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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  All Looks and Zero Reliability. - 2013 Ford Escape
  By fordfan21 - August 6 - 11:48 am

  I traded in a 03 Explorer for the escapes "better" fuel efficiency, which was never achieved. Day 2 of ownership problems began with sync services freezing every other time. The car also developed a vibration through the break pedal that could be felt while stopped and in gear and was accompanied by the gas pump constantly clicking making it a chore to put gas. The interior would rattle and creak like a 100 year old home. Frustration continued with a creaking front suspension, replacing of the entire rack and pinion and constant trips to master reset the MFT system. Although eligible for the buy back program the Ford customer care manager was very rude and refused to follow through.

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  Not sure about this car yet... - 2010 Ford Fusion
  By jmon1 - August 1 - 8:16 pm

  I bought a 2010 Fusion new and it has 26,000 miles on it. Everything was fine until the 3 year warranty expired. In the last week I have had the A/C manifold replaced, the transmission throttle (scary when the car dies going 70 mph) and had a tire blowout. Thank God I bought the extended warranty as it was well worth the extra $2700. I also bought the road hazard protection warranty, both good for 60,000 miles with a $100. deductible. I would have already spent in the thousands getting this car fixed, but with the warranty Im only out $200. Personally, I think the car handles and rides OK and the MPG is not bad. I think its hard to see out of the rear deck though..

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  2013 Ford Fusion - 2013 Ford Fusion
  By mummer1 - July 30 - 9:34 am

  I traded in my 2005 Honda Accord EX for the 2013 Ford Fusion , I HATE it, the gas mileage is terrible I do all city driving and am lucky to get 19 MPG. Have had minor problems with the driver door panels already!!!! Ford has a long long way to go to compare with Honda. Wish i had my old Honda back

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  Disappointing build quality - 2013 Ford Mustang
  By carcritic3 - July 27 - 9:37 am

  This is my fourth Mustang & will probably be my last. The build quality has gotten worse with each successive Mustang that Ive owned. This 13 is the worst. Ive had the car since 01/2013 & have less than 4K miles on it as of this writing. The car has a clunk in the rear when I accelerate. There is a rattle in the front suspension when turning to the left or when going over a speed bump at low speeds. A rattle & buzz coming from somewhere in the dash & a loose molding between the roof & quarter panel. The engine & trans are the only bright spots. This car is a rattle trap & a huge disappointment. Im considering selling it because of the poor build quality.

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  Oh Dorris.. - 1999 Ford Taurus
  By redbee - July 25 - 8:34 am

  She was a good first car, pretty safe and definitely didnt toot along, she could build up some speed. We had a lot of problems with her though, the air conditioning would go, wed recharge it, and it would go again, the battery went, and numerous others. She also wasnt too great on gas and flew through it pretty quickly. We finally lost her when the oil tank was leaking and the engine over heated and blew. I miss her, but I wont get a Taurus again.

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  Not one of Fords Better Ideas! - 2011 Ford Fiesta
  By godzilla1957 - July 20 - 3:07 pm

  Though the SES is very sharp looking, gets pretty good MPG (though a friends TDI Passat at twice the size gets just as good MPG) it has many flaws and I honestly wish I hadnt bought this car. The 6 speed auto trans had to be reprogrammed, Im reading about those who had to get new trans and Im nervous since Im 2K miles out of warrantee. I cant enter or exit a driveway with any grade without scraping. I cant see though the back window due to the read hear rests, no center console creates right arm fatigue. The AC vents blow right on my hands creating aches. At 511" I sit way too low, the back seat is basically worthless and SYNC is an abomination. Im an unhappy camper.

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  Think about your decision carefully - 2013 Ford Escape
  By chevylover229 - July 19 - 2:40 am

  My family purchased the 2013 Ford Escape S about three months ago (This is July of 2013) and at first we were SO happy, but about a week past and we had a sync problem, then a lift gate problem and so on and so on. Though this is a very NICE (Key word) car. I still have a few years to go before saying i like ford... Cause at the moment I dont. The low base price and High MPG, mixed with the design of this car make it a real catch. So if you can afford slightly higher priced car, I strongly hope you do. Another car that might suit your fancy would be a Chevy Equinox that we also own and love three times more. With a spacious 2nd row and quiet interior make a better choice by a long shot.

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  New Car, Bad Transmission - 2012 Ford Escape
  By mitchelld - July 16 - 8:27 pm

  This was our 3rd new Escape (2005, 2007, & 2012). We have always liked the box for use ability. However, our 2012 XLT V6 Escape developed transmission problems at about 10,000 miles. Ford adjusted trans and slipping seemed to disappear ... initially. Over time it got worse with terrible slipping, hunting for gears, & loud clunks as it found 1st & 2nd gears. At 20,000 miles Ford now tells us the transmission will need "several new parts" (which they have to order). No, they will not replace the trans ... just fix it as they tried before. Our goal now is to get the car running and dump it. We are the 3rd generation of loyal Ford customers and, we are the LAST.

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  Do not buy this car!!! - 2013 Ford Fiesta
  By avatheps - July 16 - 12:56 pm

  Bought it on 1 May 2013 after much looking and online comparing. Wish I had been able to test drive it longer and in more realistic conditions as I would never have bought it. I live on a fairly steep hill and it can barely climb it in 3rd gear. Put 6500 miles on it in in 2 months so have given it a good test. It does get good gas mileage. Went to Florida on $80 and the same coming back. Does fine on flat thruway drives up to 85 mph, but includes lots of down shifting. It skips and bucks during rainstorms or wet weather. On board navigation is worthless even on I81 and I95 where you dont turn for hundreds of miles. To much wrong to report it all. Please reconsider buying this car.

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  Disappointing - 2012 Ford Focus
  By crash308 - July 12 - 4:54 pm

  Ordered my Focus SEL in July 11 with My Ford Touch, moon roof, and premium stereo. MFT module failed within a few weeks. The dealer replaced the computer and its been mostly reliable since. (Ford increased the warranty to 5 years on the module because of ongoing problems). DON"T BUY MFT - its a waste of money. Its a pain to remember all of the voice commands and everything that SYNC is capable of doing can be done in 10 times faster by adjusting a knob. The transmission is TERRIBLE. Unusual hesitations, bad shift intervals, and unpredictable acceleration are common. The recall improved performance, but didnt solve the problems.