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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  Expensive Ride - 1995 Ford Explorer
  By John - March 28 - 7:43 pm

  Bought my Eddie Bauer Explorer used with 47,000 miles on it. First year was great, but after that, everything started breaking. This is the most expensive vehicle maintenance-wise that I have ever owned. The electrical system has numerous "gremlin" type problems, fuel economy is not great and the ride has always been less than smooth. Definitely not a "Suburban-like" ride. Added to this, I had to replace the transmission at 106,000 miles. I changed transmission fluid every 5-7K miles, and this should not have happened. Also, Ford never fixed the faulty rear-main seal configuration for this engine, so a small oil leak is the norm. Recommend against it unless you just love spending money on repairs.

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  Please read before purchasing Freestar - 2005 Ford Freestar
  By Paul - March 26 - 1:46 pm

  This purchase unfortunately has been a disappointment. The Ford dealer was willing to give a good discount but we wound up with a very uncomfortable minivan. The second and third row of seats offer very poor leg room and on long trips it almost becomes unbearable. If I had to do it over again I would have definitely taken a closer look at the Sienna or Odyssey. Ford doesnt have its act together in this car at all.

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  Start Saving for a New Transmission - 1999 Ford Windstar
  By LGW - March 24 - 5:07 pm

  My 1999 Ford Windstar will be the last American make vehicle I ever purchase. Despite following recommended maintenance guidelines, this vehicle has required: four new O2 sensors, replacement of front end bearings, countless recall fixes and the coupe de grace, a completely new transmission and I have only put 68,000 miles on this vehicle. Now Ive noticed that the automatic locks are disfunctioning, there is a short in the electrical panel and the horn doesnt work.

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  Need I say more? - 1999 Ford Expedition
  By ItsAFord - March 21 - 6:00 pm

  Well, weve had issues with our Expedition just as others have. Little things breaking down--rear windshield washer, cheap interior materials, heated seats and mirrors failing. For a $40K truck new, you wouldnt know it by the lack of quality. Frustrating to say the least. We will not be buying another Ford Product. Our 20 year old Toyota Landcruiser is much more reliable than this Expedition. Plus fuel mileage--even with a new fuel filter and dealer servicing, its around 10 city and 14 highway.

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  Poor Quality Expedition - 2005 Ford Expedition
  By Houstondude - March 19 - 12:28 pm

  My Expedition has just over 10K miles and it has been in for repair four times for the same problems. Rattles in the doors, squeaks in the back seat, and blue smoke pours out of the tailpipe upon cold start up. Ive also had trouble with the touchpad keyless entry, electric mirrors and the remote locks. The dealership has not fixed but one problem the first time in. I have had to clean out the car every time to allow them to evaluate the rattles. I purchased the extended warranty and the pre-paid maintenance plan. Buying this car from this manufacturer and this dealer was a horrible mistake. Ford will accept no responsibility for their own poor quality workmanship. Never Again - NO MORE FORDS!

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  Skip the New F150s - 2015 Ford F-150
  By Drew G - March 17 - 7:11 pm

  They arent like the older F150s at all. At under 20,000s our new 2015 F150 has been a nightmare and not safe to drive either. Regardless of payload size, road conditions or other factors which would normally effect its handling, shifting, power train, etc the truck has been completely unreliable. It will frequently, without provocation, down or upshift causing dangerous situations in traffic. Ford says this was initially due to the system which tracks my driving habits and that it needed to be reset. Two months later after I completely lost all power on the highway they told me there was a short in the transmission writing harness. The problem has not stopped since that was replaced. They told me next that I was carrying too much weight (about 700 pounds) for the new consumer grade trucks and it must have caused undue stress on the engine. I removed the weight and the problems persisted. The brakes have been unreliable, grabbing at certain intervals despite the mechanics insistence that they are in fine shape. Occasional rocks or mud will cause immense noise to persist from the brakes for days. The fuel saver auto start blew through the starter in under 6 months and now when it shuts off it occasionally refuses to restart. The sync and bluetooth systems are a mess and need to be restarted or reprogrammed on a frequent basis.

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  Overall, not a good car - 2005 Ford Freestar
  By Ian - March 13 - 9:19 am

  I thought that the car ran nicly, but after about 3,000 miles we had to take the car in to get the entire electrical system replaced. That was not the problem they found a problem that the dealer needed a specialist to fix. My children think that the rear seats are too low, and lastly the the interior is already ripping at the seams, literally. So over all this car is not a good car to buy and what I think anyone who is looking at this car to do is buy the competitive Mercury Monterey.

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  grrr! - 1995 Ford Windstar
  By !@#$%^&* - March 11 - 8:52 pm

  This has to be one of the worst vehicles ever produced. In six years and 52000 miles, the transmission was rebuilt, courtesy of Carmax, after one month. It was replaced with a Ford rebuild at 62,000 miles. The head gasket and front end gasket were also replaced at this time, courtesy of an extended warranty I purchased. A month later, it left us stranded 1,000 miles from home, 13 hours into our vacation. Ford put in a rebuilt engine and gave me $125 towards a $700 bill to rent a small car to continue our vacation. The new engine runs worse than the first, stalling at the worst times and surging at others. The dome lights stay on when itÂ’s damp out making for a fun time driving at night. Now the ABS and brake lights are on.

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  this car - 2002 Ford Escape
  By matt - March 7 - 6:01 pm

  This is quit possibly the worst truck Ive ever driven. The brakes are horrible. We had to replace the rotors at 32,000 miles. It handles like a barn on wheels. The CD changer went out and had to be replaced. The drivers window makes a horrible screaching sound going up and down. There are so many noises the dealership couldnt even figure it out for 3 months! The transaxle damper went out and it took Ford 4 months to get a part. Road noise is terrible and it eats tires. But its cute! I hate to say it but Ford could learn something from our foreign compitors. Oh yah DONT buy one!

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  What happened to Ford? - 1996 Ford Windstar
  By Robert - February 27 - 7:28 pm

  This has to be one of the worst automobiles ever made.I once was a big Ford supporter but after owning this van I will never buy another Ford again. Transmission problems, front end problems just a terrible van.This is an automobile that is used for family outings. Stay away from Fords.