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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  You Get What You Pay For! - 2002 Ford Mustang
  By Debideb - May 16 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car as a "fun" car. I find it a pleasure to drive, especially with the top down. The V6 is one of the best in its class and has plenty of pep.If you want to race, buy the GT.Yes it has inadequate storage, thats not what its built for! Its built for pleasure, not hauling the family.For the price,I dont think you can find a better looking, more reliable convertible.People might immediately shout Sebring.My answer, buy a Sebring if you LOVE your service mangager, because youll be seeing alot of him.Been there, done that!Ford has done a good job of putting all of the essential options into an affordable package.

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  windstar - 2003 Ford Windstar
  By himilaya - May 16 - 2:00 am

  oCar drives ok. Came with lots of extra features like rear sensor, heated mirrors, vhs entertainment system.

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  My lemon - 2005 Ford Freestyle
  By Olga - May 15 - 3:56 pm

  I purchased my Freestyle in October of 2004. Dealer changed transmission at 3000 miles, changed power window solenoid, and this car caught on fire at about 9000 miles due to manufacturers defect in charging system. Overall during the nine month and 17,000 miles of driving, my Freestyle spent in the shop over a month, and I was happy when I traded it in for Toyota! Other than this, it is roomy, with great visibility, and great idea for the car, but with very poor quality.

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  Bad brakes -available kits dont have all the parts - 2008 Ford Taurus X
  By annabanana1140 - May 15 - 3:14 pm

  My Taurus X has only 17000 miles and needs new brakes. This is poor design or workmanship as far as I am concerned! We are searching for a manual but theyre telling me it takes a week to get it so I am without a car for a week while I search for an manual that will tell us what the missing pieces are and how to get it apart & back together again. New brakes was supposed to be a surprise when I got back from a holiday trip for Thanksgiving. Im not happy that they make a functionary part like the brakes so hard or obscure to do a regular maintenance job on- though it seems like very poor mileage for a set of front brakes for a front wheel drive vehicle! Other than that Ive enjoyed it.

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  2016 Escape has it all and priced right. - 2016 Ford Escape
  By Peter L - May 15 - 11:37 am

  The 2016 Escape has been an outstanding SUV. I had a 2005 Mazda Tribute before this SUV and the upgrade to the 2016 Escape is outstanding. My fuel Economy is greatly improved and Maintenance is a lot lower. The Driving with the 2.0L has been a blast and the SUV has increasable speed that make you move. The very best thing in the SUV is the design and look inside as the model I have is the higher end with all the bells and whistles. I think for the price and what you get in this SUV is a great bargain as friends that drive MB and Audi model now prefer driving my Escape at time, Thanks FORD for a great new fast and comfortable SUV. I want to mention that I looks around at a lot of models including the Edge but found the smaller Escape better sized for my needs.

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  Lost Love - 2014 Ford F-150
  By Todd C NY - May 15 - 11:16 am

  Ive been a Ford guy for last 30 years. I really liked my truck. Purchased it the last year they had with the steel body. I have always hated the fact that the tires that the truck comes with is only good for 35K miles. Been a real pain and I feel they are pulling one over on you personally. Due to job change, I dont drive mine much, but still keep it around. Ended up having to get $1,000 with or tires at 20K miles due to an alignment problem. I asked Ford about it and they just told me "sorry, maintenance is expensive". My issue isnt the maintenance. My issue is that the "Ford tough" motto is absolutely crap when the mechanic tells me he recommends getting an alignment check every 6 months because even hitting a pothole can throw your alignment off. Really? Ive never in 30 years had that issue. So its "built Ford tough" until you hit a pothole in a Ford truck. There isnt anything "tough" about that, sorry.

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  Unbiased Review! - 2002 Ford F-150
  By Pete Mills - May 15 - 2:00 am

  This review is brought to you by an owner of both a 2001 Chevy Silverado 4DR/4WD and a 2002 Ford F150 SCREW. I love my Ford more than my Chevy. However the Chevy is more comfortable the seats just feel better. The Chevy has better power however the Ford has a smoother Transmission. The Chevy drivers door molding began to fall apart 3 weeks into ownership i.e. the speaker fell out and the lock slide fell off. Pretty cheap design. The Ford has been great it only has 3800 miles on it since August its my weekend Truck.

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  Starting Problems - 2000 Ford Taurus
  By BigTuna - May 15 - 2:00 am

  I am very disapointed with this car. I bought it used. It had 28K miles and was a least car. The problem started after about 7 months. It was then out of warranty. The problem is, on occasion it will not start. But if you wait a while, 10 minutes to an hour it will start. Ive had it to machanics 4 times. One time to the dealer, and know one can find the problem. This is my 2nd Taurus. The 1st one was an 89 with a similar problem. Never another Taurus. I am about to trade it on a 20043 Camry.

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  I Love My Windstar - 1999 Ford Windstar
  By jak - May 15 - 2:00 am

  People love to knock the Windstar. Before I bought one, I talked to a Ford mechanic I knew and to a salesman who drove one constantly. The salesman said that you can drive 800 miles in the Windstar and it feels like 250 miles. I found this to be true. It rides well on long trips. The mechanic said that since it has a T-Bird engine, it runs hot and needs some repairs at 60K I havent found that out yet, but I bought the extended engine/transmission warranty so I wouldnt worry. This car has been great. Ive driven a friends Odyssey on trips - Ill take the Windstar (and so will he) any day.

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  great car - 1997 Ford Thunderbird
  By Billdo - May 15 - 2:00 am

  i love the car. it is fun to drive.