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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  If quality is not an issue then buy one - 2002 Ford Explorer
  By Jack - April 6 - 2:43 pm

  Today is a great day as I finally unloaded my Explorer for a new Lexus. I really liked the look of the Explorer however the parts quality is very suspect. Even though mine only had 50,000 miles the drivetrain acted as if it had 150,000 miles. How Ford could build a vehicle with such poor quality interior parts is beyond me. I guess thats why Toyota is eating their lunch.

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  Stinks - 2003 Ford Expedition
  By Need Outta This SUV - April 4 - 1:01 pm

  I have only had this a couple of months and its ridiculous the amount of problems I have already had with this thing. It stinks on gas, I put in $20 every other day, $300 a month. The mechanical probs Ive had are: the mirrors, they constantly move when turning on and off car, they even did it while Reversing (can be shut off), rough engine idle, and motion detector is really sensitive even when there is more room. RV mirrors wont go back into position, they look up at the sky when I get in my car, so I have to adjust often.

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  Good While it Lasted, but in Shop a Lot - 1990 Ford Escort
  By Breaks Every 3 month - April 3 - 2:42 pm

  I bought this car with 71,000 miles on it. Now, 3 and a half years later, it has almost 103,000 miles. However, I have spent over $1,500 in repairs in the years I owned it. (Bought it for $1,200). I have replaced a ball joint, the fuel pump, spark plug wires, starter, brake line, and the throttle. When I replaced it with a Nissan, the exhaust (at the exhaust manifold) was going bad. Good car, but only if you want to spend lots of money in repairs, and only if you want to be in the shop with it every other month.

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  Bad car - 1996 Ford Escort
  By Gail - March 31 - 10:21 am

  Since I brought this car, it left me sit for belts going, I had the a/c fixed. Now I cannot even drive it started with 200.00 tune-up now up to 1,400, something about the number 4 cylinder, had head fixed, went again without leaving the garage, still not working. Might send it to the bone yard. All this at 84,000 miles I expected better.

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  Awful - 2003 Ford Focus
  By Richard - March 27 - 12:26 pm

  Picked this up just over a year ago with 38,000 miles on it & over a year of original powertrain warranty left. Since then, its been into the shop many times. Ive spent over $3,000 repairing this vehicle, replacing the a/c compressor, the a/c condenser, the alternator, the tensioner pulley, & the front sway bars amongst other things. None of the repairs were covered by the warranty. The car now has 47,300 miles on it, & I cant wait to trade it in. In my opinion, I think that overall, its a good idea poorly executed, put together with poor quality parts.

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  Yum, I like to eat tires - 2005 Ford Ranger
  By Mike - March 26 - 7:45 pm

  I bought my little 4 cyl. for about 10k. It has nothing but ac, spray in bedliner, and a cd player. I like the interior and the seats okay. My problem is it always eats the tires. I have the tires rotated, and the alignment check over and over and yet it still eats the inside of the front left. Ford says there is nothing wrong with it.. You get what you pay for. I want something new but my wife wont let me get anything worthwhile and we dont have much money so 10k is 10k. Stay away if you arent poor like me.

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  Silent killer - 2004 Ford F-150
  By bill - March 26 - 6:35 pm

  Its a good handling truck overall. The only thing is it wears tires out fast and the front end shakes a lot. The engine at 100,000 miles had a tune up and it cost 1,800 dollars we had to replace 3 coils on the plugs. At 116,000 miles the motor went out and we spent 7,000 dollars on a new motor. The Ford company says the motors have very tight tolerances and have no room for error. The oil gummed up in the oil pan and stopped up the return tubes not allowing the oil to drain back down to the bottom end. So the oil pump failed and the cam phasers went then the bottom end. Most mechanics say its a bad design on the motor.

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  2001 ford focus - 2004 Ford Focus
  By cab - March 23 - 2:00 am

  I have a 2001 Ford Focus. I have the high performance tires on the car which suck if you live in the Northeast. They are horrible on bumps and have had bubbles in them caused by hitting potholes. Hello this is the notrtheast. If the tire can not take potholes then dont sell cars with that type of tires in the northeasr. sell them only in phoenix. I have had constant emission problems. Thank god they were covered by the warranty. The paint has rusted & chipped out by the trunck. Which was covered by warranty. At 40,000 miles my starter went and i had to pu a new one in .

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  STINK BOMB - 2000 Ford Focus
  By ELAWTON3 - March 23 - 2:00 am

  AFTER DRIVING MY CAR FOR SIX MONTHS I AM VERY DISPLEASED. UNDER ACCELERATION THERE IS A BAD SULFUR SMELL THAT NEITHER THE DEALER OR FORD CAN EXPLAIN. BECAUSE THE DIAGNOSTIC MACHINES SAY THE CAR IS PERFORMING PROPER THEY WONT DO ANYTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEMS.

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  needs help - 2000 Ford Focus
  By lips - March 23 - 2:00 am

  needs alot of help. not very reliable. in the shop more than the road.