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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  Windstars Blow Their Head Gaskets - 1995 Ford Windstar
  By James Muecke - April 15 - 2:00 am

  There are NINE factory recalls for this Windstar. An internet search can lead to graphs showing the EXTREME rate of Head Gasket failure for the Windstar. The 3.8 is the worst engine by several magnitudes of failure over all other engines. This engine will blow its head gaskets because of the interaction of THREE design failures. Repaired engines will blow their head gaskets again. When replacing the head gaskets most techs will opt to drop the engine to avoid damaging the air conditioning. This car also blows its transmission because of a design failure using an aluminum hydraulic piston that cracks. I deeply regret having bought this van.

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  Big Disappointment - 1995 Ford Thunderbird
  By Zubrovka - April 14 - 2:00 am

  Pretty pearl paint has numerous imperfections, front cap was so shoddily mounted that factory bra wouldnt fit! Next problem was the transmission, it came up for recall. Since that time, it has had 3 complete rebuilds. Ford caught 2 of them under warranty and I paid for the last one. The V8 is a decent motor, too bad it was backed up by such a dog transmission. However, when everything is working right, it is a blast to drive. Still love the styling, almost a direct knockoff of a BMW 6 series coupe! Leather seats are supportive, have held up well, Moonroof has never leaked. The car is a Jeckyl/Hyde. My better idea? NO MORE FORDS!!!

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  Fun car, but pricey to repair - 1990 Ford Taurus
  By Melchior - April 13 - 2:00 am

  Watch out for *expensive* replacement parts for this car-- the body and interior may be a Taurus (ie, cheap mass-manufactured parts), but the engine was low-volume... There arent a large number of aftermarket suppliers for this car, so engine parts are expensive. Qualified repair shops are also tough to find...

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  disgrunteld owner - 2001 Ford Windstar
  By james skaggs - April 13 - 2:00 am

  There are rattles,all over noisy engine poor paint quality. Over all it is just so overpriced

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  Transmission - 1990 Ford Ranger
  By Jonathon Goff - April 12 - 2:00 am

  I have a 1990 ford Ranger and have had to replace the trans twice and the engine once part of it is probably the 16 year old in me but now i am 20 but as far as the engine goes that is becuase of the transmission going out the engine is good but dont trust the Trans overall it has been a good truck

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  good while it lasted - 1993 Ford Taurus
  By doug - April 9 - 2:00 am

  i got this car in august 98. it had a rough time switching from first to second gear, (REALLY bad kicking) the headlights went out from time to time, and i had to get the radiator replaced once. but other than that it drove well. it was comfortable, relatively quick, and got good mileage. recently, the transmission went. in the end, i got 3.5 years out of it- so considering what i paid id consider that a bargain. the only downside is it only lasted 90000 miles... my advice: if you were looking for a short term fix a few years ago, the 93 taurus may have been a good choice. but now, their age and shoddy build probably make them too much of a maintenance liability to be worth the trouble.

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  Do your homework before purchasing - 2013 Ford C-Max Energi
  By stodhill - April 9 - 1:48 am

  I purchased the C-Max Energi with the thought of driving the vehicle only a few miles per day, plugging it in at night, and almost never having to visit a gas station. The big problem with that is the lithium ion battery is charged, but the 12 volt battery which initially cranks the engine isnt being charged at the same time. So what happens? You go out to start the car, and the 12 volt battery is dead because the 12 volt is gradually being drained. The local dealer said thats the case because the Energi has no alternator. So if you dont drive extended miles every few days or so, the 12 volt battery will gradually be drained. This happened twice to me.

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  Fun and cute......but in the shop lots - 1995 Ford Probe
  By 2001VetteOwner - April 8 - 2:00 am

  This car is fun and sporty. Very cute design, cute features, but fell apart mechnaicall. Already has had on transmission replaced and broken 3 sets of accessory belts in less than 65,000 miles. It is currently being traded in for a GMC Sonoma Crew Cab. Worst problem list of any vehicle owned before. Air Bag is onoperative, and headlight motor does now work on one side. Also, less than 5,000 miles ago, wire fire occured from short circuit under dash.

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  Great looks, poor mileage - 2004 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By Torreadorered - April 6 - 2:00 am

  Totally disgusted with mileage. Ranges from 10 mpg in town to 15-16 on hwy. Does much worse than my full size GMC with similar driving. Great ride, lots of good features. Wife even likes ride and accessories.

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  2006 Ford Escape - 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid
  By Pete Hunt - March 30 - 11:23 pm

  Gas mileage is not as great as expected but my previous Ford was an F-150 (V-8) so it was an improvement in the pockets.