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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  The Green Monster - 1996 Ford Taurus
  By anthonypavone - May 10 - 11:26 am

  Bought this car as a replacement to my 98 Suzuki . Got it from a friend for $600 with about 140,000 miles. Needed a new battery, catalytic converter, ball joints, and AC system. Through all this I got the car and loved every second of it. Only thing I ended up fixing was the battery, all others were too expensive a repair. In the time I had it the left front turn signal burned out probably twenty or thirty times. But this car drove like a dream. I drive 50 miles a day and only had to fill up once every week and a half. Sadly I hit a deer after 6 months of having it. Tiny deer hit the airbag sensor at 40MPH and to fix would be $1,000, on top of the other fixes. But now Im looking for another

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  Love the new Edge - 2015 Ford Edge
  By wmsh - May 7 - 3:46 pm

  After having my new 2015 Edge for about 6 weeks I am overall very pleased. The 4cyl turbo charged engine is more powerful than the 6cyl that my 2008 Edge or 2013 Explorer had. It has great acceleration. The braking is much improved and does not have that mushy feel that many Ford vehicles have. The new exterior design is sportier and more sleek than the previous Edge. I love the new two tone leather interior giving it a higher end feel. I miss the power lift gate that my Explorer had and wish it was a standard feature. The interior cabin is much quieter than my last two vehicles. There are also more display features for fuel economy etc.

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  So far so good. - 2015 Ford Explorer
  By jrbrad89 - May 7 - 1:29 am

  I have had this one for almost two months. The variable transmission lags for a second, but hold that steering wheel! The front wheel torque is decent. I love the power seat. Costs nearly an arm and a leg but.. meh. Nice and zippy but a little wide for a midsize. Interior design is fine. Nothing flashy, rugged, and not an eyesore. I love the look on the outside but I wish I could have gotten the appearance package. Feels solid. And of course I havent had any issues seeing as how it only has 1700 miles on it. I use this for camping and hauling my dirtbike mainly. Gas mileage isnt great in the city, but that 6th gear really helps on the highway. It works for me!

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  Love it - 2001 Ford Escort
  By tinarinkus - May 6 - 1:14 pm

  I have driven my ZX2 for the last 8 years and I have loved every minute of it.

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  30K in, Jury still out - 2015 Ford Escape
  By uteman - May 3 - 7:04 pm

  Overall, Good, w/ 3 complaints: 1. Took 10K mi & 3X back to dlr to find and correct eng. starting to inexplicably run rough AT speed. Finally only after sending us out for 3wks w/ onboard eng. recorder was fault found. Had to replace main wiring harnass to computer. 2. Design flaw causes ctr-rear "female" belt receptical to get caught under seat & squash-damaged when seats folded forward. 2X back for repair. 3. Salesman emphasized "Reg. fuel," BUT after sale noted Owm. Manual says "87" octane, w/ lower 85 octane causing performance & mileage loss as eng computer auto-detunes to compensate. 4. "Sync" is still a pain in the ___!

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  great little car - 1995 Ford Escort
  By mecal1100 - April 29 - 11:38 pm

  So far I have 201,000 on it and it needs a new clutch. Otherwise, I have had only minor issues. Reliability is fantastic (partly thanks to the Mazda 1.8L engine).

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  Great Car if you drive oil roads - 2015 Ford Fusion
  By mamanep - April 23 - 6:05 pm

  This is my first Ford Ive owned, weve always been a Chevy family....but Ive heard rave reviews on the Ford Fusion and quite frankly I dont feel Chevy has mastered their midsize sedans quite yet besides the Impala, but I didnt want another one of those. I am very happy with the features on my Fusion, however after driving on my gravel roads, which I drive at least 6 miles a day, I have found that the doors do not seal well. I actually thought someone had not shut their door all the way, dust was rolling in. This car actually seals worse than my 2002 VW Beetle. I will be calling my dealer to see if there is something simple that can resolve this problem.

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  transmission - 2004 Ford Explorer
  By lariat04 - April 21 - 10:16 am

  bought my wifes explorer in 2006, with 9400 miles. at about 20,000 miles the tranny started hitching, we ignored it until got so bad we couldnt drive it.had the tranny rebuilt for 2,500 bucks. come find out there were a lot of 03,04 with the same problem. ford should have had a recall on these, if your looking at these yrs make sure u ask about the trannys! other hen that my wife loves her explorer, we live in maine and it it does great in snow

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  SSV used. - 2007 Ford Expedition
  By gofreddo - April 20 - 11:36 am

  Clearly, there is a distinct advantage to owning an SSV. This unit came equipped with all the function items every model should have. 3:73 geared rear end, Skid plates all over the underside, rock protection for the fuel cell, bigger brake calipers, rotors and select-a trac 4X4. These are not easy vehicles to find as the used ones have been previously used for Emergency services. However, I got lucky and found one used by a fleet company that did not use them for emergency purposes.

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  Problems 2011 Ford Explorer - 2011 Ford Explorer
  By neslerspecial - April 16 - 11:14 am

  First the computer display screen had to be replaced when we first got car because it was not working. Next car was randomly having dead battery issues, as something was drawing from the battery and running. Took to dealership and they said there was an APIM recall and fixed it. It happen 2 weeks later again. Then they said it was a gear shift issue where it kept recognizing it was in park. Was not a recall or a Ford issue so cost $500 to repair. Had a recall on the doors as well. I find it odd that the same battery issued happened 4 times and this time they said it was due to the gear shift problem.