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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  Escape 4x4 - 2005 Ford Escape
  By Damian - January 21 - 11:33 am

  The bad thing, you need to check your blind spots at least twice. Dont be in a hurry. If you are 6 and heavy set, this is not the car for you. Other than this, great look, excellent power house and handling.

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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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  Best truck on the road - 2004 Ford F-150
  By arnie o - January 21 - 10:00 am

  Anyone considering a truck, save time and just get the Ford. Toyota has no business calling the Tundra a truck - cant handle the road at all. Dodge and Chevy good, but this truck has it all. Ride and handling outstanding and looks slick doing it. Have owned 6 trucks, this is by far the most amazing.

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  F150 Super Crew is Super - 2004 Ford F-150
  By JayRoj - January 21 - 10:00 am

  This truck has it all. Even with the 4.6l engine it has plenty of horses. The interior quiet and comfort is first rate. Hey, the gas mileage is decent too. Getting 20mpg on highway.

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  EXPEDITION - 2004 Ford Expedition
  By MSBHAVE - January 21 - 10:00 am

  THIS IS MY THIRD EXPEDITION AND THEY JUST KEEP GETTING BETTER AND BETTER.

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  Love my Explorer - 2002 Ford Explorer
  By gails - January 21 - 10:00 am

  One of the deciding factors when choosing this car was the 3rd back seat. Although it does not offer a lot of leg room and requires a bit of climbing to get into, it is perfect for kids. The kids can easily climb in the back and the adults can sit in the rear seat confortably. This vehicle has proven to be very reliable. I have experienced a couple of hiccups thoough, in the past 27 months or so. I had to replace a switch for the passenger side window (it fell in the door), the a/c adaptor plugs arent working but I have not fixed yet, things like this. But nothing major.

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  Just simply amazing! - 2000 Ford Mustang
  By Joe A - January 21 - 9:31 am

  Im 16 and I bought a 2000 Mustang GT as my first car. Having a 5 speed manual makes this car a blast to drive. The car handles beautifully in dry weather, have yet to drive it in anything wet. Since I am in high school, its nice seeing heads turn everywhere I go. The full Flowmaster exhaust sure helps bring attention to my car. Only thing I have to say is it is a eye-catcher, especially for the COPS. So drive safe and be careful!

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  2005 Eddie Bauer - 2005 Ford Expedition
  By rs - January 21 - 5:10 am

  Great improvement over previous 99 Eddie Bauer owned. Ride is a bit stiffer, but feels like a sportier drive. Handling and turning radius is excellent for a vehicle of this size. The new 5.4 3V is much torquier than the old engines and can pull a moderate hill at 1200 RPM without downshifts. Mileage is not bad on the highway we get 19-20 mpg on trips if we keep at 70 or below. Tows our 23 boat/trailer at 7,000 lbs. with ease getting about 12-14 mpg highway. Other than a window rattle which the dealer fixed with a new weather strip, no problems, and very reliable so far at 15k. Great truck!

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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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  2004 F150 - 2004 Ford F-150
  By michaeltk1 - January 21 - 2:44 am

  The truck has the standard 4.6 that has good power and torque but could be better. It is an XL model but came with a lot of standard features. It is minimal but its what I like. But with a family of five I have to make sure everyone is comfortable when we all have to go in it and it does that well. I have only had one issue and that was with the trailer wiring and I will have to pay for that one myself because I didnt discover the defect until after the warranty expired! A longer warranty period would be nice. Overall it has been over 52,000 uneventful miles. I am planning my next Ford truck purchase and it will be an F250 or 350.