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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  No Fan of this Van - 1995 Ford Windstar
  By HWB - August 14 - 2:00 am

  Went the head gasket blew my Windstar was less than five years old, but at 100,500 miles (501 more than the max. for factory paid repair.) Even after the efforts of the local Ford dealership to request that Ford pay to repair my head gasket, Ford refused ($1,000 down the hole). Now my transmission is going and the rebuild isnt a lot less than the trade in value. I am not even going into the poor gas mileage. Ford should have made recalls on the headgasket and the transmission. If Honda can produce vehicles that go 200,000 miles and more without significant problems, then we should be able expect as much from Ford.

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  Should have opted for the Cobra - 1998 Ford Mustang
  By C.L. - August 13 - 2:00 am

  I like my Mustang but I am tired of losing stoplight races to rivals like Cobras and Z28s. I have K&N air intake and flowmaster exhaust and while they make the car sound good (oops I mean GREAT!) they still dont make the car fast enough to damage the ego of the jerk in the Camaro next to me.

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  Built on a Monday - 1996 Ford Taurus
  By RobertJoes - August 13 - 2:00 am

  I bought this Taurus off of a lease program. It had regular maintenance and 50,000 mi. when I bought it. At about 65,000 mi. it started having problems. The oil pan gasket was not installed correctly from the factory, resulting in an oil leak. The rear brakes have failed 3 time in the past two years resulting in expensive repairs repeatedly. The entire cooling system and electrical systems have failed resulting in expensive repairs, and to top everything off, there is a HORRIBLE squeak in rear end when I hit a bump. I was really disappointed with this car.

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  Windstart GL - 1997 Ford Windstar
  By lhm - August 12 - 2:00 am

  Can pack 4 adults and 2 kids, with tons of "stuff" and travel fairly comfortably, good cargo space. Has been very reliabale, given the punishment we put it through.

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  older 150s better - 2004 Ford F-150
  By appl. man - August 12 - 2:00 am

  brakes noisey, paint falling off at 1200 miles

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  Worst Vehicle Ive Ever Owned - 1999 Ford Expedition
  By LAV - August 4 - 2:00 am

  Definitely a Monday or Friday car. Ford and the UAW should be ashamed of themselves for manufacturing my particular bucket of bolts. Terrible transmission was replaced at 5,000 mi. and is still clunky. Exterior plastic trim has faded. Lots of little things go wrong constantly like rear wiper motor, radio, compass, mirrors. Lotys of things have gone lose with screws, trim, fan motors etc. Very sqeeky ride. Its an overpriced pickup truck with extra seats. Would be perfect vehicle if it add an extra 6 inches behind 3rd rear seat and was built like a Toyota. In summary, American made hunk of junk

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  TRANSMISSION - 1993 Ford Explorer
  By agappraiser - August 1 - 2:00 am

  We bought the car new, off the lot, and have had normal use and maintenance on the vehicle. No off roading, or extreme towing. Yet there have had 2 bouts of transmission service. The first at just over 90,000 miles on the odometer and the second job within 2 years and 20,000 added miles. The "Ford tuff truck" is the image of the older truck chaise Explorer that could be used both for tough utility purposes as well as a passanger vehicle. Yet the power train did not last with basic to & from work city style driving.

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  Thunderbird Myth - 2002 Ford Thunderbird
  By Minninger - July 31 - 2:00 am

  The best $20,000 car Ive ever owned. Been a Ford person my entire life, but Ford missed it on this one. No engine power, transmission shifts when it wants (can not manually shift), engine hesitates terribly on downshifts, seats are made for someone twice as wide (no lateral support), suspension compromises wont make anyone happy. Clearcoat layer of paint was incomplete (looks like an amatuer did it). Door and trunk fit falls short of even Ford Focus standards. My 1994 Thunderbird, with more than 125,000 miles is twice the car at less than half the original price. How do you rate Reliability on a car with less than 4000 miles?

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  reliable - 1998 Ford Ranger
  By kurtxc - July 30 - 2:00 am

  Relibale vehivle. First purchase, couldnt afford anything down but 48 monthly payments okay at 0.9 APR. 36K warranty fixed an exhuast problem at 3k since then no complaints and has been a reliable commuter vehicle with the occasional camping trip or help someone move (all truck owners know what Im talking about...) Owns the mountains wiht chains ... cant complain! Small 2.5L engine gets the job done and the 25 MPG aint bad.

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  Never again - 1999 Ford Windstar
  By PPenuela - July 29 - 2:00 am

  Very dissapointed. Engine problems at 72.000 miles ($900). At 75.000 the Engine light is on again. It was fixed for $1100. Just this week at 75.200 miles, problems with the steering wheel, another $400. My first American car and the last one. I am going back to Japanese cars.