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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  Good for the money - 2013 Ford Fusion
  By yak3 - April 23 - 11:15 am

  I needed better gas mileage than my SUV and liked the design of the 13 Fusion. In heavy traffic I get aprox 22 to 24 MPG, in light traffic I get aprox 26 MPG. The Snyc system is pretty good and I love to use my phone safely and hands free but I do get some complaints from others that they hear a lot of background noise when I am talking. Im disappointed that Ford has not come out with any Safety reviews yet. Im hoping they come out good as I usually dont purchase a car without knowing this. I took a chance that it would be good! Biggest complaint is the passage seat is too low and there is a delay on the starter at times when I first start the car.

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  Disappointed Overall - 2013 Ford Fusion
  By clovjul - April 23 - 10:42 am

  This car look great--rivals a luxury car in my opinion. But I hated it after a few days. I drove it for 650 miles and returned it. The MPG never got above 21 mpg and that was even with driving like an old lady. It took a long time to accelerate, the shifting was jerky (like a manual), and was really loud. The eco-boost engine is a joke. I got better gas mileage with my Murano, filled less and paid less overall. Plus, it was not fun to drive. And it was really uncomfortable. The headrests stuck out and I was constantly adjusting the seats and could never get comfortable. Not a good fit for me--I am 55 so maybe a taller person would fit better. And it was hard to park.

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  Regretting leasing the 2013 XLT V6 All-Wheel-Drive - 2013 Ford Explorer
  By missfc - April 23 - 9:38 am

  38 yr old female owner of the 2013 XLT 4WD-V6 since 04/05/13. Very disappointed with the purchase. Ride quality is very harsh over potholes, you feel and hear all potholes. Road noise is loud on old and rough stretches of NJ roads. Poor sound insulation. Headlights are not bright enough. No remote start or push-button start on the XLT costing $39,040. 2nd row seats are small, do not provide enough comfort, thigh support to adults. 3rd row very hard and heavy to fold and unfold. Jerky transmission going uphill. Fit and finish is very poor -- door molding, seals, compared to my 2010 VW. Steering buttons are very cheap quality. Gas tank door does not lock.

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  excellent car !!!!!!!! - 1999 Ford Explorer
  By diana66 - April 21 - 7:34 pm

  the best car i had ever have!!! i love it !!!

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  Vehicle is great, MyFord Touch is terrible - 2012 Ford Explorer
  By g2a2k - April 21 - 4:05 pm

  Ford did a very good job in the design of the vehicle. It is great to drive. The part that is not great is the MyFord Touch. I have had problems from the beginning. The dealers have been nice, but have not been able to solve any of the problems I have face such as the navigation system never working and it often shutting down while driving causing me to have my vehicle in the shop at least once a month. For this reason, and all the problems I have had with the My Ford Touch, I would not recommend purchasing a Ford with it since they cant seem to solve the problems with it.

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  Transmission issue at 600 miles - 2013 Ford Edge
  By kurios - April 20 - 10:34 pm

  2013 Limited with 301A package and other stuff. Purchased with 8 miles on it. Two days after purchase tire alert came on, but nothing was wrong with tires. Was in shop for 2 days to correct. With just over 600 miles, violent lunge while driving at around 40 mph, after which downshifting into first was hard with clunking. Service found metal in transmission. Attempted repair of valve body and issue still there. Edge is with Ford service for 12 days now and they still cannot fix it. Owned Edge for 51 days now, and 14 of those days (and counting) it has been with Ford service. Really thinking it was a mistake to purchse the Edge.

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  Run Away! - 2010 Ford Escape
  By mel1898 - April 20 - 9:07 am

  When I turned on the AC for the first time this year it made a loud grinding noise for a few seconds, then never cooled. Took it in to the dealership to check and for regular 45,000 mile maintenance. Dealer called and gave the following description of the problem ..."in the AC dryer there is a filter bag with "little blue balls" of dessicant. It seems that it is a very common problem that these filter bags burst and flood the entire AC system with the balls (aka "debris") which causes all the parts to fail and or clog. Many of the parts cant be effectively flushed so the have to be replaced." The cost to replace the entire AC system (all valves, tubes, hoses, evaporator, compressor, condens

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  Not a dependable vehicle. Move on to something else - 2013 Ford Escape
  By roggom - April 19 - 5:52 pm

  My escape is very glichy. Sometimes the radio will not work, or the remotes do not work. The next day they will be fine. It is not the restricted driver feature, as I got very familiar with that garbage very qucikly. The first week I had the car, the rear hatch handle (used to close the hatch) came completly off. I did not yank it just pulled down and it came off in my hand. Yes, the car is zippy on dry road, but you get into a few inches of snow or mud and this silly vehicle will bog down and start slowing down. It must have some anti-slip slow down feature as all it does it make it impossible to move. ON heavy snow days I can not park in my own driveway.

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  2013 Ford Edge sel w/appearance package - 2013 Ford Edge
  By billcabral - April 19 - 3:20 pm

  The truck has nice styling. The smoked lights and 20 inch black wheels really go well with the deep blue impact metallic paint. The interior is where it lacks. Cramped up front for driver if your big like myself.(63"tall 285lbs) back seat is also hard to get in and out of. My son who sits in the back most of the time is only 5‘7“ and skinny. This is a common problem with all ford trucks. We have an Expedition and its a pain in the you know what to get in and out the back seat. The new version of the Ford My Sync works great. The older one stunk. I think it has too many colors going on in side that just don’t match the truck. Like two different silvers, and a bronze(ish) color center console. The stitching on the seats should match something but it doesn’t. I do like the two tone leather and suede. I also like the rear seats being able to recline back., oh and the vista roof which is a must have. Performance wise its kind of slow for a truck pushing close to 290HP. It does brake well and the handling is pretty nice for an SUV. So for now it’s a pretty nice truck. Again the interior needs to match how detailed the outside is for this to be a really good suv.

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  Nice commuter car, no major issues at 12k miles - 2012 Ford Focus
  By nunyer - April 19 - 11:12 am

  Not quite the perfect small car, but fun to drive. Sometimes it is hesitant to downshift in a passing situation or after coasting for a bit, which doesnt instill a ton of confidence. When the trans finds where it needs to be, there is more power available then youd expect from this segment. My mileage during a pretty bad Detroit winter was 31mpg overall. The jerky stick shift like behavior in my car slowly subsided over the first 2k miles. Trunk space is impressive, rear leg room is not. Overall, I am satisfied for the money I spent, but not blown away. The combination of incentives, employee discount and being built in my home state tipped me away from the competition.