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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  Should have stayed with Honda - 2013 Ford Focus
  By tamie45 - August 24 - 11:01 pm

  I bought a pre-owned 2013 Focus SE on June 18th 2014. I was initially impressed by the styling and that it was loaded with tech. Unfortunately, all the tech in the world could not make up for the DCT and how awful it was to drive. Even the tech left a lot to be desired. While I initially liked it, I found the controls for the infotainment system to be very hard to use while driving. The saving grace was that it had voice commands to bypass the very convoluted menu setup. It took less than two months to see the writing on the wall about this car and I traded it in for a Honda Civic. I ended up losing money because I traded it in so soon but it was the best decision ever!!

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  Rust Issues - 2005 Ford Escape
  By alexm80 - August 24 - 8:24 am

  We bought a 2005 Ford Escape off of craigslist knowing full well that it came with rust issues. At the time we bought it, the rust looked to be only cosmetic. But about after about 10 months, the rear right wheel well began to rust through and then rust away. Some of inner portion of the wheel well was gone and you could see the material used to line the inside of the vehicle. As a result, the rear right shock was barely hanging on and every time you hit a bump just right, there was a very loud popping sound coming from the area. Quotes to fix it were between $700 and $1600.

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  Ecoboost blues - 2013 Ford F-150
  By linkdevon - August 19 - 7:24 pm

  Worst. Truck. Ever! Im on my SECOND, Ford bought back my first F150 because of issues with the engine "misfire" and "stumble" They cant fix these things! Mine has had numerous updates, reflashes, parts changed, and yet it still suffers from hesitations. Im also having problems with Sync, the A/C, and recently a driveline vibration and pulling to the right. Top it off with poor fuel economy nowhere near what Ford advertises! The final straw was results from a oil analysis, Other Ecoboost owners are having very high fuel dilution in their oil, mine is no different. I doubt these engines will live much past 100,000 miles.

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  Ecoboost great concept, terrible execution in first year! - 2011 Ford F-150
  By tri_guy - August 14 - 3:09 pm

  When it works, the 3.5L twin turbo V-6 known as the "Ecoboost" is amazing. 21+ mpg, 365 HP & 425 trq. A great combination of daily driver with nearly 10K tow capacity. First 55K miles were great, but the 2011 EB relies on multiple ECU "systems" to attain this peak performance, and if anything is not working perfectly, mileage, power, and driveability fall-off quickly. Ford still has not acknowledged any issues that do exist with the 2011 version of this motor. Humidity. Coils. Valvetrain rattles at startup. Hood shaking misfire at idle. Black on chrome tailpipe. I would not buy a 2011 EB again. Maybe 2014, now that the 2011 bugs Ford never admitted have been worked out. 2011 EB - Stay away!!

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  One big LEMON! - 2012 Ford Focus
  By psugrad15 - August 13 - 10:32 am

  What a lemon and huge disappointment the car has been. I guess I am even more disappointed in Ford for not standing behind their vehicle. I have had nothing but issues with this car from the day I got it. It was all quickly pushed under the rug as normal break-in time. Well, the car is dangerous and should be recalled! The transmission revs are highway speeds and you lose all ability to accelerate. I have had it happen now four times and when I take it to the dealer, they cannot dublicate the issue. So it am sent on my way again. Well, not before I give them a laundry list of all the other items that need to be repaired. Including that crap Ford touch system. What a joke! RUN!

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  very disappointed - 2013 Ford Fiesta
  By indyguy13 - July 27 - 8:23 pm

  Ive had a 2013 Fiesta SE sedan with the PowerShift automatic transmission for a little over a year. At 6,500 miles it needed substantial transmission repairs. Its still noisy like a coffee grinder, very poor acceleration, with a long - and dangerous - hesitation when needing to accelerate quickly. A few times it has shifted into the wrong gear which is pretty jolting. At first the dealer agreed there was something wrong and did the repairs. Now that its doing the same thing, suddenly everything is operating normally. Yeah, right. Maybe its what I get for buying a Mexican car. Ford has lost this customer.

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  Poorly Assembled and poor quality - 2014 Ford Fiesta
  By musicmitch - July 23 - 6:16 pm

  The front has a fully independent suspension, but rear has only a cheap beam in the back. And the rear bottoms out on bumps. Engine has Zero torque from A standstill when flooring the accelerator. The gas economy is not 29/39. My trip computer at 15,841 miles, says only 17mpg city and 26 on the highway - I challenge Ford to come and look. The only way this car could have ever gotten the epa estimated 29/39 is, in my opinion, with an anorexic, midget, driver and the only thing in the rest of the car including the trunk was a toothpick. lol. The transmission was rebuilt after only 12,000 miles. The grinding noise continues which is the result of duel clutches

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  NEVER AGAIN FORD - BUY FROM YOU - 2013 Ford Fiesta
  By musicmitch - July 23 - 1:18 am

  The front has a fully independent suspension, but rear has only a cheap beam in the back. And the rear bottoms out on bumps. Engine has no torque from A standstill when flooring the accelerator, almost had two accidents The gas economy is not 29/39. My trip computer at 15,841 miles, says only 17mpg city and 26 on the highway. The only way this car could have ever gotten the epa estimated 29/39 is, in my opinion, with an anorexic, midget, driver and the only thing in the rest of the car including the trunk was a toothpick. lol. The transmission was rebuilt after only 12,000 miles. The grinding noise continues which is the result of duel clutches.

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  My first and last Ford truck - 2013 Ford F-150
  By chiefsss - July 16 - 11:45 am

  13 F-150 Crew 4X4 Eco-boost V6, all at 15K service: The rotors had to be turned due to vibration on braking. After never hitting anything that would cause the alignment to be out of spec, the alignment cost me nearly $500 (for a camber kit installation) because the factory equip. could not be adjusted to the proper correction. Driver outside door handle must be replaced - have to pull twice to open. Driver door molding/seal replaced A/C not cold in hot weather. SYNC sucks Occasional power hesitation on start from stop-sign Various rattles within the cabin Heat-recirc. turns off after 5 min in winter

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  very poor quality - 2014 Ford Taurus
  By ablereviewer - July 6 - 9:35 pm

  The build quality of the new Ford Taurus is very cheap. If this car is driven for any time at all I cant see it lasting more than 4 years. The paint job is horrible! It will scratch at the slightest touch. The craftsmanship is of very low quality. Ford reverted back to the 70s when they built the Taurus. And, its a shame because the design of the car is very attractive. I truly regret returning to Ford.