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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  Disappointed - 2013 Ford Escape
  By huskymomma - October 25 - 9:04 am

  I traded in a Rav4 lease for this 2013 Escape. On the plus side the power is fantastic and it looks great. On the neg side less room than the Rav, milege is no where near the 30 highway even after reaching the 5K mile break in period. Controls are difficult to reach. Everything falls out of the glove box when you open it and it is very small. It doesnt feel as solid. This is my first American car in a long time. I will go for the Honda CRV next time. Very disappointed.

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  Looks and feels great but Performance is bad - 2013 Ford Escape
  By nealhardin - October 22 - 3:07 pm

  I purchased a new 2013 Escape 6 months ago. The vehicle look and rides great but the fuel mileage is terrible. It has been in the shop 3 times and still get 16 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the highway. There are better buys out there for the money. I would not recommend it

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  SUV - ok, I guess warranty support -- not ok - 2011 Ford Escape
  By bloke2 - October 12 - 10:49 am

  We bought an XLT w/ AWD, AT, V6 and Sync. To date we only have 21k miles on it. IMO, cheap materials, budget design, fit and finish, and paint flaws. Lack of amenities youd find in competitors, like a button to open the tailgate! SYNC is great but has its glitches. The 3.0 V6 is noisy & somewhat underpowered for the vehicle weight. It may be the gearing because weve had the AT reprogrammed twice via TSBs. Ford really fights with the consumer over warranty issues. Had hassle to replace tailgate window over defective defroster & badly faded plastic running board. Now we have two water leaks -- 1 door and the tailgate window. Were thinking, whats next?!

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  throttle body failure - 2010 Ford Fusion
  By stilbreathing - October 11 - 1:21 pm

  I had been mostly satisfied with my 2010 Fusion until the throttle body failed at 68,466 miles. I was driving on an interstate highway without shoulders, passing a truck, when I lost complete power. I lost speed and coasted to a stop where an on-ramp merged onto the highway. I feared for my life. Cars passing at highway speeds. No warning. AAA saved me along with city police who warned on-coming traffic. This could have been deadly. It cost $433 to fix.

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  Throttle Broken at 45K highway miles - 2012 Ford Fiesta
  By jt18 - October 8 - 7:52 pm

  Driven gently, and properly maintained, this vehicle has only given me a few problems. The arm rest broke after one year, Im not a big person and I didnt abuse the arm rest, it just broke one day when I leaned on it to adjust the seat. The throttle body started failing after about 40K miles, idling erratically, lurching on the highway, stalling at stoplights and randomly racing the engine while idling. Took it to be repaired, of course it is NOT covered under the power train warranty. Cost $900 to repair! Strange, I would have expected the throttle box to be considered part of the power train. It does handle fairly well in rain and snow as long as its not too deep.

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  Ford Focus Titanium - 2012 Ford Focus
  By racerrich - October 1 - 9:14 am

  Had a 10 Focus and the engine noise was unreal so the salesperson lied through his teeth and said the new 12 fixed the problem. The engine noise is to the point on the I.S. you can not hear the radio without blasting it. The handling Pkg. 18" wheels has you riding as if you were on a Go-Cart! Jerky trans. dealer said thats normal! Gas mileage what a joke unless less you drive 55. Other than that great styling and fun to drive, but its my last Ford & Ive driven them since H.S. and im 72. Was going to get a Fuson but my buddy said it was JUNK and in the garage 13 times..[non-permissible content removed]

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  Worst focus ive owned out of the 4 - 2010 Ford Focus
  By yankees102110 - September 23 - 10:19 pm

  Bought the focus ses in June of 2011 with 18k on it, I traded it in in April 2013 with 45k on it. In the 22 months and 27,000 miles i owned it i went through 3 sets of tires, 2 axles, 2 wheel bearings, abs control module that cost me almost 2000, 2 sets of front rotors, the driver side door handle broke, the locks in the car stopped working, and the sync would not work half the time. This all happened around the time the warranty ran out and just to be clear Ive always been very easy on my cars. This was my fourth focus Ive owned, 2 01s, an 05, and this one. I traded this one in for a 2013 corolla, I test drove the new focus and could not stand the way the transmission felt.

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  Disappointing Gas Mileage - 2013 Ford Fusion
  By whitecloud7 - September 23 - 8:14 am

  After almost 5, 000 miles on my Fusion SE Im averaging 22 MPG which is a lot lower than the rated mileage for this car by Ford. Is this going to turn into a class action suit for false advertising by Fusion owners? I drive both highway and local roads and still never saw my average mileage increase. I get better mileage from my Honda CR-V than this car. And there have been two recalls for the car since I bought it a few months ago.

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  It was fun to drive when it ran - 2012 Ford Focus
  By gris1969 - September 4 - 10:12 am

  I have not had my car in a while. Seven weeks ago it broke down and Ford cant seem to fix it and they are on there 3rd try. I have had loaner after loaner waiting. It was a nice car until hitting around 33k miles and then it turned into the joke of my workplace. Maybe Ill get a new one out of the lemon law. I have the manual transmission and the problem with the car is when you go to start it, it tries to start but shuts right off.

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  Terrible Transmission - Buy something else - 2013 Ford Focus
  By eyandell - September 3 - 6:59 pm

  The interior build quality, sync capability and low cabin noise is what attracted me to this car. Now that Ive had it for about 3 months its quite possibly the worst new car I have ever owned. The MyTouch Sync system is very glitchy and slow. The premium sound system burps when at low volume and anything with bass comes on the radio and I dont listen to rap or anything with excessive bass to begin with. The worst part is the transmission. I have had the software updated twice and Im scheduled for another appointment for a transmission that feels like its loose and slipping. I will never own another Ford product after the experience Ive had.