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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  no more fords - 1995 Ford Windstar
  By Jim no fords - November 20 - 2:00 am

  If you are thinking about buying a Windstar, DONT. While the van was still under warranty, a computer chip went bad. It would have been several thousand dollars to fix if not for the warranty. The at 60,000 miles the transmission went. I dont know where all the radiator fluid goes that I put in. The dealer swears its not the head gasket. We have three friends that own Windstars from various model years and they ALL have transmission problems.

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  Worst car ever built - 2012 Ford Focus
  By blou2 - November 19 - 11:18 am

  Bought this car in nov of 2011 and have nothing but problems since....sync and mytouch only work part of the time...cannot lock car cause alarm always goes off...hood open alarm is always coming on...keep getting sd card fault on the nav screen even though card is in place...and the biggest problem is the transmission about once a month when pulling out into oncoming traffic it will just shudder and shake but wont go...this thing is going to get someone killed.....have had it to the dealer numerous times and they said they cannot duplicate the problems so they cannot fix them since they dont leave any codes...was going to try to lemon law it but instead just going to trade it in.... not ford

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  Mini Junk - 2002 Ford Windstar
  By riveramike - November 19 - 2:00 am

  Poor radio reliability, Poor overall interior workmanship and fit. Poor overal body fit and finish. Extremely poor reliability of motor. Numerous major problems with motor. Dealer continues to patch work repairs. Now that vehicle is out of warranty the timing head gasget cover and upper intake gasget need to be replaced at a cost of $1,400.

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  Great car....if you like buying parts - 1993 Ford Tempo
  By Allie Nicole - November 16 - 2:00 am

  I have had the car for a year and I am dumping money in to it left and right. If it is the only car in town to buy...go to a different town!!!!

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  Work vehicle - 2016 Ford Escape
  By Fred - November 14 - 8:19 pm

  This is my work vehicle. It has 12k miles. It is poorly built... The doors dont give the satisfying thunk of a Volkswagen or even a Fiat. Or even an older Ford... It just feels cheap and the door rattles when you close it. There is a lot of soft touch materials but they feel cheap and about 1cm of a strip of vinyl trim piece on the door is always coming untucked from the surrounding hard plastic trim. The seats are unsupportive and unsuitable for long shifts like mine or road trips but they should be fine for most I suppose. The vehicle makes weird vibrating noises around the muffler occasionally, when idling to the point that Ive gotten comments from people. It makes weird buzzing sounds sometimes that come from the dashboard that make it bothersome to sleep in if the vehicle is running and the radio isnt on. The AC has been replaced because it wouldnt cool. The starter was replaced because the vehicle refused to start unless you would press the gas pedal as it was starting. Strobe lights would come on and a message on the dash would appear that the key was not detected. Despite the repair it has not been fixed and still does it when it hasnt been driven in a while. Look at vehicle dependability studies from JD Powers, and you will see Ford is near the bottom-- only Dodge does worse. Even Land Rover and Fiat come ahead... Unlike some other people I am not bothered by the Dual Clutch transmission. It has its quirks but Americans are just too used to slush boxes. The vehicle handles well for a "SUV" and suspension, and steering, is something Ford has massively improved in comparison with the previous generation but the build quality still isnt there with any of the foreign makes.

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  Crappy vehicle - 1996 Ford Windstar
  By khuri - November 14 - 2:00 am

  Terrible can. Unreliable, poorly built.

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  Scarily Unreliable - 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid
  By bcastro1207 - November 12 - 5:08 pm

  Ordered the car in October. Finally delivered December 26. The first night, half the dash panel did not light up. Took it to the dealer - it was a "fuse". Three days later, same half of the dash panel didnt light up again. It came back on the next day. Four days after that, the blind spot sensors stopped working and the warning light came on. Took it to the dealer - they had to order the sensor. Its on back order and is still not fixed. Got the car back. The next day, started the car and smoke filled the cabin as well as the smell of burning electrical wires. Dealer - the wires going to the visor light shorted and burned. Plus, got only 34.5 mpg. Bottom line: DONT BUY.

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  Lemon - 2004 Ford Escape
  By hate/escape - November 12 - 2:00 am

  I bought the Escape almost 2 months ago. It has been in the shop 5 times! Almost a total of four weeks. The SUV wont start (3 times). They cannot figure out why. Mechanics even called Ford to find out if they new why (which they didnt). Service engine light came on to reveal emissions problems (twice). I am fed up with it.

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  Piece of Junk - 2003 Ford Windstar
  By wantmonybck - November 11 - 2:00 am

  Since I Bought this so called vehicle it has been in the dealership no less than 18 times for various reasons. Things like alignment, arm rests falling off, molding falling off, numerous electrical issues. The lattest is the engine hesitates then surges. I live an work in Detroit in the auto industry and have always been a flag waving American car buyer but since Ford cares less about me I care less about them and Im on my way to the Honda dealership to buy an Odysee that I am sure I will get my moneys worth.

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  Poor Choice - 2012 Ford Transit Connect
  By ttheroux - November 9 - 7:40 pm

  We have operated about 10 of these in our fleet, model years 2010, 2011 and 2012. They all have the same reliability issues, tranmissions failures, we have replaced at least 5 of these, radiators start leaking and assorted electrical issues that lead to overheating. These issues started occuring at 40k -50k miles and we do not carry heavy loads so it is was not abuse. It all comes down to one thing, they used an undersized passenger car drivetrain and tried to pass it off for commercial use. It is a great idea, but Ford totally botched the execution. Lets hope they learned some leasons with the new design. Did I mention that all have a weird musky smell inside?