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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  Too many breakdowns! - 2009 Ford Escape
  By nthernlgts - March 30 - 7:49 pm

  I bought this vehicle new in the summer of 2009. About a month later the Transmission failed. It took a month and a half to repair because of back ordered parts. After the rebuild, the shift pattern was messed up and had to go back for reprogramming. This was all within 15,000 miles and covered by warranty. After warranty, the a/c condenser failed. $900 there. Then the power steering unit failed. This isnt a standard power steering unit either. In other words, $1400 more. Ive also had some sort of an mid shaft axle support bearing fail. $400 more. All in all, I have put nearly $3000 in repairs into a 3-1/2 year old vehicle. Way too many mechanical failures. Im done with Escapes

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  I HATE THIS CAR! - 2010 Ford Fusion
  By mhelling1985 - March 27 - 8:03 pm

  I come on here to see if the problems Im having were just my bad luck. It turns out that Im not.I bought a Fusion SE 2.5 auto used in 2011 with 10000 miles on it two weeks after I bought it the master cylinder went out. Then two months later the trans went out the control unit and valve body were the problem. A month after that the power steering hose blew. Three weeks after that the ac quit. About a week ago the alternator went out. All this and the car only has 35000 miles on it. trust me this car is a crappy car. I hope my review will keep at least one person for buying this car.

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  I will never buy another Ford product. - 2013 Ford Focus
  By johnmiller1 - March 25 - 7:09 pm

  2013 Ford Focus SE automatic Hatchback I wish that I had never bought this car. For starters, the average fuel economy is not what Ford advertises. My average MPG is 32 hwy at 69mph. The best was 36mpg with a tail wind. I can live with the poor fuel economy...but the deciding factor for me to get rid of this car is the Torturous seats !! The seats are rock hard ! They feel like youre sitting on a park bench ! The padding in the seats is very minimal. Push down 1/2 inch and you can actually feel the metal framework of the seat. The very design of the seats are not ergonomic. The front of the seats are tilted in a way that if you stretch out, the back of your legs will begin to hurt

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  Consider a different vehicle - 2007 Ford Focus
  By ndowner87 - March 22 - 2:21 pm

  Poor engineering with the backing of a company that doesnt know what customer service is. 4 years of ownership with visits to 5 different Ford dealerships I never want a Ford again. The vehicle is known to go through tires fast so no tire company will replace them during the "warranty". Brake lines wear at 40k and the dealership I bought the car from along with a premium warranty said that at 40,001 miles it wasnt their problem. The 2 visits beforehand all it needed was silicon spray to fix it. My transmission has had problems from day 1 of delivery, but again its not their problem. Please consider alternative vehicles and automotive companies before purchasing a Ford.

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  If only it worked - 2012 Ford Fusion
  By jessejames77_ - March 13 - 7:36 pm

  Bought it brand new in May 2012. Was great for a month, comfortable, great on gas, roomy and a great sound system. Then while on an 8 hour road trip I got a warning light "Advancetrac failure, Check ABS". Got home got it serviced and Ford couldnt find anything. They told me not to worry about it. A week later it went again. They kept the car for a couple of days, said it was fixed. A month later it went again, they kept the car for 2 weeks, told me it was fixed. Then one day my car just wouldnt start! Got it jumped and no warning lights for 2 months! But now last week the warning lights came back on AGAIN! And Ford wont do anything other then tell me to bring it again. Not impressed

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  2001 ford windstar, the last ford. - 2001 Ford Windstar
  By frankencar - March 12 - 6:03 am

  this is my experience all within 10,000 miles of ownership, bought at 114 k, 3rd owner of van. i am an ASE certified mechanic 24 yrs exp, and done most repairs my self, i will just say this is the worst vehicle i have ever owned,........................ here is a list of the problems i had 1. transmission @ 117k miles 2. dashboard electrical problems 3. anti-lock brake problems 4. power door lock problems 5. power window problems 6. emission system problems 7. Engine Performance and Driveability "idle surge" 8. oil pump went out, engine locked up before i could react @126k now i buy GMC only.

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  Stay Away!!! - 2010 Ford Escape
  By mountainleigh - March 10 - 10:57 pm

  I have been a Toyota owner for years...and last year I bought an Escape. I did not have too many problems with it until I went to get the tranmission flushed about 3 weeks ago. The tranmission fluid was so black that the mechanic had to flush it twice costing me the price of 2 flushes. Anyway, he told me that the transmission could go at any time and that I should just sell the vehicle if I didnt want to spend $4000 on a new one. This is a 2010 with 75,000 miles on it! Needless to say, I traded it in this weekend for a Toyota Tacoma. I will NEVER buy another Ford again.

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  Beware of the Good Looks. - 2013 Ford Explorer
  By mrbobh - March 8 - 1:38 pm

  I rented this car for a week and cant figure out who would buy one. We wanted a vehicle that could comfortably seat 4 people and 2 children in car seats. We could not install the car seats and have access to the rear seat. The middle seat does not slide. Rear seat too small to hold car seats. My 64" son had to crawl in thru the liftgate. My Ford Touch System - Overly Complex. Transmission had a constant wine. Turn signals needed to be pushed 2 clicks up or down to stay on. Large Turning radius made parking a chore. I own a Mazda CX9 - this SUV cant compete with it. Check out and drive the competition before you buy this. Beauty is only skin deep.

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  This is a LEMON VEHICLE - 2012 Ford Fiesta
  By c_duran - March 2 - 10:42 am

  I purchased my vehicle 9 mo ago and have had it in the shop 4 times since! 2 of these were extremely dangerous experiences. Once the accelerator stuck during shifting gears and the other at highway speed it dropped to 10 mph max. All my issues have surrounded the accelerator. What makes it more frustrating is once the car turns off all error codes are reset...how convenient for Ford! They tell me I have to bring it in while error codes are active which seems to always happen after hours!!!

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  Dont buy this car! - 2011 Ford Fiesta
  By maxmandd2 - March 2 - 2:29 am

  The first 10000 miles were fine ...it gets good gas mileage on the road, however it was downhill from there...Brakes grinded and front end bumped while turning the steering wheel ...every month it had increasingly poor accelleration and worst of all this car was unsafe. Often the manual transmission would not go into reverse and then it quickly got to where it would not shift from second gear to third while getting on freeways. I almost got rear-ended several times. Rather than have this junk pile worked on I traded it off after one year while it was still under warranty. Buy a Toyota instead!