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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  Piece of junk - 2002 Ford Taurus
  By scawvey - August 20 - 6:41 pm

  I got my Taurus new and after a year the adjustable pedals quit working and my air bag light came on and is still on 11 years later. I have had lots of work done to the underneath of my car (almost everything replaced) and it still shakes, rattles, pings, and knocks from underneath. I hate driving this car! It is terrible and It eats tires every year. The engine has given no trouble, but crappy underneath the car. I have also had trouble with the heater hose stopping up and going a winter or two with no heat. It pulls to the right pretty bad, I let go of the wheel for a second and its gone over to the other side of the road. And now its leaking oil somewhere. What next???

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  Fords Poor Customer service & Warantee - 2013 Ford Escape
  By jfrender - August 19 - 8:09 am

  I purchased a 2013 Ford Escape 10 months ago and have replaced the engine air filter on my echo boost engine with a k&n air filter. The plastic housing is cracking by the metal screws and 1 screw housing was stripped when purchased. I did not over tighten screws but the service mgr at Gaudin says I did because that wa his unintelligent response. Ford Motor Co. Regional Customer Service Mgr. Nikki out of Phoenix is going by what Gaudin Said. Ford will not honor Warrantee and the filter housing is thin plastic which is deteriating from heat and vibrations. A future problem could exist on all 2013 and 2014 Escapes and cause accelerated engine failure. After purchasing Fords since 1955 the serv

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  I hate my 2013 Ford Escape - 2013 Ford Escape
  By hartson - August 18 - 2:19 pm

  I have had problem after problem in the 10 months of owning this car. Leak in tire to start, then sync issues, then bad head light due to bad wiring at Ford manufacturing, horn goes off when open back hatch (sometimes), now water leaking under car, air and heat stop working and the latest vehicle health report says to take in right away for service due to brakes and suspension service required. I bought a new car to avoid problems. And I gave up a Toyota with 100k miles with no problems. Now I have to spend my valuable time once again taking in for service. Also, the last time the dealer acted like they were doing me a favor when they fixed the head light - Really!!!

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  Terrible brakes and awful safety features - 2012 Ford Escape
  By deekay18 - August 18 - 12:40 am

  Safety: The brakes on this SUV is notorious to be the worst braking system in its class. It takes 154 feet to stop this SUV from 60MPH and brake fade is expected, which adds on more footage. This means that it takes a minimum of 11 lengths of Ford Focus to stop the Escape at the best without brake fade. Also, the Escape uses drum brakes on the rear. What is this 1990? The brakes also lock up frequently and this is a known problem all over the internet. The IIHS crash test ratings are not great either.

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  Excellent - 2010 Ford Flex
  By hafizur1995 - August 17 - 11:52 pm

  I owned this car for a year and a half and put over 35,000 miles on it. This is probably the most reliable car Ive ever had. The only things I spent money on were the tires, brakes, wipers, and just your wear and tear things. The ride quality is excellent and its very comfortable inside. Its very high tech and doesnt keep you bored. Its a very reliable car and people should really look into it if they are in the market for an alternative to mini vans. Not to mention it gets great mpg for its size I got 18C-25H. Its very durable and feels really good on the road. I was very happy with this car. However, keep in mind that its a Ford so its price will go down very quickly.

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  Just purchased - 2012 Ford Explorer
  By suzyq58 - August 17 - 9:08 pm

  Love my new used car! The salesmen were wonderful and informational and am very happy with my overall experience. I cant wait to take my car out on the road. The service at Fair Oaks Ford was a great experience. I have been a customer for many years and couldnt have been happier with their service department. I look forward to putting many trips on this car.

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  Car jolting and stalling - 2012 Ford Fiesta
  By ejgardner - August 16 - 8:39 pm

  Car randomly jolts and cant get past 20km/hr without jolting and sometimes stalling. Ive stalled in the middle of an intersection and tonight I stalled at 100 on the highway and almost got hit by a bus. Took it to Ford and they told me just to deal with it. Unacceptable! Took it back a second time at 8am, took a mechanic on a road test and left the car there. Called at 130, they said it was being looked at. Called at 5 and they said they just pulled it into the shop. Finally got it back at 6 and said all they did was a 20 minute road test during the 10 hours they had it. Told me I would have results today and heard nothing back.

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  Dissapointed 1.6L turbo SE with prem pkg /nav - 2013 Ford Fusion
  By dizzaxter - August 15 - 5:40 pm

  I leased this car in Nov 2012 and driven 8k miles so far. The car has great styling and a comfortable ride, but the gas mileage and jerky transmission has been very dissapointing. I live in los angeles and drive a mix of both highway and local roads. My average mpg is 21.8 and that requires driving like a grandmother. My old acura 3.2tl got similar gas mileage but was much faster and enjoyable to drive. BTW, my ford touch stinks. its extremely slow, and can be distracting to operate while driving, it does not support any apps (ie yelp/pandora). On multiple occassions it has froze and required the car to be restarted to resume working.

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  2.0 EcoBoost AWD is GREAT - 2013 Ford Escape
  By huronguy92 - August 14 - 11:47 pm

  Right off the bat I got 21.3 MPG in stop and go city traffic, 27 MPG limited Highway. Ive had NO problems with Sync or My Ford Touch. My iPhone paired immediately and hasnt needed to be re-paired. My Ford Touch is totally different then operating Radio and Climate with Dials, Levers, or Buttons. Everything is on the touch screen is clearly marked. Spend 2 minutes to become familiar with NEW technology and you wont have a problem. Voice command works well, not quite like the Enterprise computer, and you might have to close the windows. Acceleration in the 2.0 is fantastic, Sport mode transmission gives quicker shifts and a more performance oriented driving experience.

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  13 Fiesta S model a great value - 2013 Ford Fiesta
  By eurok - August 14 - 10:06 pm

  The base model makes a great commuter or single person/small family. With the 5 speed manual, it has oodles of power and handling is precise. Seats are very comfortable in front, cloth is high quality, and trans shifts very smoothly. Seat height is easy to adjust, the telescoping wheel helps driving position. Whats lacking in the base model is power windows, CD (why?-never use)/sync, cruise. Fortunately Ford included an aux jack for phone or ipod. With the high cost of used cars these days, a new 13 was only about $2K more than similarly equipped 11s. A no brainer!