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:

• 

  Very Good Compact Car - 2008 Ford Focus
  By jklag11 - May 26 - 3:09 pm

  Have had my 2008 Focus since 2009 and 9,000 miles. Have about 45,000 miles on it now and am very happy with the car. Provides a nice balance of a soft, quiet ride, and decent handling. I get about 29 mpg on my commute in heavy city driving. On highway trips, have gotten as good as 45 mpg. Sync system is easy to use and links my phone and iPod without problems. Trunk is very good size for a compact car with a nice, wide opening. Would definitely recommend.

• 

  POS - 2004 Ford Explorer
  By mikes201487 - May 24 - 1:04 am

  This car was lousy!!! Horrible experience, went thru so much with this. Well at 124,000 exactly the engine blew, so it was totled. the exale blew as well at 117,000 so this was a big problem this suv. made such loud noises no idea why, fuel was horrible...only thing it was comfortable. I have a ford mustang at 131,000 which is a 2002 with absoutly no problems whats so ever. I bought this suv at 57,000 and lasted till 124,000. NEVER AGAIN!

• 

  Weird Transmission - 2013 Ford Focus
  By brsve - May 23 - 10:14 pm

  Ford tells me the unique characteristics of this cars transmission are normal. Normal should not mean it makes crunching noises or does not know when to switch gears, roll backwards or jerks. And fuel mileage is not what it should be and I suspect partly due to the transmission. That part is just a guess I will admit. Traded this car a few days ago for a Civic.

• 

  Best SUV in its class EVER !!! - 1999 Ford Expedition
  By jimmyz10 - May 23 - 2:20 am

  this is by far one of the best suvs built in the 2000s. sadly after 9 years we had to let her go, to get a newer more gas efficient suv, we got our EXPY used from a dealer with about 50k miles, I didnt EVER invested a penny in repairs other than oil changes, new tires (20s for the change of looks only) and smog checks. this suv had a lot of power, plenty of room, nice looks, design and interior as well as parts well equipped. my only deception? about 11 miles in city/ 14 in high way, no more! other than that I would be still driving it........

• 

  Loving my Fusion - 2013 Ford Fusion
  By teazby - May 22 - 9:35 pm

  Im really tall and I when I sit in this car I think it was made for me. It looks great, handles very well and has adequate acceleration. The most recent update for MyFord Touch fixes the bugs. Mileage has been good. I get 34-36 mpg HWY but city mileage can drop below 20mpg in short, stop and go traffic.

• 

  Never Again - 2013 Ford Escape
  By sarahh2 - May 21 - 10:47 pm

  I had previously purchased a 2007 Mariner that I loved, but the new model Escapes are nothing like the old version. Between test driving the car and having it delivered from the dealership, the brakes warped, so I was back at the dealership within the first week of owning it. In the 7 months that I owned this vehicle, I also had it serviced for the drivers side window that wouldnt go up when it was cold out, the rear drivers side door wouldnt latch when it was cold, the computer had to be reset b/c the transmission delayed after depressing gas. Final straw was failure of the restraint control module, which activated 3 warning lights (traction control, airbag and hillside assist failure).

• 

  2500 mile update for escape titanium 2.0 L 4WD - 2014 Ford Escape
  By johnjrs3 - May 21 - 7:59 pm

  Now have 2500 miles on titanium 2.0 liter 4WD escape. Mileage has improved to 26 mpg in mixed driving including hills and highway. Excellent acceleration. Mytouch and synch have performed perfectly. Mytouch is easy to use. Perhaps the newer version that this car has fixed all problems. I have had zero problems with it. The car drives with a European feel almost BMW-like. Continues quiet and solid.

• 

  Do no buy this car! - 2013 Ford Fusion
  By megc85 - May 21 - 11:48 am

  I have had my car for just over a year 2013 Ford Fusion SE and it has spent 3 months in total in the shop. My pre delivery was messed up and no antifreeze was added. I have since had the heater core replaced and I now have antifreeze in my engine oil. My main computer control module had to be replaced and this is what took most of the 3 months as Ford had to rewrite the software because there were so many issues initially. Granted I had a loaner car, I was mortified it took this long! And the first time my car came out of the shop I had a crack split the whole way across the wind sheild as there was a tool dropped on it.... obviously never to be replaced by the dealership

• 

  Unless you get a used up model, its awesome. - 1995 Ford Windstar
  By smoo4asw - May 21 - 7:50 am

  We got a used up model, so within a year it was knocking. But based on the service it gave us before it proved just how used up it was, it was awesome. Our Aunt Wilda and Uncle Ray had just gotten a new house the winter after we bought it and it powered up those hills with an aplomb equal to our 2003 F-150 with the 4.6 liter V8. It proved that pushrod technology wasnt totally dead, but it wasnt destined to stay as long as I would like. If it stayed as long as we would have desired, then we would have probably chosen to keep it over the F-150. We really loved it, until it died unfairly.

• 

  Good SUV - 2000 Ford Expedition
  By jorge_sandoval - May 18 - 7:47 pm

  I dont know why other expi owners are having problem with gas mileage in my case I am not experiencing this considering the SUVs size, weight, power, and comfort this is a win for the buck, we cant compare the gas mileage of this to smaller SUVs and cars, I guess driving attitude contributes a lot in gas mileage, I do a very slow acceleration from the start til it reaches the right speed comfort. Following the recommended PMS, check up, A?C cleaning will is the key also, right now I am enjoying my Expi for 14 years and still works well, without any problems, just did a tire change twice from year 2000-2014. I love this truck, as a long distance driver, I feel very secured with this.