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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  My 2004 Ford Freestar Van - 2004 Ford Freestar
  By Al Hudgens - September 21 - 11:45 pm

  Always wanted a van and purchased this to help my Mom move from Calif to Washington State and it performed great on the mountain highways. Plenty of room. Scheduled services priced way lower than my experience with a Honda Accord. Road noise is my only complaint.

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  Transmmission Issues - 1999 Ford F-150
  By unikeimage - September 21 - 8:32 pm

  Ive had the truck for about 4 years. I bought the truck from my dad he bought it brand new in 99 and has always kept up with the maintenence. The truck never felt like it was shifting right. The first trans. went out at about 77k miles it has 177k know and the second trans. has gone out it was also a ford trans. installed @ a ford dealer. The truck was mainly driven by my wife and she has a light foot and is very easy on cars. The engine sounds great and other than minor things such as sensors and plugs its done a great job staying together. This will be the third transmission on this truck but now I went with a transmission expert hopefully this is the last transmission for this truck.

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  Great car - 1999 Ford Escort
  By Mr. Burger - September 21 - 2:54 pm

  I have put 194,000 miles on so far and have had no maintenance issues thus far. Change the oil every 3,500, thats it. Am still averaging 35.4 MPG. This has been a great can and expect to get 300,000 miles out of it easy.

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  First Impressions - 2008 Ford Mustang
  By Elijahbird7 - September 21 - 2:03 pm

  I have had my 08 Vapor automatic for a couple of weeks now. Love the sound of the 300 hp under the hood. I may have to change out the mufflers to MAC or Magnaflow to get a little more bark from it. Back seats are almost useless, but I rarely need to have extra passengers. Fuel mileage is quite good for a car with this power and on regular unleaded. Ive already gotten 26.8 on a three hour trip, and it isnt broken in yet.

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  Glad I Purchased This! - 2002 Ford Focus
  By mtracy - September 21 - 12:24 pm

  I bought this car about a month ago and it was the best used car I found in all of Hampton Roads. I was really unsatisfied with other cars I looked at (too many miles, major defects with interior, bad reviews) and when I found this car I just knew it would be perfect for me. The compact size of the car is great because I am very short and found other cars were literally too big for me to drive.

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  Edge - 2005 Ford Ranger
  By Cary - September 21 - 10:35 am

  Nice little truck. The only true compact truck on the market. I am a little disappointed with the acceleration of the 3.0 V6. I took it to the drag strip. 17.80 at 76 mph. The manual shifter is a little stiff, so I replaced it with a Hurst shifter. I am pleased with the gas mileage. it matched the EPA estimate.

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  Watch out for the throttle body!! - 2016 Ford Explorer
  By Peggy Frazier - September 21 - 2:43 am

  Apparently, the throttle body on a 2016 Ford Explorer goes out, on average, at 8100 miles. Mine went out in the middle of a very busy interstate at 8200 miles. Ford Roadside Assistance very kindly contacted a towing company and said they would have it towed to the nearest dealership in Jackson, MS. After driving a limping car to the side of an extremely busy exit, I received a computer generated call saying the towing company would reach me in 1 hour and 15 minutes!!! In the meantime, cars are whizzing by me. I took it upon myself to call the towing company who said they had a man 5 minutes away from me. Sure enough, he was there in 5 minutes. Then, when I reached the dealership, they had no idea what I was talking about and acted more or less unconcerned that there was a tow truck driver sitting in their parking lot wanting to know where to put my car. I assumed that Ford Roadside Assistance would have contacted the dealership and given them a heads up. Not the case. After waiting in the service department lounge for a while, I was told that my car would not be looked at until the next day. But, Ford would rent a car for me in the meantime. Then I learn that Ford, apparently, uses only Enterprise Rentals and the only car they would put me in was a Ford. Unfortunately, all of the Ford cars in Jackson, MS, at Enterprise Rental, had been sent to Texas in the wake of a hail storm. One car remained - a Mustang. I am a 62 year old woman with a not so good back. I thought I would be using it for, at the most, a day, so I could stand it since I had no choice. The next day, I was told that it would take a week for the new throttle body would be in. At that point, I told the dealership that I needed to go home, 3 1/2 hours away, and that I needed another car. Terribly sorry but nothing else is available. I did drive the mustang home and I was given (after insisting) another Ford car by the Enterprise Rental Company in my home town. Today I learn that the throttle body is back ordered for AT LEAST TWO WEEKS! Supposedly due to some catastrophe. I have to wonder if the catastrophe is that the part is so defective that Ford is having to replace so many that they are back ordered. Also, will I ever trust my car again? Will the new throttle body fail after 8100 miles???

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  Awesome Experience - 2005 Ford Mustang
  By Snow - September 21 - 1:10 am

  This vehicle is a blast to drive. It is comfortable and handles very well. It has a lot of power even though it is not the GT version. The gas mileage is was a nice surprise, we didnt expect it to do so well.

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  Pretty Freestyle - 2005 Ford Freestyle
  By MsSmiley - September 20 - 10:04 pm

  The Freestyle is a beautiful SUV I purchased the Limited AWD, but it is not very durable. With just 38,000 everything started to break. Ive had cars with over 100,000 miles and nothing broke. The car just was not designed well, especially not for families!

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  Likable SUV - 2005 Ford Escape
  By Good SUV - September 20 - 5:59 pm

  Ive never really been a Ford advocate, but I think they got it right with this vehicle. This thing does great loaded for 4 full size adults in the Rocky Mtns. As a matter of fact, it runs better in the mountains than my Mitsu Galant GTZ sports sedan. The vehicle clearance and stock tires are great for offroad. Ive had this vehicle offroad several times with no issues, and the AWD works great in the deep mud and rocky trails. The Mach Stereo is surprisingly good. Overall, I would recommend this car to a friend or family member.