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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  Expected more from a sport truck - 2010 Ford F-150
  By arbrn_hntr - June 30 - 5:30 pm

  For being a sporty full size truck, I expected more luxuries. My biggest peeve is the WEAK stereo system. I traded in my Explorer Sport Trac Adrenaline package. I gave up my sliding rear window, moon roof, adjustable pedals, bed storage compartments, and killer sound system. Ford did a very poor job with this stereo setup in this truck. NO BASS, cheap speakers.

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  36 Miles and dropping calls - 2013 Ford Taurus
  By bunt7222 - June 29 - 7:29 pm

  After 1 day and 36 miles we have experienced 5 dropped calls in this period of time.4 Local calls 1 out of state. Weve read about this re-ocurring problem with others and will be all over our dealership for it. I have purposely purchased an American Made auto to be a good citizen and strngthen our economy......now well see if the American Auto industry is truly out of the dark ages of poor quality. Will keep posting until issues are fixed.

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  2013 Escape has overheated twice now after recall fix - 2013 Ford Escape
  By jerseygirl77 - June 29 - 3:00 pm

  There is something wrong with the 1.6L engine & transmission combo. My car has overheated twice after doing uphill climbs in the California hills. Im guessing the transmission is overheating since it never knows what gear to be in, which is causing the turbo to overheat. Ford cant seem to figure out whats wrong though. If you search on the DOT website for complaints, the overheating post recall is popping up a bit. You can also see all the other transmission problems this car is having if you search around on the Ford Escape forums.

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  Hard to stop - 2002 Ford Thunderbird
  By jerryandev - June 29 - 7:28 am

  After 11 years one Ford dealer new the answer. Our car motored at 25MPH (as if in cruise control ) ever since new, so it was very hard to stop . There are lots of them with the same problem . You need to change the Idle air control, about $200. Ford calls it IABP The dealer is Sunny Side Ford in Holden Ma. Scotty service manager .

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  Buyer beware - 2009 Ford Focus
  By cstainke - June 28 - 8:23 pm

  Bought this car with 15k miles on it. Its been one problem after another. It has left us high and dry at least 4 different times where the car wouldnt start at all. 2 times is was due to the fuel pump. The fuel pump went once last Christmas day and we had to stay at a hotel out of town overnight. Then the computer on the car went out not too long ago. Everything was covered by warranty, but what a pain . Then, just yesterday, the car would start but wouldnt shift out of park at the grocery store. Shifter was somehow locked up! It is currently at the dealer and they have no clue why that happened. I will never buy another Ford car. tires wear down very fast also. on 2nd set at 5ok miles sucks

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  385000 Miles - 1995 Ford Ranger
  By sickprofessor2 - June 26 - 4:44 pm

  My 1995 Ranger has 385000 miles on it. What more is there to say? 385000 miles. I dont do much to maintain it, either. I probably change the oil about every 10000 miles. It probably hasnt had a tuneup in 200000 miles. I expect that the drivetrain would keep going to a million miles. The only issues Ive had in the past few years have been suspension: rear leaf-spring brackets rusted away and replaced front sway-bar link broke.

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  Excellent temporary car, wouldnt recommend long term - 1997 Ford Escort
  By brendan12090 - June 26 - 4:31 pm

  Have had this escort for a little less than a year and it has just been terrible. Everything has had to of been replaced including, all four struts, both lower ball joints, full exhaust, and little repairs along the way, I should have just bought a new car! Although it has many problems, it refuses to die and for that I gave it a 4 in reliability. Moving on to a Toyota because of their reliability. But for cheap temporary transportation its a good car and gets relatively good gas mileage. Cheap to repair but nothing is extremely cheap. Engines arent too bad and the transmissions arent terrible either, but the body style is absolutely ugly and it rusts so quickly!

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  Fusion 2011 Engine shutdown - 2011 Ford Fusion
  By ferb1 - June 26 - 4:06 pm

  Bought my car from Frontier Ford mid 2011. Never go there again. The service department is unreliable too. The car loss power while driving (doesnt matter what speed). Take it to fix 4 times. Couldnt fix it. Ford or the dealership wont admit to any issue. IN fact, they said that my warranty ran out. Told me I should have bought the extended warranty. For the past 2 years, I have been dealing the loss of power in the car. Now I understand the statement "What do see on the middle of the road? A DEAD FORD"

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  Adaptive Transmission and Poor Gas consumption issues - 2012 Ford Fiesta
  By coach_dizzy - June 26 - 10:37 am

  We purchased the 2012 Ford Fiesta SE (Auto) in August of last year. Since we have put on over 33,000 km on it. Never had a issue with until last week. While accelerating there seemed to be a slip or clunk in the transmission and there would be no acceleration for a very brief period of time. We also started to notice a dramatic drop in our MPG. The first 8 months of use we would get around 650km per tank of gas on a mixed driving terrain. Now we are lucky to push 425km per tank. Dealer says it was the ATC and said it is fixed now. We will see. I really hope the gas consumption gets resolved.

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  Great Daily Drive - 2002 Ford Mustang
  By scott221 - June 25 - 10:26 pm

  I finally dont need a family car and bought an 02 GT with 100K miles at age 50. It needed a little TLC. I added a radio, new COPs, a gear shift knob, + more. I love this car. I get better than 27mpg on the highway and 23-24 combined. The engine is smooth and has a higher power-to-weight ratio than any car or truck I have had. It took me a couple of months to tame this Pony. I changed the real seals, bearings, left axle, and c-clips. One c-clip broke and ground up inside the left axle causing that bearing to fail. The car is definitely a sports car. I have a Flowmaster catback and Nexen 3000 tires with Bullet rims. Other drivers taunt me on the road. I just smile and enjoy.