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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  Defective Transmission - 2014 Ford Focus
  By M. Ross - April 13 - 12:41 pm

  Ford sold a car with a knowingly defective transmission. I now make car payments of a vehicle that lurches, shudders, jerks and drives like an old jalopy and their is nothing I can do about it. Ford does not have a fix for this issue and will continue to replace parts to keep the customer quiet. Buying this vehicle was the biggest mistake I have ever made. I should have bought a Kia.

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  Yuck - 1998 Ford Windstar
  By scbrenna23 - April 11 - 12:10 am

  I bought this car from a owner dealership because my former car had been in an accident. Im a poor college student (how many are there that arent, lol) and needed something to get around town. I was looking for cheap and safe. Well, I got the cheap part! This van has been nothing but trouble now that its about 10 years old. The ABS computer system is malfunctioning which is supposedly supposed to cost 1500 dollars at least! The head gasket is leaking and soon to break. My oil leaks constantly regardless of attempts to fix it. The side sliding door doesnt shut and causes the indoor lights to stay on, (you have to pull the fuse to reset it). It just has issues. I hate this van!

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  JUNK JUNK JUNK - 2014 Ford Focus
  By Angela - April 3 - 1:29 am

  This car is JUNK! Transmission slips, nothing but issues after having it for 2,000 miles. brought car in they wouldnt fix it until the 3rd time i went with the mechanic. WOSRT CAR EVER! I WILL NEVER BUY FROM FORD AGAIN!! Corporate is USELESS, all they said was they cant do anything about it. JUNK

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  Very Bad Choice - 2005 Ford Taurus
  By Betty - March 23 - 7:12 am

  Bought new 2005 Ford Taurus SE with flex fuel engine. Cant run e85 fuel transmission. Began to slip under 30,000k, water leak onto front passenger floor. Every 2005 to 2007 Ford Taurus I inspected had water under carpet on front passenger floor board causing a musty smell and metal rust. Very poor mpg 18 average.

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  This should have been a LEMON Vehicle - 2004 Ford Focus
  By Elisa Maldonado - March 23 - 2:00 am

  I bought in 6/00 a brand new Ford Focus 2000. To make the long story short, I have had to have 5 fuel pumps put in the car. Has left me on the street, shop had my vehicle for 3 months, could not figure out what was wrong with it. Co worker at work has similiar problems that I had, she has traded the car since. Her vehicle was newer than mine.

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  Not Good - 2004 Ford Explorer
  By Mr G - March 23 - 2:00 am

  Only worse than this vehical is where I bought it. Wayne Ford in NJ. If you dont mind dealing with trans problems out the wazu, it isnt that bad. Handling stinks. No power.

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  2 transmissions in one month - 2014 Ford Focus
  By Yolando - March 7 - 2:31 am

  My husband and I purchased a 2014 Ford Focus from Sunrise Ford in North Hollywood on February 20th, 2016. In April, the transmission light and a message gave me 5 minutes to pull over. The message read that the car was overheating. Transmission message appeared. I was traveling up a hill off Laurel Canyon. You could hear the gears every time you drove up a hill. I was in bumper to bumper traffic. The car was also rolling backwards. I know how that feels because I know how to drive a stick. It was a very hot day. Which is a trigger for the transmission. We took the car back to Sunrise. First, we were told that it was a computer chip malfunction. A module message. They said dont worry about it. Its a common message. Then we were given an appointment to replace the clutch and seals. The appointment was so far out because they were backed up due to so many appointments to repair transmissions. We dropped the car off on June 14. They had the car for 4 days. While they had the car we ask them to fix the windshield wipers and the speaker panel. We notice that in the early part of July the dashboard was malfunctioning. I have photos. The gas hand wouldnt move and the gas numbers, mileage numbers, degrees, and radio stations were jumping all over the place. The AC stop working properly. A few days ago we were approached by Sunrise to buy back our car. He said that the car had built up equity. My husband asked him how is that possible because it hasnt been 6 months yet. They offer us a lower payment and interest. My husband said no because its a buy back scam buy Ford. Last night the car started to jerk, it wouldnt get out of first gear. We got the car home. It wouldnt start nor reverse. We had to push the car into our parking spot. The transmission service light is on. The car was making a rumbling sounds even though it was turned off. We picked up the car on after they replaced the transmission again. Guess what? The Gear is locked. I found out from an auto fraud attorney that the Sunrise is suppose to disclose to customers the issues with the transmission. I was told by a lemon law attorney and the fraud attorney that the car will never run correctly. When we dropped our car off the second time for service we came across frustrated owners dropping off their car for repairs.

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  Dont buy a ford! - 2000 Ford Windstar
  By NOFORDS - February 22 - 11:31 pm

  We purchased our Windstar used, 1 year old less than 20,000 miles. As soon as the warranty wore out the problems began. The transmission went out at about 65,000 miles. The heater and defroster broke. The door locks no longer work. The rubber also came off from around the sliding doors. There is also a problem with the wiring, causing dash lights to come on when there may or may not be a problem. We take very good care of our cars and have never experienced anything so terrible. It is currently not running, were not sure why this time, but we are not putting another penny into this piece of junk. It hasnt moved from our driveway in 7 months. And Ford wonders why business has been so bad?!!

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  FOCUS = Fix Or Curse Until Stolen - 2000 Ford Focus
  By Jeff - January 27 - 7:36 am

  This car is an absolute piece of garbage. I got it as a commuter car for nothing but highway driving. I drive 60 miles a day at 65 in a straight line. Where do I begin to describe the problems? The interior is cheap and flimsy. The radio dial literally melts in high heat. The car feels like it will fall apart at 65. Awful road noise. The seats seem to consist of a cloth, cardboard, and styrofoam mixture. Reliability is terrible. I had it in the shop for routine mechanical and electrical problems every 6 months. It once shut off on a highway, literally turning off at 60 mph. Do not, under any circumstances, buy this car. Spend the extra money on a civic and save on repairs.

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  Bought this car new - 2016 Ford Escape
  By Amanda Beavers - January 17 - 5:11 pm

  So today I have the dilemma of my car. It is a 2016 ford Escape very basic very standard model. I use this as my child hauler and daily driver to work. This car had major issues about 8 months after I bought it. I was on the interstate and the car quit accelerating and started shaking violently. I was in the fast lane and couldnt get the car to accelerate. I began to slow at a high rate, and couldnt get over to the shoulder because it was peak hours for traffic in Knoxville tn. I call the dealership and they tell me to bring it in once I have gotten the car shut off it stops acting crazy I start it up and it goes back to normal. I take it to ford where they say there is nothing wrong with the car. The next day I am out with my kids after work and it starts again, it is vibrating really hard throwing codes onto the screen and wont accelerate, so I pull over and Video tape this whole incident. This car clearly has something wrong with it. I take it directly to ford. They find out it is a throttle position sensor. They replace it the car runs fine until yesterday. Almost a year later. The last thing happened the week of thanksgiving. The car keeps acting like the battery is dead. Just out of the blue. I will turn it off and all I get is CLICK CLICK CLICK. You can not even get to the battery properly to actually jump it. Some guys helped me while me and my children were stranded in a weigles parking lot. They couldnt get to the ground post or negative post, only the positive post. They hooked to the positive post and then used the negative one on anything else under the hood. The car started, I took it home parked it and left it running. Then I shut it off got in it and drove it back out to get ice as we are taking a trip (the last time the car malfunctioned we were going to take it on a trip and decided it was too dangerous to use on a long road trip pretty sad when you got a new car and wont take it out on a trip). I get out to get the ice, I shut the car off thinking it would be fine.. nope stuck again. Guys helped me jump it again.. got it on the road took it home where this morning it didnt start so I had to use an older car to get to work... it is funny how my husbands 12 years old truck has never given him a day of trouble. Neither has his 4 year old truck.. but my brand new car has been a lemon and we do not take it on long trips due to the fact it is a hazard for ourselves and our children.