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:

• 

  Great Looking Fullsize - 2013 Ford Taurus
  By cover86 - July 16 - 9:11 am

  Im really happy with my purchase of this car. I went with the mid-range SEL and opted for the leather option. Really happy with the car. I have the front drive with 18 inch wheels. It offers a smooth ride, but the wheels still look good, so its a nice balance. The engine takes a little getting used to as it doesnt feel very torquy in the mid range. This is easily solved with a dose of throttle, a the engine can rev pretty high. The interior is great and Ive gotten a lot of compliments from occupants whove said "this is a Taurus?" Im probably the only 25 year old who bought a Taurus, but am really happy with it. Great bang for buck and it really stands out on the road.

• 

  Best car we ever owned - 1999 Ford Expedition
  By alex1695 - July 16 - 12:47 am

  We have owned this car for about 8.5 years, we bought it used from the dealership at 98k miles and have since spun the odometer to 275k. We are a family of 4 and have done quiet a bit of travel and moving. This car has taken us on multiple long trips and plenty of space for gear and leg room for everybody. On one long trip hauling a u haul in the dark we hit an Elk, sadly in the middle of nowhere, but the car took us another 250 miles to civilization with a cracked radiator, misaligned front end and even rode smooth. This car has never and most likely will never die. Love this car, even gets decent gas for a full sized SUV.

• 

  Used to be fun :( - 2001 Ford Mustang
  By fordgirlaz - July 16 - 12:00 am

  I bought the car used in 2005 when I started college w/a lot of miles already (now 177k). The car was an absolute blast to drive for the1st couple years. Even though it was a V6, the manual tranny gave it some gusto. Sadly after 2-3 years of owning it, I started noticing a ticking sound, which turned out to be a major exhaust leak, & eventually I had both exhaust pipes completely break off from the engine block. Then a couple years later, the major blow out came--I now have a blown piston rod, & the cost of the repairs is more than the cars value. Also had a headlight & all power features go out. So sad to see it go. I wouldve bought another if it wasnt for the major mechanical setbacks

• 

  Solid car but - 2011 Ford Fusion
  By snowfire20 - July 15 - 9:25 pm

  I love the car but it does have some major drawbacks for me. 1) Im a techie. I love techie things. So i saw the ford sync system i loved it. I was told of all the things there doing and what the system will become. Then i was shown what it did. I wasnt impressed with what it did but what it was going to be doing got me to buy it. Now 2 years later nothing i was told about has happened. Pandora tough luck should have gotten a 2012. Noone at ford will even aknowledge there doing updates on the system. they either lie to you or keep things from there own customer support. Ive been a ford owner for all but one of my cars. This will prolly be my last ford there customer service on this terrible

• 

  let the buyer beware..... - 2005 Ford F-150
  By ritch5 - July 15 - 12:32 pm

  ill start by telling that i am a ford motor company retiree with over 30+ years on the assembly line. my 2005 f-150 has lived up to the problems common to the 5.4L engine. sparkplug issues, timing and cam phasor issues, and a bad cylinder head to name a few. all difficult and expensive to repair. i have confirmed many of these problems with ford dealer mechanics, and private repair shop mechanics. as a group they all confirm that engine issues are becoming a big problem for 2005-2008 ford trucks, vans, and large suvs. the real problem lies with the manufacturer. ford is not backing up their claims of top quality and reliability. what a shame that they deny their responsibility!!!!

• 

  comments on 2010 escape - 2010 Ford Escape
  By jjpal - July 13 - 11:09 am

  i have had one issue with the car fuel gage kept changing finally called ford had to replace the instrument cluster i have had tthe transmision do a hard shift three times been asking the dealer about no satisfactory answer from them

• 

  Fiesta s 5 speed manual Just towed!!! - 2012 Ford Fiesta
  By benchpress777 - July 13 - 12:39 am

  I bought a 2012 ford fiesta s for reliability.I am a courier which means i drive alot making deliveries.(o hold on tow truck guy calling.)so anyways driving today the traffic slowed down and i tried to down shift on highway.My clutch would not go into gear. I actually slowed down all the way to 25 mph on the highway till it it went in to gear.A semi was coming fast and almost rear ended me.Later on coming to a traffic light it would not shift into 1st gear.Eventually hardly any gears would work. barley made it home safely and loss money from not being able to make any more deliveries . I am very blessed it happened around midnight with less traffic.You know I was actually hoping this car would be much more reliable than a 2000 mercury sable i had.Theirin which nickled and dimed me after 2500 in repairs.I ended up trading it in on the fiesta .They junked the sable and gave 500 on trade. Who knows about the 2012 fiesta its sure not starting out good.I have driven 90% fords my hole life this one may be my very last.May even get out of it early.This is my honest story.1st tow around 15000 miles. Where did the quality go!

• 

  Rides like an army truck - 2012 Ford Explorer
  By royd4 - July 12 - 7:23 pm

  We got the 2 WD thinking it would ride smoother than 4 WD. Unless you are on new smooth paving the ride is jarring. Seats are hard as rocks. Because they force the 3 rd row seating there is so little leg room that only a child can be comfortable in second row seats. If we would not take such a big loss we would get rid of the car.

• 

  First time Ford lets me down. - 2012 Ford Escape
  By sweetmeli - July 12 - 4:49 pm

  I got this car back in March and two weeks later it broke down in the middle of the freeway, left me stranded. They said it was the sensor and had to replace it. First time that Ford lets me down since I have been buying Ford cars since 1997. Also the car vibrates, shakes, and rattles like if it was an older car. Not sure what is up with that, but the dealer said that a lot of people were complaining about it too.

• 

  Catalytic Converter Fail - 2004 Ford Escape
  By daveinvirginia - July 12 - 4:07 pm

  At 90,000 miles, all THREE catalytic converters failed. Happened to be when the auto companies were having probs so parts makers were scaling down causing us to have to wait 3 months for one of the parts. Three months in the shop and $3,600 to get it fixed. During this, our parts guy was told by Ford that its normal for the CCs to fail at about 90K miles. Of course this also happened a month before we were planning on taking a camping trip with a couple of friends. Wound up using our Ranger w/trailer and friends bringing their car instead of all of us fitting in the Escape plus trailer.