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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  Poor design - 2002 Ford Windstar
  By Konrad 2002 - October 6 - 2:00 am

  Last year, I bought a year old SEL Windstar. I am getting rid of it this year. Poor interior use of space. There is hardly any storage inside the car. Back seat is uncomfortable for adults and a hassle to get into the back seat. Radio has very poor reception. I had it replaced by the dealer, but it still only picks up a few stations in a major metro area. Drives poorly on snow or slippery roads. Pretty good on mileage for this type of vehicle. It would be nice to have a full spare, since its mounted under the vehicle.

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  3 years-20000miles - 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid
  By tony5020 - October 5 - 5:22 pm

  No major problems. Avg. 38 mpg. 52 in town, 43mpg to airport, 33 in winter(gas engine must run to heat coolant for heater). Good looking vehicle. Comfortable seating and ride. Fun to drive. Doesn`t save you any money. $8000 premium(only $500 Federal rebate) for hybrid, means at $4/gal you must drive this car 80,000 miles to start to break even(2000 gal times 40 mpg.)Cons-The brakes squeak horribly. The dealer saids to live with it. Claims the brake pad material is at fault. The A/C is dodgy. Somedays the car doesnt cool sufficiently. There is no cargo net or gas cap. The front end is all plastic. Rolled into a protruding trailer hitch at 3 mph and did $1400 damage.

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  A Mechanics Dream to make more money - 2006 Ford Five Hundred
  By Carl - October 5 - 2:50 pm

  This car is a piece of junk, mechanically speaking. 60,000 mile, with 3 brake jobs, 1 alternator, 1 front wheel bearing, 2 idler arm ball joints and Fidelity Extended Insurance wont cover it, considered normal wear. What a crock. I will never purchase another Ford product.

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  Reliability? - 2018 Ford F-150
  By Dean Z - October 5 - 1:12 pm

  As others have noted, Edmonds choices for my truck don’t exist. I have the 3.5 turbo with the short bed. Had the truck three weeks and then the “wonderful” 10 speed transmission wouldn’t shift. Trucks been in the shop for over a week and still not back to me. Not even a month with my truck and here we go. Supposedly a sensor, but its taken over a week to get it fixed? Horrible. All the looks and hype of the technology is meaningless if it doesn’t run. Wish a new model Tundra was an option....

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  Mustang perfomance, driving & reliability is tops - 2016 Ford Mustang
  By Lars - October 5 - 12:46 pm

  My Mustang GT has been a real satisfying experience. From the dealership buying experience to the superb performance, comfort, reliabiltiy and super good looks, my Mustang is a winner! The new generation has vastly improved the Mustang and the impressive build quality makes ownership a pleasure. I am a very happy Mustang owner!

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  Self-healing car!!! - 1994 Ford Mustang
  By TimbrSS - October 5 - 2:00 am

  Ultra reliable... bought car with 92k, replaced water pump. Replaced a Tie rod and U-Joint at 175k. Car now has 192k on it. Other than wear items like tires and suspension, Ive only spent $200 or so to keep it running. I could not be happier with it. I tell all my friends that the car is self healing, since I rarely ever have to work on it.

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  So far, so good.... - 2004 Ford Expedition
  By DeanCT - October 5 - 2:00 am

  Ive owned my Expedition for 2 months now. I havent had any major problems. Love the ride and was surprised how well it handles. Only issue Ive had so far is sometimes when running the A/C, I smell a burning smell. Brought back to the dealer and the deordorized the Heating Box. Well see if that helps. Another thing I noticed is that sometimes when Im driving with the radio off, I can hear a humming or high pitched noise. Not sure what it is, hopefully its nothing. Overall, I think the Expedition is great, I love driving it and it looks pretty good on the road.

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  A Quest For Room! - 2001 Ford Windstar
  By evanshill - October 5 - 2:00 am

  After 2 weeks of grueling searches and comparison shopping..we found the Windstar to be the best value on the resale market. Lets face it, dealerships want a small fortune for someones used high mile van! But here is semi-luxury combined with simple design. Parent friendly elements paired with style. Mostly it offers separation of our 3 children without feeling we are driving a city bus, yet there is still leg room for the 12 year old! The ride is quiet, the van handles a van.It seems only the husband feels it should handle like a sports car. I have previously owned Caravan and Aerostar (yikes!), I like the caravan for long life durability but am well pleased with my Windstar!

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  The Great Escape - 2006 Ford Escape
  By Carol - October 4 - 9:13 am

  I just love the car-like handling; not stiff and bouncy like a truck, a very smooth ride. Equipped with the 6 cylinder, it has plenty of power either from a dead stop or already doing 60 and you need to gas it quick. Very tight steering. Very luxurious with the leather interior and, plenty of head and leg room, both front and rear. Quite a bit of cargo space behind rear seat and even more if you lay 1 or both back seats down. Nice smooth, fairly aerodynamic body design. Reasonably priced.

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  Still debating - 2001 Ford Focus
  By Half and Half - October 4 - 4:26 am

  When I bought it, it was the best value and the most pleasant car in its class. The problems I have had are minimal, however they are still problems with a car 1 year old. My DPFE sensor on my dash has malfunctioned twice. And I had that same chatter in the back window above 55 mph. Luckily I have not hit the big 36K yet. But when I do these defective pieces may come back to haunt me in the service dept. Other than that the car has been reliable.