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:

• 

  Its like having a terrible child - 1995 Ford Bronco
  By tmaynard95 - January 9 - 2:25 pm

  I have a 1995 5.0 v8 automatic Bronco (in blue) with 125k miles and have had it for three years and was my fathers since 2001. I love it, but there are ALWAYS problems with it. I would get rid of it if it werent my baby, i guess its like people and their BMWs. Its had the tranmission rebuilt, the fuel pump has gone out several times, the heater core has gone out the last two years in a row, my motor mounts loosened causing both front and rear u-joints to go bad, the a/c system has been replaced, and most recently, there is a strong gasoline odor when I accelerate. Also, when it rains all sorts of problems occur, such as my airbag light blinking and the door ding noise gets elongated.

• 

  Tranny Troubles - 2010 Ford Escape
  By winter_driver - January 1 - 11:52 am

  Bought new. Exactly the kind of vehicle I needed...big windows, AWD, fuel efficient, cargo space...just right for my cold climate. The 4-banger is fine around the city though its a slow accelerator off the line and when merging into traffic. V6 was probably a better choice. 1st problem right away was a vibration at about 50 mph. Turned out to be an unbalanced drive shaft, which the dealer promptly corrected. Lots of tranny problems. Rebulit after 3-years. Problems returned less than a year later. Rebuilt again. Lots of similar stories online. When it works, I really like it, but deep down, I have little faith left in the vehicle.

• 

  Buy a Tundra or RAM - 2013 Ford F-150
  By andywx127 - December 20 - 7:47 pm

  My wife and I really like our Fusion and so I thought I give the F-150 a chance. I liked the way it drove and some of the options and decided to buy it. After my first two months of ownership, Ive had one recall, a driveshaft vibration and the gas gauge is all over the place. The Fords suspension absorbs bumps better than my old Tundra but the Ford tranny hunts more often than the bulletproof Tundra driveline and the 5.0L is no match for Toyotas 5.7L. Its these initial quality issues with Ford that drive buyers crazy. Fords F-150 division still doesnt get the importance of initial quality. Im forced to suck it up and keep this truck for a few years until I can buy another Tundra!

• 

  Endless Money Pit Do Not Buy - 2006 Ford Expedition
  By mustangep - December 17 - 9:47 pm

  Truck is in the shop more than on the road. Every month presents a different problem with the 2006 Expedition Limited. Last four months I replaced alternator went, coils, hub assembly left side, hub assembly right side, air conditioner compressor, steering wheel shaft and on and on. Will never purchase a Ford SUV again go Chevy.

• 

  limp mode - 2010 Ford Fusion
  By fisheye3 - December 14 - 12:58 am

  I did not learn that the engine powering this car is well-documernted for going into limp mode. This means you suddenly have no throttle response, just steering and brakes to get you to the side of the road. Ford dealer replaced the throttle body-3 days later, same problem. The service advisor informed that that nothing more would be done, since they couldnt replicate the condition, despite having found codes (they didnt say what codes). Bottim line-I have to pay off this car and buy another. Hopefully, I wont get screwed again.

• 

  First and last ford product - 2015 Ford Mustang
  By eco_bust - December 6 - 1:30 am

  I was in the market for a new car right around the time the mustang first arrived. If I could turn back time, I would undo the mistake I made by buying this car. Several things keep me from liking it cold brakes that squeal so loudly it literally hurts your ears, SUV/truck gas mileage, uncomfortable driving position, and the huge hood. I cant get more than 300 miles to a tank, unless its all highway, where mileage stretches to a whopping 29 mpg, best. As for the brakes, their answer after two days of "diagnosis" was, "they all do that." Its impossible to get comfortable, and hard to see over the landing dock of a hood. Theres no way I will keep this thing the full 36 months.

• 

  Roller Coaster - 2014 Ford Focus
  By johnk1978 - December 4 - 1:28 pm

  The transmission is horrible. They said it wouldnt be so jumpy after 1,000 miles. Well...now that Im at 4,000 I feel like Im riding on a roller coaster. I work a lot and now I have to find time to take it back again and have them figure it out. If they cant figure it out, it will become property of Ford. I cant wait for my lease to be up.

• 

  Disappointed!!!! - 2013 Ford Focus
  By finnigan1 - November 11 - 6:39 pm

  Horrible purchase. I previously owned a 2001 Ford Escape and experienced no issues, so I figured I would stick with a Ford vehicle. I have a long commute and decided the 2013 Ford Focus would be a practical choice. 3 months after purchasing it, the heater needed to be replaced. Ford also decided to replace the clutches in the transmission as well since it was very noisy when accelerating and shifting gears. Vehicle was returned to me and the transmission problems still existed. As of right now, its sitting at the dealership waiting to have the power steering rack replaced...Ive owned this car for 18 months, and have driven 54000km....brutal.

• 

  Dual Clutch Trans shifting problems - 2012 Ford Focus
  By thomasln - November 9 - 7:43 pm

  My trans kept dropping out of gear. No pattern - interstate, intersections, totally unpredictable. Would leave me stranded & the car would not go into gear. Ford dealer couldnt find the problem until I made video. They said I needed a $200 software patch that didnt work. I drove it 200 feet & it died in the dealers lot. After 8 days in the shop, they found a loose ground wire in the Transmission Control Module inside the transmission. I have driven about 450 miles with no recurrence of the problem. If you are having trans problems, let your dealer know to check the grounds on the TCM before you spend $. I regard it as a manufacturing & design flaw.

• 

  Beware - 2011 Ford Edge
  By jwax1 - October 28 - 8:24 pm

  My review is based on: !. Lousy customer service from Ford Motor Co (not the dealership). 2. The design of the engine. The water pump on this engine is located inside the engine. At 91,000 miles, our water pump went out. The "overtemp" light went off about 30 seconds before we stopped. The engine is BLOWN! A water pump going out should NOT be the end of an engine. We had NO indication that we had a problem before this occurred, and had even had the oil changed one week before this occurrence. Now comes the Customer service problem....NO support from Ford! The dealership was fantastic, but Customer Service was ridiculous! Not expecting a new engine, just help with repair!