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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  Quality, Job#2 - 1998 Ford F-150
  By Luvfastbikes - January 25 - 2:00 am

  Since then, Ive had several warning lights burn out in the dash, the rear leaf springs have broken twice (and no, I havent exceeded the manufacturers limits), a couple of engine electrical glitches, malfunctioning factory alarm system, occasional smoke on start-up, and some brake problems. Would I buy another Ford truck? Maybe, but it would definitely be a new one, to ensure maximum warranty duration to iron out the glitches before it comes out of my pocket...

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  FRONT END BAD - 1998 Ford Mustang
  By SAN - January 21 - 2:00 am

  I BOUGHT MY CAR NEW AND AFTER I GOT 20000 MILES ON MY CAR, I HAD A HARD TIME KEEPING IT ON THE ROAD. I TOOK IT IN AND HAD FRONT IN ALIMENT ,AND I BOUGHT NEW TIRES. THE PROBLEM WAS STILL THERE. NOW I HAVE 60000 MILES ON IT AND THE CAR WAS OUT TO KILL ME. TOOK IT BACK AND FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS THE RIGHT AND LEFT LOWER CONTROL ARMS WERE NEEDING TO BE REPLACE. ALSO FOUND I HAD A REAR MAIN SEAL TRANSMISSION LEAK. AND OIL LEAK TOO. I ALSO HAD TO HAVE AN IDLER PULLEY REPLASED. AFTER ALL HAVE BEEN DONE I STILL HAVE A LITTLE PROBLEM PULLING TO THE RIGHT. THANK GOD FOR EXTENED WARRANTIES YOU’RE GOING TO NEED IT.

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  I dont know - 2000 Ford Expedition
  By golf4me - January 21 - 2:00 am

  Leased a 2000 XLT w/ Sport Package, 5.4ltr., auto., 4x4 w/ automatic 4 wheel drive option for 3 years. I liked the power from the 5.4 since this is a BIG vehicle, had front and rear air and heat, third seat a joke, great stereo w/ 6 disc cd changer, and the ride height made me feel king of the road. Had to replace transmission at 54,000 miles not pleased. Dont use the auto 4 wheel drive in snow unless you want in a ditch, gas milage was about 14 on highway, 10 in city. I dont think Ill buy another one.

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  2004 ford sport trac problems - 2004 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By hstafford - January 20 - 3:49 am

  1 bought this suv new and have a lot of problems. always had a slight viberation then at about 70,000 miles the lifteres started rattling. took it to a dealer he said there was a sock in the valve cover which had falling down the cost would would be $300.00. aweek later they called said the timing chain was worn out now $1300.00.left it over a week i finally called them & the said fixted & was idling sitting ,then it broke agan, now we are over $3ooo.oo fixed & i took it home not very long & it stoped right in the middle of the road.in the shop again now the cam on the right side worm out. now price up to nearly $4700.00 fixedworkin ok . transmission went out then $2900.more fords for me.

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  poor performance confortable ride - 2000 Ford Expedition
  By graychildren - January 20 - 2:00 am

  This suv has the comfort made for a king or queen but lack in exeleration and handeling hurts its performance.

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  Mixed Bag - 1999 Ford Ranger
  By SH - January 19 - 2:00 am

  I have all the toys and the 4.0L V-6. The truck looks great and the extra doors is a great feature. Dont plan on having people sit in the jump seats on a regular basis. Plenty of power but very bad on gas 18mpg on the hiway is pushing it. The ride quality is poor and handling/braking is just OK. Build quality is just OK and Im glad I bought the extended warranty. Dont buy this truck if you want to do serious off-roading- there are much better choices out there.

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  bad handling - 2001 Ford Explorer Sport
  By ashville - January 16 - 2:00 am

  Doesnt seem to do well on snow and ice. Steering also seems tight.

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  Problems - 2000 Ford F-150
  By Ken H. - January 16 - 2:00 am

  I purchased this truck new and started hearing a whine in the rear end at less than 12000 miles. The ford dealer rebuilt the rear end. The whining started again about 20000 miles. Ford has rebuilt the rearend 2 times and replaced it 1 time. The rearend is whining again and I carried it in during warranty and was told that it is normal for this truck. It is now out of warranty and is getting louder and louder. It may be the transmission or something else. I am going to purchase a dodge next week.

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  Im disappointed - 2005 Ford Escape
  By Wendy - January 15 - 3:53 pm

  I thought I was buying a fun economical vehicle. It is not getting the mileage I had hoped. Several items have come apart or do not work as well as they should. I dont like the dash board styling. I wish Ford had offered some helpful live hints about how to drive it for its best economy. (They have offered now). Also, you HAVE to be sure to keep the maintenance up and Im worried about the cost of a replacement battery when mine dies. Also, the leather seats are only partially covered.

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  Its not quite perfect - 1994 Ford Escort
  By ba - January 15 - 2:00 am

  Its a long lasting car. Acceleration is poor and only seems better during night time. Does not do well against hills. The most gradual hills will cause the car to deaccelerate even when the gas pedal is pushed all the way down. Burns gas quickly and the gas reader begins to shake. The speedometer stick shakes when reaching speeds over 70. The car also lidles too high it goes 10 miles and hour when just put into gear with automatics. Radiator uses a lot of coolant and often leaks when parked. For some strange reason the car actually keeps on truckin.