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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  Tailgate Recall - 2003 Ford Explorer
  By Bob - March 19 - 11:57 am

  They need to recall the tailgate on this model for design defects relating to the crack at the emblem. Dealer says no. If not a design defect, why the design before and after this year include only the glass that would lift. Nearly every vehicle of this type has the crack at the emblem located on the tailgate. Can be fixed to the tune of nearly $800 at my cost.

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  Trust Ford Trucks - 2008 Ford F-150
  By Gil - March 19 - 11:28 am

  I love my truck, rides great. Love the Navigation system, back up camera,Sound system. heated seats & mirrors. Love the leather seats. Only problem that I have with my f-150 King Ranch 4x4 truck is fuel mileage could be better. I get 11 mpg around town and 17-18 mpg on the road. I have owned Ford products all my life. You can always trust ford for making great cars and trucks.

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  Great truck - 1993 Ford F-150
  By green truck - March 19 - 9:28 am

  i bought if off my brother in law in 05, it has the famous 4.9 strait six and at 16 years old it is more reliable then a some brand new cars i have drove. never stranded me and is a daily driver. i see these trucks all over the road as if they never get old.

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  Happy with fusion - 2006 Ford Fusion
  By brad - March 19 - 9:00 am

  The fusion wasnt my first choice, it was a nissan maxima but I wanted to get a ford to make my family happy. Its a really nice car. Reliable, excellent "sharp looking" interior, a ton of options, a little sluggish with the 2.3 but you cant get a 5 speed with the 3.0 engine. I thought mileage would be a little better but Im not complaining. For a guy thats had audis and saabs my whole life. Overall easily a 8 out of 10.

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  Love my Edge but ... - 2010 Ford Edge
  By Bob R. - March 18 - 2:03 pm

  On our annual trip to Florida we traveled over 650 miles each day and were pleasantly surprised at the comfortable ride. Would have driven further but I dont like to drive at night. The seats are great and give excellent support. Getting into and out of the car is easy CLIMB UP to get in, and STEP DOWN to get out. No need to grab the door to pull yourself up (like I did in my Crown Victoria). It responds well when necessary. However, I rated reliability a six. The reason is that my Edge was twice "Found On Road (driveway) Dead", requiring a jump start. The dealer ship may have located the problem as it now appears to be a faulty key pad on the door, as I use the pad to lock the car.

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  So far, so good - 2005 Ford Taurus
  By annm78 - March 18 - 9:17 am

  Bought this car with 34k miles on it 2.5 years ago. Now has 53k and have had no trouble with it so far. Keep hearing about transmission problems, but havent had any. Hubby wonders if it has something to do with the fact that it takes 3 seconds to shift gears. I try to be really gentle on acceleration and make sure to wait before taking off when shifting out of park or neutral. Interior is roomy - lots of legroom in the front and back. Like the sunroof and the car itself is attractive. I average 20-22 mpg. 18 straight city and ~27 highway. We like the flex fuel option, but lose 25% fuel economy, so we dont use it.

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  2002 Ford Focus - 2002 Ford Focus
  By Christine - March 17 - 4:37 pm

  I have had nothing but great reliability with my 2002 Focus ZTS. I still have the factory battery in it, ac works great, great on gas, I can always depend on this car to get me where I need to go. Oil always gets changed on a regular basis, regular check ups and it has been going. Im no mechanic but the money that I have put into this car is just maintenance that you do for your car to keep running. The only thing that has not worked since I purchased it was the drivers side windshield wiper.

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  2002 Ford Taurus SE - 2002 Ford Taurus
  By Kris - March 16 - 11:32 pm

  I had my Taurus for about 3 years now the first two years I havent had anything major done on it besides brakes and oil changes, the last two months I had nothing but troubles with it starting from engine sensors (camshaft) fuel pump , car would die wiring electrical problems, transmission went out completely had to tow it to the dealer I have 85K on it, and I never abuse the car its very well maintained! I may switch to a Japanese car for better reliability

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  no problems here - 2006 Ford Explorer
  By jim g - March 16 - 5:44 pm

  This is my 3rd Explore and by far my best. Plenty of power and the ride is very smooth. Every feature works as expected. Very stable on the highway and easy to drive in town. No comparison to the explores of the early years.

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  So far so good... - 2008 Ford Focus
  By JHorn - March 16 - 2:18 pm

  I bought this car used in Jan. 08 with about 15k miles. I had to have the back left window motor replaced and just had front right axle and bearing replaced. It was all under warranty so no cost. Everything else has been great. The audio system is awesome with SYNC, though the high end is a little tinny and the phone calls are hard for the other person to hear when using bluetooth. The acceleration is great for the engine size. It does not handle as well as my 2000 VW Golf did, but it isnt bad. As everyone says, the mpg is terrific. It isnt that exciting but it drives well and seems to be reliable since I got those things done.