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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  Life Saver - 1991 Ford Festiva
  By BLG - September 16 - 10:07 pm

  My 1991 Ford Festiva was the best car I ever had. I bought her from a soldier in my unit, basically just taking over the car payments. Took her from Alabama to Texas, and then from Texas to Missouri. Eventually the gear shift became difficult to maneuver but still manageable, the sun roof began leaking-pack a towel, there was never any A/C-drive fast, and she’d shake at 45mph! But I kept her because she was reliable, fun to drive, cheap on gas/ car insurance, and I was a broke single soldier mom. In May 2000, my career was going well but unfortunately, I gave in to peer pressure...my family and friends told me, “You can’t drive that tuna can around anymore, your soldiers (Basic Training Privates) will clown on you.” I regret giving her away to this day...however there were many fun memories. Once, she went missing from where I parked her-soldiers had carried her off and put her inches between two light poles so I couldn’t get her out. Then, six soldiers squeezed into her to go out for lunch with me. The best day was when I scrimped and saved $140 to buy new tires, only to find out at the store-the tires were on sale and each tire was now $9, so my daughter and I got to go out for dinner! I was able to make ends meet and get to where I needed to be because of my Ford Festiva.

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  Solid as A Rock - 2014 Ford F-150
  By Bray Walker - April 15 - 11:06 am

  I have had three and my Dad has had three F150’s and everyone has been as gd as a truck could be my current truck has 257k on it and one repair a alternator nothing else My dad had 332k on his last one without any repairs he would still be driving it but somebody ran a red light and hit him.

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  Still Going after all these miles.. - 2009 Ford F-150
  By Ken Marlow - February 24 - 10:36 pm

  I bought my 2009 F150 XLT JAN.2011. 57000 MILES..UNTOUCHED..!!! I happen to be on the lot,when the older man brought it in to sale.. I had been waiting on the dealership to find me a particular dodge truck I thought I wanted.. After driving the dodge overbite I returned it.too claustrophobic.. No leg room. There it was coming out of their carwash..I ask how about that one.. But thats a Ford..??? Salesman replied.. Dodge is out I replied no leg room.. We just got it in... Dont care,is it for sale or not..??? He would check.. Came Back not yet.. Ok..Im headed couple blocks down to Ford dealership. Thanks.. As I pulled into ford the owner of preffered auto called me back to his dealership.He said 23. I said 16.5 He said 19.2 I replied 17 We landed on 17.5.. 290000 miles later.. Normal fluid change intervals by the book and tune ups 3sets of brake pads and tires.. Still has original battery in it.. Dont use any oil shifts smoother than a new one.. 4.6 V8 6 speed auto O/D.. Towed a 8500 lb. Boat to Orlando after I drove to Milwaukee and picked it up.. Only thing tired on this truck is me..

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  So Many Problems Over the Years - Big and Small - 1999 Ford Windstar
  By KP - December 13 - 12:39 pm

  I bought this vehicle used (the 3.6L model) with fairly low mileage. After just a couple years of owning it, the transmission failed. So I ended up having to spend $1,700 on having the transmission rebuilt. Just a couple days ago it wouldnt start and it wasnt a battery issue. I had to have it towed to the shop and found out it was done...I would need a new engine. So I ended up having to salvage it. After all that was done I wrote down a list of the problems I experienced over the years with it. Its a long list: 1. Had to have the transmission rebuilt at less than 70,000. It might have been 50K but I cant remember. 2. ABS lights would come on and off for no apparent reason 3. Dashboard gauges would constantly flicker and youd have to bang on the dashboard to get them to display properly, but that only worked occasionally. Most of the time the fluttering happened every day. This was an issue for years. 4. Power locks would fail/not be consistent and constantly would have to unlock/lock manually 5. Sliding doors for backseat wouldnt easily open. Heavy lubrication would help for a while but then the problem would recur 6. Air conditioner failed several years ago and was too expensive to fix 7. In the winter, the heat would not come on until at least 15 or 20 minutes of driving and even then it wasnt always consistent 8. The air/heat would suddenly come on in the back even when the back vents were turned off 9. The windshield wiper fluid reservoir sprung a leak so no windshield wiper fluid would stay in it 10. The rear axle had to be replaced in a Ford recall 11. The body, especially the undercarriage and the lower part of the drivers and passengers side sliding doors started to rust and corrode 12. Would constantly go out of alignment, wearing tires out. 13. The drivers side tire, in particular, would lose air and even when I would replace it, whatever new tire Id put on it would start losing air over the course of the next months. I never could figure that one out. 15. The power windows on both the drivers and passengers side doors had to have their motors replaced more than once. After the motor went out on the passenger side window, I just gave up and dealt with it. 16. One of the power windows in the rear stopped working years ago. I also didnt bother to get it fixed. 17. I had to have a new exhaust flex pipe put on it, which cost several hundred dollars. 16. There were issues with the struts and suspension but I didnt bother to get them fixed. 17. The engine hydrolocked/seized and we found out the head gasket blew, meaning the engine needed to be replaced. It was then that I decided to get rid of it. If I had gotten every broken item on the aforementioned list fixed, I would have spent thousands of dollars more on the van than what I originally paid. I wont buy another Ford.

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  Made a Huge Mistake - 1996 Ford Windstar
  By Don Benson - December 5 - 10:07 am

  Growing up my family never had Fords. I never knew why and when we needed the space of a minivan we thought we’d try the Windstar as our thinking was it was based on the Taurus so how bad could it be? Well it was bad ... really , horribly bad. In the 4 years of ownership ( bought Executive dealer car with 15k miles ) it went through 2 head gaskets , 3 transmissions, 1 AC compressor , 2 water pumps , an alternator and power steering pump. Ford covered the first transmission and head gasket but after that we were on our own. Every time we thought it was repaired another issue would surface. It was a horrible mistake and the final straw was the brake system. We found out the brake lines were rusted to the point that it was leaking and unsafe to drive. I drove it across the street to our local Honda dealer and traded it for a used Odyssey..which I should have purchased in the first place. We haven’t even considered a Ford since and with the latest news of countless transmission failures in their Focus , we probably won’t ever buy a Ford again.

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  Escape ? - 2015 Ford Escape
  By Sarah Russell - October 1 - 12:51 am

  Ford escape Is a wonderful vehicle. Recalls are free repair. These cars etc are man made and man makes mistakes! But they fix there mistake by repairing it for free . No other car brands do this. I know I am a service mgr. And Ford and Lincoln are the best hands down. The other vehicles do not do recalls to fix repairs free.

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  Amazing - 2002 Ford F-150
  By Mike morie, - July 3 - 8:10 pm

  My 2002 f150 w/4.6 has 410,000 miles,7 of the original coil packs,all the original hoses, original shocks seat is starting to give up 60/40 just routine maintenace,headed toward 500,000 miles before I put ol white lightnin in the barn,fomoco forever.

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  Not just for men - 2005 Ford Excursion
  By Sherry Hensley - June 2 - 6:19 pm

  Me husband bought a 2005 Ford Excursion for me around 9yrs ago. We have 5 kids, and Moms know that wherever Mom goes, so do the younguns. This truck is spacious, and any trips you take is so much better without everyone sitting on top of one another. So ladies, this truck is the cool Mom SUV. If you purchase one, you wont regret it!

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  Love my excursion - 2005 Ford Excursion
  By Sherry Hensley - June 2 - 6:03 pm

  My husband bought this truck for me around 7-8yrs ago. We have a big family, 5 kids, and Moms know that wherever Mom goes, so do the younguns. I loved this truck! Its huge, but it gets me and my family wherever we need to go plus we can tow a race car to go racing. To all the ladies out there who think of it as a mans truck, think again! Plenty of space for you and your kids, and lots of room for groceries! Trips to my mom and dads, 3 1/2 hrs, is a cinch. This is one truck that you wont be disappointed with!

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  F150 XLT 4x4 Extended cab - 1999 Ford F-150
  By Paul Huffman - April 27 - 11:20 pm

  Bought this as a one owner back in 2010, has been and still is a great truck in mechanical excellent condition, have replaced several parts as it is 20 years old, 175,000 miles. I do have it for sale as had a good deal come up on a 2008 F150. Only thing with it now is that heater core went out 1 week after purchase of new one! And the typical snowbelt rust, I added remote start and it starts right off at -40 temps. Very reliable vehicle, want intending to even sell til a relative offered me his 2O08 for upgrade.