off. Also the cd player ate cds which I hear was a problem in a lot of Fords not just Fusions. One of the interior back door locks stopped working one day as well and the dealer said it would be over $200 to fix so we just lived with it. For a mid sized car it delivered and did what it was supposed to do. Its not a sports car but if you want a point a to b and occasionally c, its a decent buy.

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  Great Vehicle for Price - 2014 Ford Explorer
  By johndaily - July 18 - 10:32 am

  Had my 2013 Explorer Base - AWD - for a little over a year. The car has performed perfectly for me. Plenty of pick up & power between 3-4RPM but your MPG will hurt. I can average 19-20MPG Compbined City & HWY. The interior blows away the Chevy competition, cant speak towards dodge and other direct competitors. So far the only issue ive had has been with the gas tank. Car infront of me lost its muffler and i couldnt avoid. it struck my gas tank causing the sending unit to fail. a $25 part cost me almost $500 because of the time to take down the sattle style gas tank.

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  Explorer Quality is Poor - 2012 Ford Explorer
  By kvella - July 17 - 10:23 am

  Purchased a Ford Explorer in January 2012. Within three weeks started experiencing steering problems. Also had seat defects requiring repairs. Ford announced a recall for power steering defects in May 2014. Still fighting with Ford for reimbursement of incurred repair expenses. Interior quality is poor with fading and split seams after only 2.5 years. Overall disappointed with Fords quality and customer service.

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  Happy With the F150 After 5 Years - 2009 Ford F-150
  By arcticdriver - July 16 - 12:35 pm

  I bought my 09 FX4 S/crew 5.4L in August 2009, to date its been the best truck Ive owned. I did have a problem with water coming in the cab through the windshield the 1st year that was promptly fixed, and the a/c clutch went out and was fixed under warranty as well. Other than that its been a great truck. I tow a 7000 lb travel travel trailer around Alaska and northern BC and it handles towing up incredibly steep and long grades coming up mountain passes from the coast easily. It also handles the 700 km gravel surface Dempster highway going up to the arctic ocean just as well as it does starting and driving in temperatures of -40 or colder. I plan on keeping this truck indefinately.

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  My first and last Ford truck - 2013 Ford F-150
  By chiefsss - July 16 - 11:45 am

  13 F-150 Crew 4X4 Eco-boost V6, all at 15K service: The rotors had to be turned due to vibration on braking. After never hitting anything that would cause the alignment to be out of spec, the alignment cost me nearly $500 (for a camber kit installation) because the factory equip. could not be adjusted to the proper correction. Driver outside door handle must be replaced - have to pull twice to open. Driver door molding/seal replaced A/C not cold in hot weather. SYNC sucks Occasional power hesitation on start from stop-sign Various rattles within the cabin Heat-recirc. turns off after 5 min in winter