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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  Great Truck, Bad MPG - 2012 Ford F-150
  By trophyf1 - November 15 - 5:55 pm

  I purchased my 2012 F150 XLT S-Crew 2x4 with the 3.7 V6 in February and already got rid of it. First off, I love F150s and FORD. Great value, look great, have nice build quality, etc. They have proven reliable in the past as all I have owned is FORDs. This 2012 with the 3.7 dropped the ball big time on MPG. I drive like a grampa and the EPA estimates are way off. I was able to get 22mpg highway with cruise control at 65 for the whole tank on a long trip once. Around town MPG dropped to 13.5 which is unacceptable. The 3.7 is fast though... faster than my old 5.4 v8. Traded the truck for a 4 cyl Tacoma that actually gets EPA estimates.

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  Junk - 2008 Ford Mustang
  By cissymomof3 - November 14 - 3:10 pm

  Worst car Ive ever owned. Bought this car new and within 2 weeks of warranty ended up having to pay $800 for a new clutch/brake assembly. Interior vinyl on both doors has fallen down and been re-glued 2x and still falling down. Now in shop for a new alternator. Terrible on gas, my dads chevy truck get better gas mileage. For a 2008, with 60000 miles, this car has been nothing but problems and expenses. I will never consider buying another Ford new or used.

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  Love My Ford Focus - 2000 Ford Focus
  By edcetera - November 13 - 8:59 pm

  My 2000 Ford Focus is the only vehicle that Ive bought brand new ... on an angry whim when another Ford I owned broke down one too many times. Turns out, it was a great move. Ive had it now for 12 years and it has 335,00 miles on it. Im shooting for 400,000! More importantly, other than routine maintainance, the car has only had mechanical problems 3 times in all those years and miles (a broken fan belt, and two failed alternators). Thats it! There are some minor things that have eventually failed, such as a CD player which, for some weird reason, only allows me to change CDs the first thing in the morning. I still drive it daily for work. I still drive it daily with no fears.

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  Ford loses another customer - 2008 Ford Mustang
  By rob_in_austin - November 12 - 4:20 pm

  Ive always wondered how people come to hate a car company, Ford usually being top of the list of most hated. Now I know. First theres a problem with the pedal assembly that prevented the driver from being able to depress the clutch properly and shift the transmission. "Car is out of warranty (by 1,000 miles and a few months) its going to cost $xxx" More recently the interior is literally falling apart, the pleather insert on the door panels is peeling off. "Car has 38k miles, nothing we can do, outside of the warranty, itll cost $xxx" Even called Fords customer service line, same response. Well be selling this as we dont want to be on the hook for even bigger, costlier problems later.

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  Performance and Tire Wear - 2010 Ford Fusion
  By rjpii - November 12 - 1:04 am

  I am shopping ahead of time for new tires for my 2010 Ford Fusion Sport. In doing so I ran across this site and other with a variety of comments and ratings. I bought my car in Jan of 2010 and have 45,500 miles on it. My tires are good for another 5000 - 7500 miles. And they have at times been put to the test. Rotated every 7000 miles along with oil service. This car kills every other 3.5 I have run against. The average mileage up and down my 27 mile communte is between 24 and 26 MPG. I am surprised that it has been 100% reliable with no additional service needs. I have owned 3 BMWs and this car is more fun to drive. Not as "secure" in high speed turns but good enough. Love it.

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  2012 Fusion SEL V6 Engine Failure - 2012 Ford Fusion
  By rjdoody - November 11 - 8:56 pm

  We have had to reprogram our transmission shortly after we got it do to very high revs before it would shift and now that we have 16K miles it has been to the dealer 2X the first was for rough idle and they said 2 plugs went bad they replaced it then 2 days later we sent it back for the same reason and they told us that the #6 cylinder and valve has gone bad and the engine will need to be replaced, i have lost all confidence I expected more from the ford engineers after I found out i am not alone. We only bought a Ford since they did not take bail out money, i should have kept my Toyota 200k miles with no problems on it, American still builds unreliable junk, i will never buy American again

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  Great Car-Great Price - 2013 Ford Mustang
  By dwisor - November 11 - 4:49 pm

  Ive been driving my Mustang for about six months now, and I have yet to be disappointed. The V-6 engine really has a suprising amount of punch and I simply love the way the Sync system works. The mileage has been as promised, and no warranty issues that need to be fixed. I think a review has a better impact if it has some criticism, but I really dont have anything to criticize. I especially like the entire lighting package-bright exterior, customizable interior. If you are thinking about buying a Mustang-drive it at night-its an entirely different experience.

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  Sporty and Fun with Confusing Sync - 2013 Ford Focus
  By yooperdatadude - November 11 - 11:49 am

  IÂ’ve a 2013 Ford Focus SE Sedan with five-speed manual transmission. I shopped it against a 2012 Chevy Cruze LS with six-speed manual. Both are excellent. I chose the Focus for its sportier suspension and steering. The EPA predicts 36 mpg highway the Focus delivered 35.2 mpg on my most recent trip. I am exceedingly happy with fuel economy. IÂ’m enjoying the five-speed manual transmission. IÂ’d prefer a sixth gear for freeway driving. (The car would probably get even better mileage with one higher gear). ThatÂ’s a small nit though. The 2013 Focus SE with five-speed manual is a sporty, fun-to-drive car with good fuel economy. Be sure you can live with Ford Sync and the strange dashboard layout.

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  Perfect SUV! - 2000 Ford Excursion
  By pacquio78 - November 11 - 12:44 am

  As Many Of The People Whove Read My Review On The 99 ML430 I Drive My Cars Until Theyre Dead! And My Excursion 2WD Limited 7.3 Is No Exception! Driven It About 250,000 Miles Now! And The Reliability Is Absolutely Perfect! I Proved Everyone Wrong Who Said Dont Buy An American Car When I Bought My Big Blue! (Its A Dark Blue-Purplish Color) Shes A Little Dented Up Here And There, But Overall Still An Excellent Vehicle! Im Keeping This Until The Wheels Fall Off! Though I Cant Say Thats Gonna Happen!

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  recall on all ford 4 wheel drive - 2005 Ford F-150
  By donnys - November 10 - 5:55 pm

  Bought my ford f150 in 2007, it had 32000 miles. About 3 month later the 4 wheel drive went out, ya 5000 miles later. I called ford to find out what they would do for me. The customer service was very poor and rude. They wanted to charge me $100 to find out what is wrong with it, on top of what it would cost to fix it. I dont care about paying to have them fix it but to charge me an extra $100 just to find out whats wrong, come on now. After I just payed $30,000 for a truck 3 months early. Toyota doesnt pull that. I like the truck but, the 4 wheel drive has big problems, and customer service suck!!! Going back to Toyota.