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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  Big Cab Small Feel - 2015 Ford F-150
  By James Willers - November 8 - 1:58 pm

  No leg room for left leg . Makes me feel like Im in a small cramped vehicle.

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  Inner tail lights dont light up - 2011 Ford Taurus
  By David - November 8 - 11:17 am

  I just bought a 2011 Taurus SEL and was very dissatisfied to find out that the inner tail lights that are on the outside of the trunk are basically just there for decoration since they dont light up.

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  My 2014 Ford Truck - 2014 Ford F-150
  By Scott Smith - November 8 - 8:12 am

  I have had this Truck since 2/1/15. It is great in the snow. With the 4 wheel drive you can get through just about anything. With the 5.0 liter I range around 14 in the city and it will get 21 MPG on the highway at 70 MPH. Its comfortable and the back seat is huge especially with the seats up. The truck does many things right. It pulls my boat and trailer with ease which is probably around 4000 lbs. Even with the 5.5 ft bed, there is a ton of room since the sides are high. Here is a couple of annoyances.. In the STX model many times the rubber cup holder liner comes out attached to my coffee cup. I have never figured out how to retrieve a text when the blue tooth is on and I am a pretty techy guy. The manual does not explain the sync very well. Around 20,000 miles I started to get some vibration when braking. I assume it needs the rotors turned. I have driven a few new GM trucks my friends have and I still mine better than theirs. I dont know anything about the dodges as Chrysler as whole seems to have more reliability problems than Ford or GM.

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  Great truck that should have come with boat oars.. - 2010 Ford F-150
  By rabrothers - November 8 - 1:07 am

  I purchased this truck new on May 31, 2010. It now has 31600 miles. I have not had any issues with it in terms of mechanical or electrical. I love how the truck feels when I drive it, it is very comfortable, and roomy. The mileage sucks, but if I was concerned about mileage I would not have bought it. In Mar 2015, I noticed moisture on the inside of the windshield, and since my windshield had been replaced I thought the new one had a leak... so had the windshield replaced again.. but again months later I had moisture on the inside of the windshield. I finally started doing some research online and found out that Ford has known for years that the sat antenna, and third brake lights leak into the cab. According to TSB 10-4-7 Ford F150s made before Jan 18, 2010, have the antenna problem. The technical bulletin calls for a bead of silicone around the gasket of the sat antenna. Once the brake light leaks, the only fix is a bead of silicone or replacement since Ford decided not to make a separate gasket for the lens. The cost of fixing both problems is $740.00 if you take it to a Ford dealer. My dealer refused to follow the guidelines of the TSB for the antenna since when they removed the old one, it had a bead of silicone around the gasket direct from the factory ( my vehicle was made in Mar 2010) so it appears that once Ford discovered the problems and published the TB, they decided to use the same antennas on all the vehicles that came out after the publication of the TB, and following the TB, just placed silicone on the gaskets as the trucks were being built. This fix does not work, as I can attest by my repair bill of $440.00 just for replacement of the antenna. I replaced the third brake light for $100. but an after marked brake light can be purchased for $35.00. I dont mind spending money on my truck due to fail wear and tear or normal maintenance, but I am really pissed about the cost of these repairs. If these problems showed up prior to the basic 3 year, 36000 mile warranty, Ford would be required to fix them under the basic warranty, even if you purchased the Extended warranty you are not covered for these problems. Ford used faulty parts on this truck and many others, they should have issued a recall and paid to fix all the problems. This is as much a health and safety hazard as it is an inconvenience. When water enters the truck over time mold and mildew will grow. The water also gets into the channels and door thresholds were the wiring is run for lights, windows etc., causing a safety and fire hazard. And the leaks are going to stain your rear seats, and headlined , and destroy your carpet. Ford has known of these problems back to 1998, based on the information I have found on the internet. I contacted Ford about this problem and they did listen and give me a case number, telling me they would contact my dealer and see if there was a program to help pay for cost of the repairs.. I dont expect Ford to do anything. I would not recommend any one buy a Ford F150 new or used until Ford can prove the problems are solved.

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  Was Inlove - 2012 Ford Fusion
  By Brittany - November 7 - 6:21 pm

  I only had the car a year unfortunately but I absolutely loved it never gave me a problem not a peep starting at 50k miles and only putting 10k more on it. Heart breaking to see it go and even harder to find something to compare. ( I averaged 22 mpg and I drove mostly city took a good highway trip and it averaged 27mpg )

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  Feel Stupid - 2011 Ford Fiesta
  By Pam - November 7 - 11:07 am

  I bough a 2011 Ford Fiesta hatchback about 7 months ago. Within the first few months I had it at the shop for a recall on the manual clutch then next will be the door locks I guess the door open while driving. Now I am having issues with the Power Train in the steering wheel. When I purchased this piece of crap I also got an extended warranty. I got a Power train care plus warranty what good that did because the part I need is not even on the warrant list. The breaks constantly make a noise which i ask the shop about and got some stupid reason why now the right front of my car vibrates as i drive and the steering wheel shakes... If I could get rid of this car it would not be fast enough...

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  Purtty good car - 2003 Ford Taurus
  By Marty - November 6 - 10:57 pm

  Got it for $500 wouldnt go into gear replaced torque converter for 1200 ran great loved it had it for a month then someone t-boned me didnt get hurt at all. I would recommend it only if the torque converter is the remade one not the original other than that great car.

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  I Love This Car! - 2012 Ford Focus
  By Joseph - November 6 - 7:42 pm

  I read the reviews about the 2012 Focus before I bought it and I admit that some of the reviews about the auto tranny with the dual clutch had me worried. But when I drive this car, that dual-clutch transmission is what makes the car so peppy. For does a nice job converting the 160 horsepower into an incredibly amount of acceleration for a 4 banger. When I need to move out into traffic, I shift the auto into SPORT mode and give it gas and I am *never disappointed with how quickly this car accelerates, even at highway speeds. Im not leaving any Mustangs or Corvettes in my dust, but I am making the Hyundai Elantra owners wonder if they made the right choice as they view the beautiful styling of my focus from behind in traffic as I pull away. And if you are worried about the transmission issues that *some people have reported (a minority of owners, not all), then take comfort in the fact that Fords drive train warranty is 5 years and 60 thousand miles and that warranty transfers with the car. So if you buy it used, you have the warranty. Also, Ford extended the warranty on the part of the transmission that has been troublesome to 100,000 miles. If you like the car, buy it. Dont listen to the naysayers. This is my third Ford and I have enjoyed each one and had good experiences with them all.

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  The best car Ive owned, if only for a short time - 2014 Ford Fusion
  By Chris - November 6 - 5:21 pm

  Unfortunately someone decided red means go at an intersection and totaled my 2014 Ford Fusion Titanium after I had purchased it about 40 days prior. But heres my take on the car. This is an absolutely fantastic vehicle. The 2013 was a nice redesign but the engine reliability ratings took a hit compared to the 2012, which receives close to perfect scores across the board according to JD Power. I was coming from a 2011 Chevy Malibu V6, which I ditched because of engine problems and poor gas mileage. This, by comparison, is a DREAM to drive. The steering is responsive and the cornering is excellent for a mid-size sedan. Theres plenty of power in the 2.0T engine that puts out about 240hp. The fuel efficiency in the 2.0T is still decent as I averaged about 25.3mpg combined hwy/city driving. I put about 2,700 miles on it in the 40 days I owned it because I drive a lot for work and decided to drive from Seattle to Spokane and back, which put on several hundreds of miles in one weekend. But everything about this car was incredible. I hope the Fusion can continue to climb the fuel efficiency charts as Ford is starting to make very good engines and building quality interior/exterior parts to compliment them. In terms of value, its hard to beat a Fusion in the mid-size category. The crash experience that totaled the car showed me that this car is built very well. I was t-bones at about 35 mph and you had no idea I was hit looking at 3/4 of the car. The doors on the passenger side of the vehicle were toast and it would need extra body work and probably frame work which is why the car was totaled, but should 5 passengers have been in the car there wouldnt have been any injuries other than some whiplash or banging of hands/legs against the door or other parts of the car. The Sony 12-speaker system is fantastic compared to much of whats out there in a 6-speaker configuration. Theres plenty of power to satisfy drivers even with windows down. The low-end performance could use a little bit of help as the speakers overdrive a bit on heavy bass tracks that feature sustained low-end tracks that also have some kind of low-end attack/punch (top-40 hip hop artists like Wiz Khalifa would be a good example of what Im getting at), so youll have to moderate the bass EQ to prevent the OD, but thats also only at about 75-80% volume. To be honest, youd be crossing into enthusiast/audiophile territory if you had any more power and any better bass response, so youre getting quite a bit out of this system. The touchscreen interface takes some learning, but its quite capable and just a little laggy for pressing on-screen buttons - nothing that will frustrate you though. If youre considering buying this car used, its a good buy, especially once the 2014 has been out for 2-3 years as youll find the Titanium packages for under $18k - a steal for the options youre getting. The car is also pretty comfortable and will surprise anyone riding along that hasnt been in a newer Fusion yet - I got a lot of "oh wow this is really nice" comments from people because it looks good on the outside and feels great on the inside. Im 6 2" and it offered plenty of room for me and usually worked out well for people sitting behind me too.

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  Unreliable - 2014 Ford Focus
  By Hmorabustos - November 6 - 2:23 pm

  It all seemed like a good deal, great milage, good engine, comfortable ride, but all the bells and whistles dont mean jack if you have a garbage transmission. its [non-permissible content removed] to take into account all the good aspects of this vehicle if one of its most important and expensive mechanisms is garbage. Great milage, a good engine, the comfort of the ride, all the technology, and safety features mean jack if your vehicles transmission goes out, our vehicle is eleven months old. 2015 year model. The vehicle has only had eight oil changes, and the transmission goes out??? That is a serious issue. Besides this Ford Focus (on the transmission Issue) I also own both a Chevy and a Toyota that are well over ten years old, one with 130000 miles and the other with 235000 miles on it, and im yet to experience this type of issue with either vehicle. There is a reason why this vehicle is so affordable... its simply cheaply made. Manufacturers of these types of vehicles obviously Focus more on the aestetics (as if) of the product than the quality of the product itself.