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:

• 

  A hard to beat Family Sedan from Ford - 2007 Ford Five Hundred
  By tbirdman - March 9 - 5:43 am

  My wife & I love this 500 which we ordered. The Alloy paint with the 18 inch chrome wheels & saddle leather interior really set this 500 off & make it an eye catching car. She especially likes the great view of the road when driving & the spacious rear seating area. What a huge trunk. This replaced a 2002 Taurus.

• 

  98 Ford Windstar - 1998 Ford Windstar
  By Tony D - March 9 - 2:00 am

  I have had no mechanical problems with this van over the last six years. I have driven it coss country twice, and in miserable bumper to bumper commutes. It handles easily, and brakes are more than adequate for the size and type of vehicle. I average 19mpg in mixed driving. Ive gotten up to 26 on the open road. Minor problems have included noisey suspension, side view mirror broken, cigarette lighter broken, etc Dealer support has been good.

• 

  unbelievably unreliable - 1998 Ford Windstar
  By CBrady - March 9 - 2:00 am

  When I was pregnant with our second child we needed a reliable family vehicle. So we decided on a van. I have always driven Ford so we naturally looked to the Windstar. This car has not only been unreliable (requiring numerous trips to the mechanic as soon as a month after we purchased it) it has at times been unsafe to drive. We recently had to replace the transmission and to tell you the truth this space is not large enough to list all the mechanical difficulties weve had. Do yourself a favor dont buy a Windstar.

• 

  zx2 is great!!!!! - 1999 Ford Escort
  By dragonslayer - March 9 - 2:00 am

  I think the zx2 is the best compact car out. I belive that the zx2 is reliable and i have had no problems. also i know the zx2 is a good racing car atleast against the honda civic (which isnt all that great) the zx2 is under rated and should be higher rated than the civic. also the escort zx2 is not really a escort it was put on fords production line to replace the ford probe the escort zx2 should not be viewed and shuned by people just because its and escort view it as ford zx2 just forget about the escort part because its better and faster than the regular escort.this car should be respected more than the honda civic because this is a great car to get.

• 

  Great value with low ownership costs - 2014 Ford Fusion Hybrid
  By swhitehorn - March 9 - 1:58 am

  I bought my Fusion SE Hybrid on 2-26-14 and am averaging 40.5 mpg so far. My trip odometer states that I traveled 415 miles on this tank and I still have more than 1/4 tank left or about 160 miles to empty. Keep in mind, this is only a 13.5 gallon tank, NOT a 17 or 18 gallon tank, like many of its non-hybrid competitors. Basically, the tank holds 40-50% less gas than, say a Nissan Altimas 18.5 gallon tank. The Fusion rides very smoothly and quietly, much more so than my 2008 Honda Accord EXL V6. I paid $24,178 (including the $150 document fee) plus taxes and title. This is $3,913 off the MSRP of $28,100. I financed the car at 1.65% thru RBFCU in San Antonio for 48 months.

• 

  The gold mobile - 2007 Ford Explorer
  By Sue - March 8 - 7:58 pm

  Third row seating is fun for children under the age of 12. Heating and a/c are great throughout the vehicle. Adults can sit in the third row without difficulty up to approximately 6 feet tall and 200 pounds

• 

  Just Drive One - 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid
  By djohnson12 - March 8 - 9:41 am

  I have had many cars and when shopping for a new car this time I was looking for something different. Test drove the C-Max after driving the new Fusion. Was hooked after the first drive (so much so that I had to test drive the C-Max four more times over the next two weeks until they got the car I wanted). Most fun to drive car (wagon, mini mini van) that I have driven in a long time. I have never been a fuel efficient driver, so the fuel mileage was not the prime selling point for me. With minimal effort, I have achieved an average of 42 mpg in the first two weeks. The car has enough information communicated to you that you can be an efficient driver or you can ignore it and just drive.

• 

  Commanding View of the Road! - 2003 Ford Explorer Sport
  By Shano - March 8 - 5:57 am

  Purchased this vehicle October 6th,2015. I couldnt be happier with a sporty two door 4X4! XLT I purchased came with all the bells and whistles...leather, power everything, sunroof, auto headlights & dimming rear view mirror, remote start, courtesy lights, & 4wheel drive enabled by a simple dash dial. Only 135k and runs solid and strong! Reminds me of a refined "grown up" version of a Jeep Wrangler. Turning radius is superb, view of traffic and surroundings is excellent! I live in Phoenix, AZ where the monsoons are sudden and can be quite severe, but outfitted with larger tires and 4X4 makes inclement weather something to laugh at! I would recommend this to anyone looking for a versatile, dependable ride with looks to boot! Too soon to really tell about reliability, but those reviews to be more positive than not, and was one of my main reasons for my recent purchase.

• 

  Would not buy again - 2014 Ford Fusion
  By furCL1962 - March 8 - 4:37 am

  The transmission never shifted into Drive properly. There was a delay in shifting then the transmission would slam into Drive. Mechanics said it needed a PCM software update. The PCM and the TCM software was updated and it didnt change anything. This started occurring within one month of vehicle purchase (New). This is a known problem and will eventually lead to a Valve Body Replacement or full transmission rebuild which would be very expensive. There was constant problems with the software. The GPS was often off by several hundred feet. It would show you driving down the road except the GPS line of travel would be off to the left of the actual line of travel. The car often refused to start even with a full battery, constantly acting like it was in remote start mode where the engine is running but the power is off. Except the engine and power would both be off but the car "brain" would think differently. Because many of the systems require power to b in sleep mode, many times the battery would be dead after just a couple of hours sitting. Diagnosing a parasitic drain showed the drain was normal, but the battery that came stock with the car was not enough to stay charged with the parasitic draw that is in fact normal. Battery replacement was mandatory for a new car and should not have been. But it did fix the problem. There are many videos online with people with the same problem with the Fusion and Focus. Sitting still the glass in the sunroof cracked. The temperature was in the 70s and the car was not moving with no trees, other cars or anything else around. It simply cracked. The glass in these roofs is made to shatter. Others have complained about the same problem. This occured within about two months of purchasing the vehicle. As I was told, "It isnt Fords problem". Well it is now since we went back to Kia. After buying three new trucks and three new cars in five years we thought we would give Ford a try since we did like the Fusion Titanium when we test drove. However, that experience with Ford, attitudes in service whenever we brought it in for service and the complete 180 from our experience with Kia had us completely ignore Ford when we were looking for a new car. Bottom line. Thirty seven years of car buying and ovr 20 new cars and 10 new trucks that was our first Ford and it will be our last Ford.

• 

  SECRET RECALL ON ENGINE - 1995 Ford Taurus
  By Buyers Regret - March 8 - 2:00 am

  Theres a "secret recall" on this engine. In other words, when your head gasket blows, and it probably will, you have to know about the SECRET recall in order to get a dealership to replace the entire engine for free. Ford wont tell you about this you have to find out the way I did -- have the problem, then do research, then inform your dealership. Dont buy this car.