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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  Never buy a ford again - 2013 Ford Focus
  By FoundOnRoadDead - November 20 - 1:37 am

  2013 ford focus is a joke. Bought the titanium edition with all bells and whistles, got the nice lcd touch screen with navi (2500$ option). After about 1 year and 38,000 miles the lcd touch screen stopped working rendering the navi and most other options useless or a complete inconvenience to use. Ford says sorry, but warranty ended at 35,000 miles and it is an 800 dollar repair, sorry about your luck. Did I mention on my second oil change dealership noticed a transmission leak. Then there were Multiple trips to dealership for reprogramming, cleaning clutch plates. Recently at 80,000 miles vehicle wouldnt switch out of 1st gear. Ford says just needs computer update,that should do it. Two weeks later as Im attempting to accelerate onto freeway tach goes to 7000 rpm and I cant get out of first gear as the vehicles jerks and sputters. Left me stranded about 50 miles from home. Had to get it towed off the freeway. Now ford says it just needs a new control module, that will fix everything. Yeah right!!! Do not buy this vehicle, you will be sorry!! Ford is not stepping up to the plate to get these issues fixed. I will never buy another ford vehicle!!!!!!

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  Worst car purchase ever. - 2011 Ford Edge
  By Wes Howard - November 19 - 8:26 pm

  I have had (4) Ford trucks and loved them. No problems. Great trucks. Love the look of the Edge and I bought mine from a dealership, one owner, 62K miles, great CarFax, great shape, no issues best I could tell after inspecting and driving. After 9 months and putting 26K mainly highway miles I have spent $3000 on a leaking PTU - replaced PTU assembly, a shock rear shock gone bad - replaced both, brake issues - fixed, an axle seal gone bad - replaced, a leaking power steering hose - replaced, a transmission that had to be reprogrammed (no charge for this), bad rear wheel hub assembly - replaced.........and at the moment I have a back seat that will not go down which I rarely ever do but the dealership informed me that the release wire/cable had broken and that repair is a bit over $300 and today my sunroof opened and would not close. And the dealership this afternoon looked at it and had no clue what to do other than say bring it back when that have a full day to look at it. At the moment this lemon of a car is in my driveway with the the sunroof wide open and thankfully its a clear night. Funny thing is Ive owner a Toyota 4Runner and I know how dependable those cars are...I was deciding between the Edge and a Toyota Highlander and the Edge was my choice..and the only thing I can remember that sales guy saying who had the Highlander was you better keep in mind, theres a big difference between a Ford car and a Ford truck. Man if only I had listen to him. There you have it. I just got my bank approval back and I cannot trade this piece of junk quick enough.

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  fun and mostly reliable - 1999 Ford Contour
  By Skye - November 19 - 7:02 pm

  We got this car as a gift (yay!) with 62,000 miles on it and after 2.5 years its now almost at the 100,000 mile mark. We had absolutely nothing wrong with it the first year other than burnt out blinker bulbs. In the last year, we had a broken timing belt (thank God the engines non-interference!) and just repaired a leak in the brake line, which corroded the brake shoes with brake fluid. Whoops. We also had to replace the heater, but it was apparently still under warranty after 16 years. I agree with others that the cupholders suck--theyre small and tucked under the console, but its not a luxury edition, so I dont expect it to be fancy. The engine runs great, although unlike other posters I find it doesnt accelerate well on the highway. The transmission is great, its fun to drive and easy to park, and it has character. I definitely want to keep it for years to come.

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  Transmission issues - 2005 Ford F-150
  By Kelley - November 19 - 1:01 pm

  Transmission issues at 170000 truck was running perfect and then one day the transmission just went out . Fluids word checked regularly and failed regular oil changes havent had any other issues except with the oil filter . But the transmission on this truck is known for going out otherwise I love my truck

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  Hits and misses - 2015 Ford F-150
  By Alex L - November 19 - 12:15 pm

  I actually have an XLT Supercrew 2.7L Ecoboost FX4. Love the quiet ride, smooth and powerful acceleration from the 2.7L Ecoboost and the interior is pleasing. The FX4 package definitely has a stiffer busy ride on an empty bed - would have preferred regular 4X4 but they only had FX4s in the configuration I was looking for. Although still in break in phase, fuel economy is disappointing so far - averaging about 16.2 mpg on very gentle mixed driving. Read the Edmunds review on the fuel economy on the 2.7L which they have found to be well short of the EPA rating. I think it ends up being maybe 1 mpg better than the V8. Given the negligible price difference between the 2.7 V6 vs the V8, I would have purchased the V8 instead had I know about the poor real world fuel economy. Also, when just purchased, I already noticed surface rust on the rear differential housing and a couple of other small areas. Worried about how well the rust issue will hold up in the long tem.

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  Great car - 1991 Ford Mustang
  By mike Deskins - November 19 - 9:28 am

  One the fun cars to drive i have ever had , an im 65 yr old love the car !! Fox body cars were built for the guy who like s to drive !! Well be a collector one day soon . Mike

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  2008 xl with 4.2 v6 - 2008 Ford F-150
  By Nick - November 19 - 1:26 am

  Purchased this truck with 195000 miles, so far Ive replaced a serpentine belt, fuel sending unit (something everyone should replace, they are known to fail) and a fuel pump. Interior comfort is amazing for a base model truck, large seats with good arm support. Only issue I find with the interior on this model it only has three cupholders. MPG is very good for a full sized truck with the v6 and manual 5 speed.

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  Another story of a transmission problem - 2012 Ford Focus
  By Cynthia Beard - November 18 - 10:05 am

  I was rolling along in traffic on a main interstate highway and 2012 Ford Focus suddenly would not accelerate and then stalled. This was followed by all sorts of things lighting up on my dash, and the car would not re- start, wouldnt turn over, nothing. I was lucky to be able to get over to the shoulder of the highway, although it was on the left side of the road, which was super dangerous. Long story short, I was denied roadside assistance (which I thought I was covered under) because my car was no longer under warranty. I had 76,000 and change. My warranty apparently ran out at 60,000. However, this well known transmission problem that exists with this vehicle, is covered under an "extended warranty" up to 150,000 miles (but theres a $100 deductible!!!). So, because theres a faulty issue with this vehicle, a documented, known fault in the manufacturing my money, time and convenience are not a matter of concern. My car had been properly maintained, in fact had been inspected not a week before this happened, and there was no indication of this happening. This is extremely dangerous and frankly I find it unacceptable that FORD didnt do more to prevent this from happening. There is one Service Advisor at the dealership who was helpful. He has agreed to submit my towing bills for reimbursement. No one was really apologetic or concerned with my satisfaction as a Ford customer. If I was knowingly selling dangerous, faulty vehicles, I would be falling all over myself to make sure I could make the customer happy, if that were possible. Basically the attitude is one of indifference. I thought I was doing a good thing by buying an American car, but I would never buy another Ford again, and will try to trade this vehicle in ASAP. I will buy a Subaru if I can afford it. In short, buyer beware ... transmission problem, Ford not too concerned with customer satisfaction.

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  Looks nice but poor execution. - 2014 Ford Fusion
  By CM - November 17 - 9:33 pm

  So, I have had my 2014 2.0 AWD Fusion for a little over a year now. I purchased it as a highway crusier for work and because of the advertised fuel economy. I also rent quite a few cars as well for work to balance out the mileage but still managed to put 24k miles on my car in 1 year. What I like: The car is very comfortable and quite to drive over long distances. My favorite part would be the front seats. I like how they are contoured and support my back while driving. The car is also very quiet while driving. The stereo is also sounds quite nice. The trunk in the car is huge and I have been able to haul all kinds of stuff that I have not been able to put in my car before. Also, the backup camera/sensors are quite nice and convienient. What I do not like: MPG: The MPG is no where near what Ford claims. I mentioned earlier that I rent quite a few cars for work and I almost always hit the EPA rated highway mileage or I am close to it. With the Fusion (EPA rated 31 MPG) I am lucky to hit 28 MPG on the highway, 25-26 is typical and I have even seen as low as 22 MPG. Needless to say I am very disappointed. I have even tried overinflating the tires by a few PSI to see if that helps to no avail. Premium gas also does not make a difference. Transmission: The transmission is probably the worst that I have driven. The common hard shift between 2nd and 3rd is almost always present and the dealer said this is all operating within specification according to their computer (I saw this with my own eyes while driving with the technician). Now, if I put the car into sport mode and let the car shift on its own it feels like a rookie manual transmission driver. It constantly jerks while down-shifting and up-shifting. This also raises concerns with long term transmission reliability as the shocks to the transmission cannot be good in the long term. HVAC: The automatic HVAC controls just pain do not work well, especially in the months where heat is required. What happens is that after car warms up and the cabin temperature it starts blowing cold air. Now, why would anyone want that? Also, the fan controls do not go to a low enough setting when controlled manually. Tires: Not a problem with the car but Ford put poor tires on the car for snow traction. Engine: Like other reviews of the 2.0 Fusion, the car seems underpowered for the engine rating. Windows: It is not possible to just put the drivers window down on its own and drive. If this is done there is a horrible buffeting (this might not be the best term to describe this) that happens inside the cabin. The manual even calls this out and the solution is to open another window. This just shows poor engineering on Fords part. Sync: This is not so much an issue with Sync but more so with any car with touch controls and not real buttons. The controls do not have a place in a car. Tactile buttons will always work better. You can reach over and feel your way around and find the control without hitting 5 other things at the same time. The same goes for touch screens. It forces you to be very precise and that means more time with eyes not on the road. I know there are the steering wheel controls and the arrow buttons are not responsive enough and it still means time with eyes not on the road to follow the screen by the speedometer. I will avoid any vehicle with touch controls in the future. Visibility: The A and C pillars are quite large and do hamper visibility. More than most other cars that I have driven. The rear view mirror also does not adjust enough for my liking. I just cannot tilt it high enough for my liking and I have the drivers seat in its lowest possition. Final thoughts: I would not buy a Fusion again. I am not going to sell it as it does not make financial sense but I am not going to buy another.

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  terrible shifter - 2012 Ford Fusion
  By Dennymah - November 17 - 1:51 pm

  Bought this car new, and now with 61,000 miles on it, the transmission is still the worse part of this car. I have not had any issues with the car other than the lousy shifting, sometimes feels like it is slipping transmission. When I first bought this car, the dealer service department told me that they get complaints all the time about the transmission. I recently test drove a 2013 Ford Escape, and it too had this lousy transmission so I didnt buy it. I have owned a lot of Fords but this will be my last unless they get rid of this tranny.