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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  Love my Bird! - 1995 Ford Thunderbird
  By ladymelan81 - January 12 - 2:23 pm

  I love my bird, I bought it off my dad and hes had it since it was new. We scored the rare factory Venetian Blue Pearl color so it changes from purple to blue in the sun light. People stop and stare at her shes so pretty! Very fast, she can get up to 100 mph without trying. This car likes to fly, speeding tickets may be an issue.

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  My Explorer is Fantastic - 2013 Ford Explorer
  By rockreddog - January 12 - 10:47 am

  I have the Limited 202a package with 22,500 miles and is performing as advertised. Most of the Neg. comments are AWD models or Base models. You get what you pay for! My sync is excellent and you need to be a little Comp. savvy, if not you will have some issues, but all in all very minor. The Optimo H426 tires if pressurized to tire manufactures specs 46 psi they give a rough ride, but if you tone them down to ford recommendations at 35 psi the ride is much better. As far as room, Im a huge dude and I have plenty of room. The people that are complaining need to by a van and need to get a clue! fold the third row seating down and there is plenty of room for four people plus cargo.

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  Love our Edge! Best in its class! - 2011 Ford Edge
  By wytenow - January 12 - 10:42 am

  We love our Edge. We drove every other vehicle in its class and it was clearly the best. Weve put almost 60k miles on ours with no problems. Cant wait for the new 2015 Edge to come out. Definitely going to buy another.

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  Comfotable, Reliable, Very Strong Engine and Drivtrain - 2002 Ford Taurus
  By rochev - January 11 - 3:33 pm

  I have had two Tauruss. Neither have ever given me a single issue. My 02 SE has 175,000 miles of trouble free driving. People complain about the transmission but they dont change the fluid and filter like youre supposed to. I have done that every 30k miles and havent had an issue on either. My last one died at 180k miles when it was totaled. It is missed every day. This car always starts even well below 0 degrees (F) nothing rattles, interior build has held up since new. Only down side I can think of is these cars have weak struts. Other than that, if you change the transmission fluid like you should, youll have one of the most reliable cars built.

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  Making the Ford switch - 2014 Ford Escape
  By jfoehner - January 11 - 10:13 am

  I traded my 2012 Honda CRV for the 2014 Ford Escape to escape the Hondas horrible cabin road noise problem. In my humble opinion, the Honda was built on the cheap, while the Escapes interior materials are much better and the doors dont sound like tin cans.

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  My Newest Sweetheart - 2013 Ford Explorer
  By christopher977 - January 10 - 10:00 pm

  This is a truly marvelous SUV. Styling is a head turner w/20 inch wheels, well sculpted body and body creases. Corners great with its unitized body and the interior coddles its passengers with plush leather seats, an ABUNDANCE of space in all rows, intuitive tech features and a wonderfully clear, 13 speaker stereo. I love the solidity of driving in our nasty Chicago winters while the terrain management system makes short work of 10 inches of untouched snow and my wife and I are treated to heated seats, satellite radio and warm cocoa. Summers are also a treat under the dual sunroofs. This car was designed heavily based on the Land Rover and I swear somedays I forget that it isnt one!

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  Review after 9 months of ownership - 2013 Ford Explorer
  By missfc - January 9 - 5:59 pm

  My 1st Ford ever, Im a 40 yr old woman, driving all my life. What I hate about the Explorer: the harsh ride on bumps when youre going over 20mph. Its a soft ride at very low speeds. Also the insulation is insufficient and you hear every pothole very loudly inside the cabin almost like a wheel fell off or something. I also HATE the rattling, squeaking, noises it makes from the dashboard and console area at only 8,000 miles. I only drive on roads, cant imagine how it will fall apart if I actually went off roading. Also, on a cold day, the ignition refused to turn on when leaving from a grocery store one day. Called roadside assistance. Car hates cold, makes weird noises till it warms up.

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  Awesome car - except - 2013 Ford Taurus
  By atldriver1 - January 9 - 10:44 am

  Have been very pleased with this vehicle except for 2 items: The projector low beam headlight is designed so that it is very difficult to see at night. (Appears Ford attempted to design a way to not blind oncoming drivers...their design limits the drivers vision as if the top 1/2 of the beam had been cut off.) Secondly, when you roll down the back windows, one or both, there is a VERY loud wind vibration noise. The result is that you MUST also roll down one of the front windows or roll the back windows up. The sound is intolerable otherwise. Otherwise, I love the car.

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  Worst Vehicle Ive Ever Owned!! - 2013 Ford Explorer
  By honestguy - January 9 - 7:48 am

  This is my last Ford. I have had nothing but problems with it over last year! Ford service doesnt know how or cant fix the long list of issues. Pathetic! The navigation doesnt allow anyone to use it while driving, even passenger, and is super complicated. I use my phone now. Hvac is all messed up, locking on hi heat while on max low a/c. Fuel feed hesitates when accelerating so it nearly gets u into accidents when quick acceleration from stop or in traffic needed. Too many other items to list. Please avoid at all costs. I paid for leather and nav $2200 outta pocket as this is company car and I was gonna buy it for wife after 70K miles cheap. After 45K, I just want rid of it! Hate it!!

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  pass on this car!!!!!!!!! going back to chevys. - 2012 Ford Focus
  By mingo5 - January 9 - 2:17 am

  at 11k had broken left strut.at 16k had ser.eng light gas tank sensor bad 6 days to order and repair.3 days later light on again took back kept car 11 days said was overfilling gas tank.when took in both times had 1/4 tank of gas!whata joke.now at 24,700 have broken left bearing and broken strut again 4days in shop AGAIN! but now on speed bumps clucking sound on driverside front not taking back to them will trade for a chevy cruz or malibu.not to mention tranny spuddering on takeoffs.they now tell me will not cover rental car anymore even becouse i have extended warranty!ive had it with with FORD.....