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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  Reliable Car - 1999 Ford Taurus
  By Don - January 30 - 2:33 am

  It has been a good car. We bought the car in TX and it handled the heat there and the cold in MT. The transmission went out at exactly 100K. The suspension needs replaced now at 125K. The paint came off of the spoiler. The only place it peeled off.

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  Very Dependable! - 2005 Ford Escape
  By Fred Reno - January 29 - 10:14 pm

  165,600 miles with original brakes, shocks, clutch, and battery. This has been the most dependable car I have ever owned.....it drives as good as the day I bought it.

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  2009 Sangri Ford Escape AWD V6 - 2009 Ford Escape
  By Bjc - January 29 - 5:30 pm

  Purchased vehicle used with 14000 miles. Traded in 06 Nissan Maxima. Overall vehicle is good, but have developed noise in drive train that sounds like metal on metal when accelerating after owning for 200 miles. Dealer says normal. Have contacted Ford Motor for confirmation, will post update once I hear from Ford.

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  Not a winter SUV!! - 2008 Ford Escape
  By Forever Ford Fan - January 28 - 9:50 am

  I owned an Explorer before,and wanted to down size. Big mistake!This Escape is worthless in the snow. Living in IA we can expect anything from Mother Nature. I did not purchase the 4x4 trying to save some money,but you NEED it for winter driving. When you come to a stop you can barely get the thing going,it has NO traction!I will be trading this thing in this summer for an Explorer,it will NOT be in my garage next winter. Also the carmel interior was a wrong choice.It picks up every stain you can think of.The material is cheap and when you try to clean it yourself you end up with a bigger stain when it dries!Folding of the rear seats require you to remove the head rest not practical. Avg MPG 18

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  trouble free - 2001 Ford Explorer
  By Kaos_agent1 - January 27 - 11:45 pm

  Bought Dora (The Explorer) in 2004 with 40K miles on her. 4.0l V6. To date I have replaced the thermostat, both radiator hoses (innie and outie), brakes, serpentine belt and tires. She has never let me down and has 150k on her. The most reliable vehicle I have ever owned, hands down. This is one of that last real SUVs - built on a truck chassis (Ranger platform). We lived in mountains of northern New Mexico and spent a lot of time boulder crawling on two-track roads along mountain ridges. Great 4X4 capability as well as highway capability. the ride is a bit bouncy, but I tamed it a bit when I put a set of bilstien shocks in place of the factory ones. The explorer is paid off and still alive

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  2006 Freestar Limited (4.2L) - 2006 Ford Freestar
  By SuperOldSchool - January 27 - 9:44 pm

  I love this van and its great family transportation,also very good as a hauler for construction projects. It rides smoothly and has plenty of power. I have 65k on the van. I personally think too many things have gone wrong. Fortunately all covered under warranty: Front brake rotors replaced 2x due to warping. Fuel pump replaced (worked fine but squealed), rear window vent motor replaced, catalytic converter replaced. Funky AdvanceTrak issues sometimes,weatherstrip on windshield was falling off. I know the AX4N trans is known to have major issues so I just hope ours lasts. I do all maintenance myself - full syn fluids, trans every 15k, P/S every year, coolant etc

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  Not bad for a 4 cylinder - 2008 Ford Escape
  By J Ramos - January 27 - 9:01 am

  I bought this car because I was moving upstate. It has been extremely reliable and has handled the 140 miles per day with ease. It has been great in the snow & the rain and I would recommend it to anyone looking for an economical SUV. The engine does have something to be desired when it comes to power but I knew that I had to comprimise on that if I was going for a 4 cylinder - great on gas. So far it has 69,000 miles and I have replaced 1 tire, 1 brake job, and a small transmission coolant leak ($180 to repair)..So feel free to buy it. I planning to give it to my son when he graduates college in 2 years..That is how confident I am in its reliabilty.

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  Fun to drive, not perfect - 2008 Ford Edge
  By jerbo - January 26 - 3:47 pm

  I am trying to buy American so this was an experiment for me that I dont regret. Everyone loves the exterior look, I get compliments all the time. The interior feel very roomy. It drives like a car for the most part. SYNC is fun once you figure it out. Plenty of get up and go for my taste. Unfortunetly the AC is not powerful enough, the plastic interior is not my favorite, and we got a smoking transmition problem that others have reported that has disappointed me. However, it is fun to drive and looks great.

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  Good used vehicle for the money - 2001 Ford Taurus
  By Jason - January 26 - 10:19 am

  I needed something cheap right away to go to school and work, so I got this car for $1500, 150k miles, I wasnt expecting much, car drives great, I take it on road trips, I put into it 25k miles this year. I had to change the starter (oil filter leaks into it if not installed properly). Other than that just keep servicing the tranny and engine and this car would treat you good.

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  1999 Mustang GT - 1999 Ford Mustang
  By Phillip - January 25 - 9:50 pm

  I purchased my 1999 Mustang GT in August 2009 from a private seller.It has 72,400 miles on it. The beautiful red with gray leather interior gets a lot of compliments and the car has always been garaged and looks new!It has a manual 5 speed transmission. I love the exhaust sound but do wish that it had more power in the low/mid range power band. I have owned a Mustang SVO and a 1967 Mustang Fastback over the years. The cup holder location in the 1999 GT is a disaster but the stereo sounds very good and the car handles ok even though the tie rods wear pre-maturely and begin to squeak when turning. Ford should have went to a adjustable clutch cable instead of the automatic adjustment system.