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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  Not bad value - 2005 Ford Taurus
  By darin4 - December 10 - 10:24 am

  I bought this car in 2007 with 130,000kms. on it. The first winter it would not start when cold. Dealer replaced the fuel sending unit ($600). Have had little to no problems since. I now have close to 280,000 kms. and the car works great. Its nothing fancy, but for the price I hit a home run.

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  Comfortable But..... - 2010 Ford Fusion
  By thekonz - December 10 - 9:43 am

  I purchased this car in September with 55K miles on it (SE fully loaded, Auto Trans.). I fell in love with the SYNC system, moonroof, and general level of comfort and build quality in the interior. About a month after purchase however, this car showed its true colors. It has had the stalling issue fixed twice, and still has intermittent issues. On left turns it makes a loud grinding noise, and on heavy acceleration the engine knocks. The rear quarter panel comes loose at high speeds and the headlights fog worse than london. I had to take out an extended warranty from my credit union in hopes of not being wiped clean financially because of this junk pile, hopefully it will get better.

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  Extremely Poor Value! - 2012 Ford Focus
  By fordjunk1 - December 8 - 11:08 pm

  This is our second 2012 Focus. The dealer had to buy back the first because of: trans problems, front end problems and misaligned body panels. Now the second 2012 Focus has many of the same problems plus some new ones: the car goes into neutral at highway speeds, the mysink system & bluetooth malfunction and the gas mileage has dropped off. Additionally the engine idle is rough and noisy. The 2012 Ford Focus is also a poor value. The best trade in we could get on an immaculate looking car with less than 12,000 miles is $14,000! These cars do not hold any value whatsoever! My suggestion . . .dont but this car! Look at the new Dodge Dart, superior quality and workmanship!

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  56k miles on Escape XLT and blown head gasket!! - 2008 Ford Escape
  By mariposa7684 - December 8 - 9:25 am

  Between last oil change/inspection @dealership (everything looked good), and the one this week, car developed an oil leak. No oil on driveway to tip me off. Leakage seen when car on lift-oil was being sprayed on underside. Since source of leak not readily obvious, had dye test done. When car seen yesterday, quite a bit of oil had leaked out. Test points to blown head gasket. Aside from leak, had absolutely no indication there was a problem: no heavy exhaust, no idiot lights on. The bright side is that it was caught before I broke down, killed the engine, etc. Im posting this mainly to vent. One thing is for absolute sure: I will never, ever buy another Ford.

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  Rock Hard - 1997 Ford Explorer
  By explorersaurus - December 7 - 3:54 pm

  My dad bought me a 1997 Ford explorer about 6 months ago. Pretty much my only gripe with it is the poor fuel economy. Other than that, its fantastic. I have an XLT with the V8 and AWD. I am yet to have used the AWD in the snow, but the V8 has supple power and (for a truck) smooth power delivery. The driver and passenger seat is comfy. Overall, a great purchase.

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  A High end SUV - 2013 Ford Explorer
  By power_mkp - December 7 - 12:56 pm

  We just bought the 2013 Explorer Limited and I cannot say enough about this vehicle. The interior is simply beautiful, even compared against the luxury brands of Mercedes, BMW and Lexus. There have been a lot of complaints about the My Ford Touch system, however as long as you load the latest firmware update (via USB), then you will have no problems. Ride quality is very good, although it can feel a little firm with the 20 inch alloys than come standard on the Limited. The cabin is spacious while at the same time feeling very cozy. We have the captain chairs in 2nd row which makes access to the 3rd row much easier. Highly recommended. The 3.5l V6 really packs a punch with good fuel economy.

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  Run from the Focus Nightmare - 2012 Ford Focus
  By lataya - December 7 - 9:07 am

  Purchased my 2012 Ford Focus from Mike reinchenbach Ford in Florence SC, 6 ago, with 6 miles. The vehicle has given me so many problems in the past couple months and Ford dealerships and For corporate office also give customers the run around and feel no sympathy. I took my vehicle back to Mike Rein. and indicated that there were a problem, they refused to listen and just said it is normal. The "normal" problem, now is a very big problem. Got my wheel bearing replaced. Problem was found by Raceway Ford of Hartsville SC. It was repaired. However, they also indicated that there were nothing wrong with the transmission. Now Car is in the shop (leaking clutch and transmission). Nighmare.

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  a truck that ca ntake a beating but keep on ticking - 1997 Ford F-150
  By jbscrappy - December 7 - 8:44 am

  i got the 1997 ford f-150 with the 5.4 V-8 with a milage meter on in it that has rolled over twice and now sitting at over 290 thousand been threw hell an back but still keeps on goin with only a new belts a battery alternator regular oil changes an trans fluid this truck is one of the best trucks on the road to date even with its flaws due to being old and high milage

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  Great touring sedan...good value fun to drive. - 2013 Ford Taurus
  By escape12 - December 7 - 8:08 am

  2013 Taurus SEL FWD V6..NOT Flex Fuel Great sedan with combination of performance, cruising, comfort, convenience. Good Features, good value. I stumbled on to the new generation of Taurus in 2010 as a rental and rented a 2011 and two previous 2013 rentals prior to this purchase...(Thanks Alamo) Got a good trade in deal for my 12 Escape with low mileage and old body style. Taurus is fun to drive, easy to use, lot os good safety/technology and visual improvements over my previous 1993 Taurus and light years improvement over all earlier generations. Big shoes to fill being the flagship touring sedan to fill the void of the Crown Vic but in my humble opinion excellent first steps.

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  Blew the engine... - 2006 Ford Fusion
  By darin4 - December 7 - 7:22 am

  Bought this car at a public auction four months ago. Car was mint, inside and out, you could have eaten off the engine. Consumer reports labeled it a "good bet". Dont be fooled like I was by consumer reports. The car had 98,000 kms when I bought it. Blew the engine at 106,000 kms. Replaced the engine with a new one. I now have 111,000 kms. on the car and this new engine is going through oil the same as the first one did before it blew. If you have this vehicle, keep an eye on the dipstick. Update to may last post, titled "Blew the Engine", which was last night. Guess what, the second engine has blown. Im gonna keep this short, STAY AWAY FROM THE FUSION. JUNK...Plain ans simple.