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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  Reliability - 1997 Ford Explorer
  By JAM - August 5 - 2:00 am

  This truck has performed remarkably well - especially in poor weather conditions (snow, sleet, rain). The vehicle is both responsive and surprisingly powerful and manueverable for its size.

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  1997 Ford Ranger Pickup -4 cyl. - 1997 Ford Ranger
  By SBF88 - August 5 - 2:00 am

  This has been a very reliable vehicle which is fun to drive and well built. The Ranger is well designed and usually relatively easy to work on. Changing spark plugs and the PCV valve on the 4 cylinder engine tends to be difficult.The clutch is responsive and durable. The standard transmission is easy to shift and predictable.Body and hardware quality are good, as is the layout of the instrument cluster. The only repairs I have had to do (both warranteed) were repair muffler heatshield (broken welds) and replace catalytic converter (corrosion). In general, I am happy with the vehicle and have had trouble-free driving since I bought it new.

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  Our last Taurus - 1991 Ford Taurus
  By alshoe - August 5 - 2:00 am

  Overall this is is a very comfortable car and has many nice luxury features. Interior and exterior have held up well, car parked outside mostly. Reliabilty is bad. Bought car with 76,000 miles. Transmision went out at 79,000 miles. Head gasket blew shortly thereafter. Both are known defects for this engine and transmission. Our newest car is now a Saturn. (see review)

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  Third Taurus - 1994 Ford Taurus
  By alshoe - August 5 - 2:00 am

  The 94 has been fairly reliable. It has the 3.8 litre engine. It is the LX Model and has many nice luxury features. The head gasket blew at around 75,000 miles, which is a common trait of the 3.8 V6. Fortunately, Ford had extended the warranty and repaired it at their costs. The body and interior have held up well as the car is parked outside often. The moon roof does leak though when it rains. The lumbar support feature on the drivers side seat no longer works. Am also concerned about the transmission as our 91 Taurus transmission had to be replaced. (See review.)

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  Great SUV - 1998 Ford Expedition
  By aclance1 - August 5 - 2:00 am

  My experiance with my 1998 EB 4x4 5.4L Expedition has been great. I changed the original brakes at 75K I recently changed the original fan belt, other than that no major maitence has been required. This truck has been really good to me and you can fit tons of people and stuff in it.

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  Nice - 2000 Ford Expedition
  By Hockeyman - August 5 - 2:00 am

  This is a nice vehicle however does have issues. We love the convience and size of the vehicle but, in the 6 months we have owned the vehicle it has needed a new oxygen sensor and the airbag light remains on which I believe will be another $300 out of my pocket for a module. I find it funny that I have had many vehicles but this seems to have electrical issues in which I think for should be responsible for.

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  EXCELLENT CAR - 2000 Ford Escort
  By Tim Nall - August 5 - 2:00 am

  I BOUGHT MY ESCORT IN 2001(A YEAR OLD WHEN I BOUGHT IT). ITS BEEN A WONDERFUL CAR FOR ME. NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH IT. I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS CAR. ITS MAINTAINENCE FREE.

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  keeps on going - 2001 Ford Explorer Sport
  By belldawgmom3 - August 4 - 11:19 am

  I bought my ford with 45k miles and owned it about 8 years now. At 250k miles replaced transmission well worth it I am over 300k miles and still going strong. This suv has been all over this state with school activities football , ffa and etrc. as well on manay of hunting trips it has been used for everything you can think of. It still drives 5 miles of dirt road and 70 miles a day to work. This suv has been very good to us wish I could aford to buy another one. Thank you

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  2nd Best mom car! - 2011 Ford Expedition
  By Debbie - August 4 - 5:25 am

  I am a Ford girl. My cars for the past 30+ years have been Ford SUV products with the exception of a Chevy Suburban, which did not last in our home long. My prior car to this was my favorite, the Ford Excursion. I went back to the Expedition as I had one before the Excursion. I have 3 very busy, active teens and college age kids. We are an outdoor family with horses and boats. The pulling capacity is definitely not that of the Excursion, but, its not on the same frame, which is one of my biggest let downs. We pull 2 horses on long hauls and 3 on short and our boat with no issue. It is a smooth ride and I can get 12 - 14 mpg pulling. It holds 8 adults comfortably with easy in and out of the back seat and still has room in the rear cargo area. It is a King Ranch and has lots of extras, but, disappointed in the wear of the leather. As a horse person, the saddle leather interiors were a draw and I hoped for better wear on the seats. The blue tooth is not so hot, sounds like your in a wind tunnel to those on the other end. We bought it right after the Japan Tsunami, so we are without Navigation, it was not available, and our back up camera is not in the dash it is in the rear view mirror, still helpful, but, definitely not ideal. We have had no major engine or transmission issues and will be purchasing another, probably our last large SUV in the next year. It is a solid, reliable vehicle backed by a great company. You wont go wrong and probably will be back for another! Great job Ford, but, please bring us something a little heavier in the frame in an SUV! It will make pulling/towing a lot better and I wont have to fight my husband for his F250!

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  Whats wrong? - 1995 Ford Contour
  By DRIVER8 - August 4 - 2:00 am

  I have a 1995 GL 4-cyl 5-spd manual with 116000 miles. It has been one of the best cars Ive owned, so why do so many people have so many complaints? After reading all the reviews heres the secret. 1) Get the manual transmission -- the automatic is unreliable and sluggish. 2) Replace the water pump and timing belt before 100,000 miles (doing these at the same time saves a lot on labor) -- they break down shortly after 100,000 and the repair after the fact costs more than the value of the car.