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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  Never buy a Ford - 2010 Ford Fusion
  By momstractors - October 22 - 7:41 pm

  Bought the 2010 Fusion new, pile of junk, 3 door switches replaced along with Chinese lug nuts and emblem that was delaminating. Rear brake caliper locked up, covered under warranty, its locked up again but not covered under the 60,000 drive train warranty. I would think that brakes are an important part of the drivetrain. The brakes are not a new problem, they have plagued Ford on these cars for the last 10 years. The car rides like a lumber wagon, motor idles rough and trunk seal fell off. Car has been on the road for 3 1/2 years, 40,000 miles and I guess I can look forward to the throttle body going.

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  Quality is just not there! - 2009 Ford Flex
  By cdnmominaz - September 17 - 2:41 pm

  I HATE HATE HATE to say it but the title reads true! My father retired with Ford and our family has a LONG history of buying/owning Ford vehicles! BUT this one missed the mark. It is a 2009, I get it, things will go wrong....but I wasnt anticipating all the issues weve had thus far. Here we go: 1. Clear coat began peeling. (Almost immediately after bringing it home to AZ, coincidentally just a year or so after the paint warranty expired!) Looks like an old, beat up junker now! EW! 2. Ball bearing issue. (Umm, yes my tire was dangerously loose and that is totally unacceptable) 3. The door handles continue to fall off (yes, these cheap, junkie, chrome wanna-be come right off!)

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  Wish I never bought this - 2010 Ford Escape
  By donotbuyford - August 10 - 12:44 am

  Brought a brand new 2010 Ford Escape. Have consistently had AC problems. Just had the 4th dealer try to fix it, this time for $1000+...still not fixed. Ive read several reviews re faulty AC units in this make and model. In fact what happened with my AC sounds very similar to the other comments on this site re the 2010 Escape. I also had to replace the rack and pinion and battery. Ive put in at least $2500 of repairs within 5 years and 50,000 miles of purchase, and Im just waiting to hear whats next. This car was a giant waste of money. I am very unhappy with (if not angry about) this purchase. I will never buy another Ford.

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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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  Stalling and Gear Issues - 2012 Ford Focus
  By jenn74really - March 13 - 11:12 am

  Purchased the 2012 Ford Focus in 11-2011. It was slow initially in responding to the gas. The reaction time is delayed and losing power. Over the past year, I am stalled approx. 50 times. Recently, the gears dont seem to be lined up properly. When the vehicle is in park, it has rolled. When the vehicle is in reverse, then drive, the car is still in reverse. I nearly hit a parked car backing out of a parking lot. Right after that happened the vehicle stalled and quit completely. Engine light was on for a short period. After several attempts to start the vehicle again, I was forced to have a tow truck retrieve the vehicle. Non-operable and unsafe. Ford does not see a problem.

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  Terrible product, terrible customer service - 2008 Ford Escape
  By kwolff1 - February 19 - 1:58 am

  We bought a 2008 Escape, we were so excited to finally have what we thought was a great new car. Well that quickly turned into a nightmare. It needed a new transmission in 2013, and now the transmission is gone again. $7000 to fix!!!! Why does the transmission last only a year?? What garbage. Then on top of the product being terrible, we were treated poorly when we took it to Ford AND by the representatives we spoke to at customer service o the 1-800 number. We are taking it to Honda to trade it in like the scrap it is, and getting a car we can actually rely on!!

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  Hidden Features - 2009 Ford F-150
  By swicky88 - December 20 - 10:22 am

  Do you have a hard time getting your dog to take a bath? Do they run when they hear the bathtub filling up? Well the 2009 F-150 is the truck for you. Just pick a good rainy day to take you pup for a ride, squirt some soap on the roof, and drive into the storm. Your cab transforms into a doggy bath with sprayers installed above the front and rear windshields and back corners of the roof. Open the doors after to drain water. Then crank the heat for a fast dry time.

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  WORST CAR IVE EVER OWNED. - 2002 Ford Focus
  By badluckforme - December 13 - 10:01 pm

  Before this terrible 2002 Focus, I owned a Pontiac G6 with a ton of problems to. But this is by far the worst car ever. Bought the car for 4,000 with 113,000 miles on it. Have put almost 3,000 dollars into it since then. Isnt reliable whatsoever. Me being a college student I need a reliable car and this one is not it. First cyl went out right after I got it. It started stalling with AC on. Then it started overheating while sitting at a light/parked. Had to get all new wiring in the engine, and timing belt, water pump, fuel filter, and now my current problem is the terrible vibration at 140,000!!!!!(more wrong than just this) I cant take this anymore. time to sell this terrible nightmare.

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  My car constantly overheats - 2014 Ford Escape
  By jerseygirl77 - November 8 - 11:53 am

  Ford never fixed the 1.6L engine problems. My car is always in the shop.

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  bad decision - 2013 Ford Focus
  By scubble2 - September 17 - 5:56 pm

  I had a toyotay camry, saw all the great commercials about the gas milage on the focus, and thought wow better than the camry, so i bought a 2013 ford focus titanium flex fuel, wow what a big mistake if i could get rid of this today i would hate everything about this car, gas mileage sucks, sounds and acts weird like it is going to fall appart any minute, will not make this mistake again, going back to toyota,,soon as i can.. this car sucks real BAD......