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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  Yes, I work for Ford... - 1997 Ford Taurus
  By I_Work_For_Ford! - July 19 - 2:00 am

  And Im here to tell you: if you are thinking of buying one, dont! I have 50,000 miles on my car. I work for Ford, so I got the employee discount. I spent it ($1500) today. Heres what has gone wrong so far: * Front speakers bad - 4 times! * Door panels pop open when doors are shut, due to repeated dealer repairs. * Front door window channels pop out due to broken clips. * A/C compressor failed at 50,000 miles. $1500.00 for repair. Too much to list in 700 characters...

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  1999 ranger xlt 4dr - 1999 Ford Ranger
  By Rah - July 13 - 2:00 am

  Ive had nothing but problems with my ford inc, fire in electical, front suspension problems, engine pings, abs doesnt work all the time!

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  Glad its only a lease - 2005 Ford F-150
  By Rick Casorio - July 7 - 11:23 pm

  One more year to go on the lease then Im done with Ford. Never get the 4.6L V8, way underpowered. Never buy one with the General Tires, noisiest tire on the planet. Hope you can overcome the electronic throttle lag when you push the gas. Hope you dont buy one like I did that the transmission fried at 12,000k because some seal blew connecting the transmission to the transfer case. Ford doesnt put "new" transmissions in anymore, just rebuilts. And this rebuilt one has been serviced 2 times already and it still doesnt run right. Expect 12mpg in the winter and 15mpg in the summer. Only owned 2 Fords in my lifetime and both have been a disappointment. This is it! Pity too because I get the Ford Discount.

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  Head Gasket Hell - 1995 Ford Taurus
  By No More Fords - July 7 - 2:00 am

  Its a good car if you get the base engine, The 3.8 is not a good engine the problems with the head gaskets are not worth the extra performance. So far the forth set of head gaskets have lasted 40000 miles I hope it holds on to 150000.

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  My Ford Contour - 1995 Ford Contour
  By Lady Firecracker - July 2 - 2:00 am

  I have a 95 Ford Contour with 201,000 miles on it. Just discontinued driving it because it was trying to run hot with the AC on and I decided not to put any more money into it. Never had any major problems with it, just lots of minor ones. Sometimes the car was a royal pain, let me standing by the side of the road more than one time but once everything short of the engine & transmission was replaced, it seemed to get better. Lots of recalls on this car. Even though I got all the goody out of this one, I wouldnt buy another one.

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  2013 CMAX - NOT worth the money - 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid
  By the_handiman - June 30 - 6:52 am

  Purchased our CMAX SEL 11-16-2012 because the sticker in window said 47 mpg, city & hiway. As did the sales person. Have owned the care for 3 weeks and have taken on short 100 mile trips to check mileage. At best the vehicle gets 33 MPG. Took it back to dealer and they say you have to wait until 3,000 for vehicle to get advertised mileage. Car is not worth the money. I do not advise you buy one, put your money on a vehicle that will give you your monies worth and from a dealer that will support you ..Ford should be ashamed for false advertising and poor excuses for the vehicles poor performance. Dont expect any support from your Ford Dealer or Ford !! Does not come with a spare tire either

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  Waste - 2004 Ford Explorer
  By Frank M - June 30 - 2:00 am

  Comfort is ok but the handling is like a truck. The sway when cornering is untolerable and is annoying and dangerous.

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  Sad - 1995 Ford Contour
  By cag - June 28 - 2:00 am

  The problems with all the recalls and having your wiring system burn up in the car and having to have it rewired three times has been a nightmare. The first two wirings were done in town and I finally had to take it to a dealership in another town to get any satisfaction. I was told that the transmission needed replacing around 80k miles. I have managed to put on around 24k at this time without replacing it. I made a point of having the car serviced, but I guess it didnt matter. The trunk has leaked from day one and never been able to fix it. I have almost decided at this writing to never buy another American made car again.

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  Why not to buy a 97 Taurus - 1997 Ford Taurus
  By UnhappyFord - June 21 - 2:00 am

  Short and sweet: 5 starters, 2 transmissions,HORRIBLE DIM headlights, electrical problems galore, high depreciation,air bags deployed during a 7mph fender bender. Total cost to a 2001 Audi = $30 touch up paint, to my taurus $3700!! (shattered windshield, and deployment caused other dash problems [horn electrical- wouldnt turn off], plus the bags needed replacement),low torque when needed, inadequate tuned RPM sensor, ousy factory warranty, only 36k tells me I bought crap when the factory wont even stand behind it, so much for listening to a friend.If you planning on driving that ford, consider something else instead.

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  HELP - 1996 Ford Windstar
  By kl - June 18 - 2:00 am

  I have had nothing but problems since I purchased this van. My check engine light has been on for atleast 1 yr. I have put LOTS of money into this van and still there is no end. They tell me it is the ega ports are clogged and of course FORD does not see why they should have to fix it. In the 96 and 97 models the ega ports were to small and in the 98 models they have made them larger. Any help?