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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  1st and last Ford i will ever buy!! - 2015 Ford F-150
  By mike thomas - February 11 - 3:20 pm

  i have always been a GM guy. But when I went to buy a new truck in December of 2015, I decided to be un-bias and drive all the half ton pick up trucks on the market. Then make my purchase based on exterior styling, interior comfort and design, performance, and mpg ratings. Well to be honest I liked the FORD F-150. So I bought the truck brand new with 9 miles on it. XLT Sport 2wd with 302A interior. Loved the truck. Then at 2800 miles my driver side ball joint came off and my truck was sitting on its driver front tire and rim. Luckily for Ford I had just exited the freeway to get a bottle of water and some sunflower seeds. I am an outside salesman, so I drive a lot. Well when backing out of my parking spot at the gas station it broke off. So I call ford and they tow it to the dealership I bought it from which was about 10 miles away. No problem yet. When I get to the dealership the tell me I have to pay for a rental car, because I did not buy an "extended warranty protection plan." My response was, "Why would I need an extended warranty for a brand new truck with 2800 miles on it? An extended warranty plan is after the factory bumper to bumper warranty is over." They told me, "Ford doesnt give rental cars unless you have an extended rental agreement. Because of the amount of cars that come in every day to all the dealerships with warranty issues." Bottom liner is I bought a 45K truck and neither the Ford Dealership, or Ford Motor company would give me a rental car while my truck was in for a manufacturers defect. So I will never buy another FORD product again. Just a side not you all should know FORD quit using cotter pins in like 2012. Must be part of their weight savings, for fuel economy push.

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  Transmission, check engine - 1999 Ford Windstar
  By Alan - February 8 - 8:17 am

  This vehicle was great right up to about 75,000 miles. Then things went poorly. I have had electrical problems, the check engine light keeps telling me that an o2 sensor is bad changed two times. Then at around 105,000 the tranny started acting weird. Stuck in second gear, O/D light flashing. I have the 3.8 many mechanics have refused to tune it up because it is so hard to work on.

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  Wheres the Quality and Reliability? - 2004 Ford Expedition
  By UnhappyOwner - February 1 - 12:29 pm

  I traded in my 1997 Expedition for a new 2004 Eddie Bauer Expedition because of all of the improvements. While the new features and styling are great the build quality and reliability are terrible! In 2 years the differential has been rebuilt twice, the battery failed, one window motor failed, comfort seats (heat & a/c) failed, passenger mirror motor failed and has more rattles that a daycare. Now Ive been told that the front brake rotors need to replaced because they are too thin at 20K! I called Ford and they said that they were not under warranty but the replacements had been "redesigned" to resolve this problem. They admitted that this was a design defect but it would not be covered or pro-rated.

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  What a piece of junk! - 1990 Ford Aerostar
  By John Kimble - January 31 - 1:11 am

  I drive this van to school every day and it gets horrific gas mileage. In winter it has gone as far down as a whopping 7 mpg. The rust is unbelievable and the exterior design is quite flawed. The interior is nice however. What this van really needs is a lot more power. It seems like sometimes it did not want to go at all and if you are on any sort of incline at all it wont break 75 no matter how hard you press on the gas. It never heats up either. The traction is terrible. In snow if you just tap the gas the tires will spin like crazy.

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  Reliable Car - 2005 Ford Five Hundred
  By H.Becker - January 21 - 9:23 pm

  Ive owned the car for five months. The car handles well in adverse weather. The gas mileage is good. I dont find the car to be fun or real comfortable. The car is functional and I feel safe in it. I dont think I will own it for the life of the vehicle. Sound system leaves a lot to be desired.

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  Lemon Truck - 2004 Ford F-150
  By Vincent G. Manikan - January 21 - 10:00 am

  I picked up my brand new F-150 Lariat 4X4 on 30APR04 and at 108 miles(11 hours old), it died! Until now it is still being worked on. The PCM (Powertrain Control Module) & the fuel pressure regulator sensor had been replaced. Now there is a "transmission malfunction" and the odometer, speedometer, and the overdrive is not working. Its a total LEMON!!!

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  Seat Skirt problem on drivers side seat - 2014 Ford Expedition
  By Patrick O’Keefe - January 21 - 4:07 am

  I have had my Expedition since 2/28/15 and I had problems with drivers side seat skirt where the bracket has broken twice. The first time was at 7000 miles and second time at 44000 after being repaired. I also went the dealership and voiced my concerns at 37500 oil change service that seat skirt was separating from seat. The dealership took pictures and I was told they would investigate the original work order on the repair and they would contact Ford. I never heard back from Villa Ford in Orange, CA. I returned to inquiry on their finding to only find that service person was I longer with them. I asked for Ford’s CSR number to Lodge a formal complaint. The weak bracket that holds the seat skirt looks not strong enough the the cover of the power seat and this is on a $50k truck. I had the exact same problem on my 2008 Eddie Bauer Expedition. Both are third generation Expeditions 2008-2017 models. Ford has ruled that there nothing they can do financially and rejected my request of this serial defect. This bracket is designed to failed my opinion and very poor craftsmanship for the interior of a $50K truck. You can understand once but this is the third time between my two vehicles. I never had this problem with my first 2002 Expedition which was part of the first generation. The bracket seems to fail if you slide across the seat as exiting the vehicle. The part is not made sturdy enough to hold a person weight. The dealership tried to tell me I had to step out of the vehicle by using the retractable side steps to avoid this from happening again. I follow the advice of the service department, but upon my visit back in March for my 37500 oil change service I noticed that the Villa Ford lot employee sold out across the seat just like 99% of the population would when e outing the vehicle. The employee delivering me my car is exiting the car incorrectly by Villa Ford own advice. If you can’t controll your own employees how can you blame the customer when your team is contributing to the stress to seat skirt. How can you control any valet, car wash or dealership to exiting the car without sliding out across the skirt? Ford has given me no choice but the not buy a Ford anymore for the poor quality and design of the seat skirt. I dont think I should pay $700 every other year to repair a product that not designed not to break. I have pictures but I didn’t see an option to add them. Disappointing outcome. Beware.

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  Expedition is a Lemon - 2005 Ford Expedition
  By Expedition a Lemon - January 19 - 3:43 pm

  I loved this car the first four months I owned it. Then it started having nothing but problems. I have not driven it in two months and it is only five months old! Size and design is great but reliability is awful. I do love the bench in the front to seat nine. It makes the driver and passenger seats larger and more comfortable for long trips. Rear seat is also large and can actually seat adults. Inside looks so much more updated than the Suburban models. Flat fold seat is great -- and I did not get the power option. Seats flip down easily. My children can do it. Turning radius is great for such a large car, much better than my smaller Durango. Just be careful you dont buy a lemon.

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  not bad.... - 1999 Ford Expedition
  By me - January 18 - 8:38 pm

  Vehicle has done what I bought it for except for that tire incident and replacing transmission gasket it hasnt required any major fixing ("knock on wood"). I would consider buying another when a hybrid version comes out.

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  Roomy but no power - 2000 Ford Taurus
  By maryann - January 17 - 11:30 am

  We needed a roomier car than my Honda Accord for our growing family. The Taurus wagon was a great fit for all four plus a 50 lb. dog. I was grateful for selecting it over an SUV when we avoided a head on collision through emergency handling in New Brunswick Canada. The car was loaded for a 2-week vacation with luggage carrier on top. We absolutely would have rolled over in an SUV. The car (and driver) performed beautifully under extreme conditions. Negatives: this car eats brake pads for lunch and Im no pedal to the metal driver, no rabbit starts and stops. On several occasions, the car has stalled on the highway and no mechanic has been able to diagnose the problem.