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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  Crummy for a used vehicle - 2003 Ford Escape
  By cooperh - May 14 - 12:48 pm

  When I bought this it was 10 years old so I was not expecting much, but no matter how I look at it I am disappointed. Paint chipping and rusting is a serious issue on the exterior, the suspension is harsh, loudly clunking, and has been a money pit. I understand in buying used vehicles that there are fixes waiting to happen, but I didnt expect the magnitude that came with this thing! It may have been a nice vehicle when it was new but has not stood up to the test of time well. Other vehicles Ive driven that gave me less issues than this were an 03 Ram 1500 dually, an 05 Mitsubishi Endeavor, and 07 Hyundai Entourage.

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  Perfect Mid-Size Sedan--Smooth, Quiet, Attractive - 2014 Ford Fusion
  By bobof15c - May 14 - 11:47 am

  I LOVE my Fusion S w/ 2.5L 6spd auto. I bought this car as an everyday driver to and from work 75 mi round trip. I drive my 06 Mustang GT convertible for fun but for everything else this car is perfect and a great value, including impressing customers! Smooth, Quiet, Attractive and 175hp when I need it. Im getting 38-41 MPG on highway, 30 in suburbs, 36 combined.

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  What is up with Consumer Reports? - 2014 Ford Explorer
  By jg88 - May 14 - 10:47 am

  Recently read the CR annual auto review and they gave the Explorer extremely low marks for gas mileage and the transmission. Having just put over 800 miles on a 2014 XLT/AWD, Im wondering what exactly are they doing at CR these days to test cars. We were in Denver, Boulder and Estes Park with a 75/25 combination of in town, mtn roads and steep inclines/highway and over three tank refills, I measured 22.4, 20.1 and 21.4 mpg for an average of over 21. (The trip computer measured 20.8 over the 800+ miles.) CR reports 18 mpg over their test cycle of combined driving. That is over 3 mpg difference and I can assure you, their test drive is nothing like the roads we were on.

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  Sporty SUV - Escape Titanium 2.0L AWD - 2014 Ford Escape
  By 2010pilot - May 13 - 2:26 pm

  I recently traded in my 2010 camaro to get more room and better winter driving. I researched and drove a lot of cars and I have never owned a ford, I liked the escape the best. I got the almost completely loaded Titanium version, I was a little scared off the price at the start but the car had a lot of great tech features that I liked and I was able to get close to $5000 off MSRP with incentives and negotiations (use True Car to save some $$$). The titanium has everything you could possible use in a car! The 2.0 L turbo also has good power. Mixed driving has been about 25 MPG so far. The car is solid overall and has everything you could think of for options on the loaded version.

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  Dont buy a Fusion Energi - 2013 Ford Fusion
  By hermanator1 - May 13 - 9:10 am

  I have driven my Fusion energi for 3000 miles. I have had one flat and two sidewall tire failures , caused by BRUSHING curbs in parking lots. OF COURSE NO SPARE. Many hours waiting for road service and over $700 spent. This car cannot be driven anywhere safely. Unlike other manufacturers no compact spare is available and a full size spare will not fit in trunk. Obviously Ford has not considered customer convience or safety. Never get vehicle with no spare tire

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  Too Many Safety Issues and Recalls - 2013 Ford Escape
  By walk_the_walk2 - May 12 - 4:35 pm

  This car had a major mechanical breakdown involving cam phazors at 730 miles, which required a major engine rebuild. Then the recalls started... there are 10 all total for 2013 Escapes 4 affect my car - two related to the engine catching on fire, one for air bag (RSM) module programming and one for "door latch problems that can lead to doors flying open while driving". The airbag RSM failed at 8600 mi. Asked FORD to BUY BACK this vehicle, after the 2nd recall (engine fire). They REJECTED our request. Today I was told they would "NEVER buy back our car". Shocked to learn of 2 new recall issues 2 days ago, 5 days after the BB denial. Our FORD rep knew of safety issues but didnt tell us!!

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  2012 FOCUS SFE - Transmission died $4,300 fix - 2012 Ford Focus
  By eagleshot - May 12 - 3:33 pm

  I have a 2012 SFE that I purchased in Nov 2011 with 7 miles on it. Before I ever drove it, the salesperson told me about the shutter and explained why it was doing it and that it was normal. Within a month of getting it, I had to take it in to have the transmission "reprogrammed". That stopped the issues for a while but within another month I was back again. The service tech told me the same story and that I should keep driving it and it will eventually get better. I drive 120 per day all highway miles. At 84K miles I had to replace the transmission. $4,300USD.

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  A-OK - 2012 Ford Fusion
  By skicat2 - May 12 - 2:25 pm

  My priority with this latest vehicle purchase was comfort. Ive always driven fairly sporty cars (Ford Probe GT, SVT Focus, Lexus IS300), and this time around I wanted a quiet vehicle that wasnt a complete slug. Id rented a Fusion in FL last year and was favorably impressed. So when a typical idiot MI driver rear-ended and totaled the Lexus a few weeks ago, I looked into a used 2012 Fusion and got everything except Nav & AWD, neither of which I need. Its comfortable, quiet and the V6 has plenty of power. I was even surprised by the fuel economy: 26+ city, 33+ why. Now if I want to go tear about the countryside, I jump in the Miata.

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  Love to hate my car- filing a claim with BBB - 2010 Ford Fusion
  By cduggan - May 12 - 10:43 am

  So as most of you have posted you love/hate your car as well. I love the luxury of this car in looks as the sportiness comes to mind as well. However, I have had my car less than a year! I bought it with a little less than 66,000 miles on it. Now after reading reviews, Im not the only one having issues with this throttle problem. My car too died on the freeway while going 72 miles! After reading the reviews Im happy I have the extended warranty, but they still want to charge me the deductible. Ive gone to the BBB dept for help. I do not feel anyone should have to pay for a known issue.

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  The ONLY car on a market for tall family - 2013 Ford Taurus
  By 49north - May 11 - 9:37 am

  Superb car! We were on a mission to find a car where our two boys can comfortably fit on a back seat. The problem is - our oldest son is 65". After trying literally every full size we finally found the one. I see comments about confining front seats. Not true at all. I love front seats set up. I am 62" 220 lbs and have surprisingly lots of room in a driver seat. Car sits high on a road. Very fast (I am not talking about sports cars). It is also long and wide. But doesnt look like a boat. Turnaround radius is surprisingly small. It is also very quiet. Great suspension. You can say the car is heavy, and I love it. Lots of steel to protect people inside.