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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  Update - Cheaper than 1995 - 2009 Ford Fusion
  By back to cars - March 18 - 8:09 am

  Originally reviewed after one month. So thought I might give a 6 month update to let people know what I thought after the "newness" has wore off. Currently have 8000 miles and have not had to take the vehicle in for warranty work, but I do have a few rattles and one clunk that will probably be warranty repairs at some point. My "clunk/rattle" sound is the most annoying at this point and only happens when going over somewhat larger bumps/humps in the road and seems to originate from the passenger front when I do hear it(my wife calls me a freak for rattles). Other than that the vehicle is still fun to drive and Im getting 27mpg with 50/50 highway/city driving. I still get excited to drive it

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  Sporty truck- Caution: Check the Frame! - 1999 Ford Ranger
  By Jim T. - March 17 - 6:41 pm

  I purchased the truck five months ago from the second owner and put on about four thousand miles since. With an automatic tranny, the 3.0 v-6 engine is very under powered and performs like a 4 cyl.. When I purchased the truck, the body looked in excellent shape. I noticed rust on the chasis, but it wasnt until later when I really checked it out, that I found severe rusting on the inside of the frame. This needed considerable cleaning and a rust killer application. Also, the body mounts were rusted severely and later cracked, requiring the bed to be replaced at a cost of over $2000. Checked on web and found others with same problem. Same mfg supplied Toyota truck frames, but Toyota recalled.

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  Am I the only one with a lemon? - 2009 Ford Focus
  By Got a Lemon!!! - March 17 - 2:48 pm

  Im having a problem with the cars handling...it vibrates and pulls when i get the car to 100km. So I was a little upset when I had to dish out money (for a rental) from my own pocket 4 months after purchasing a NEW car. Only to have them keep the car all day and tell me that it was the air in my tires??? Well they fixed the air pressure and it still vibrates. Now I have to have it checked by another mechanic or possible even have it inspected. (All out of my own pocket) All because they refuse to admit there is a problem with the car!!!

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  Ford Explorer Sport - 2003 Ford Explorer Sport
  By sara - March 17 - 10:00 am

  This Suv is okay!!

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  A/C overcharge - 2006 Ford Freestyle
  By A/C Antics - March 17 - 6:56 am

  After purchasing our Freestyle and driving it for a couple of months we noticed an A/C problem. After sitting a few days, when starting it would make a noise under the hood that I wasnt familiar with. To check it out I watched the engine while my wife started the car. The noise and a green spray emanated from the A/C compressor. The spray evaporated quickly leaving nothing to show dealership mechanics. Taking the car to the dealership I explained what was happening. It turned out to be a pressure relief valve releasing an over filled A/C charge. After a pressure check and correcting the over fill everything works fine.

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  Festevil - 1993 Ford Festiva
  By kyle - March 16 - 11:48 pm

  i own a festiva gt and its got alittle under 93000 miles, and other then alittle transmission trouble, i love the car, i get my fair share of funny looks but their just mad i can park in small spots at work, down town, and at clubs. i did redo the suspension to make it more of a comfordable ride. if anyone else is looking to do so just look for coil overs off of an ATV, yes funny but with the right amount of skill and patients... it worked my festiva never dies, so it got the nic- name, "FestEvil" which is being painted on the trunk after the dents and scratches are removed. great cars hope the 2011 model is as great as its grandfather

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  Love the car, hate the repair costs - 2008 Ford Taurus X
  By carissa2 - March 16 - 5:20 pm

  I have owned this car for a month, just noticed it was leaking antifreeze so I took it in to verify my suspicions. Sure enough it needs a new water pump, unfortunately in this engine it is driven off of the timing chain. Resulting in very high labor charges of over $1k.

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  Very Solid Vehicle - 2003 Ford Explorer
  By Frank - March 16 - 10:03 am

  I bought my Explorer used from CarMax with 29,000 miles on it. In nearly 4 years, I have put 40,000 miles on it with one major problem, a rebuilt transmission that cost me $2500. Other than that, just oil changes, tires, brakes-- the usual stuff. If not for the transmission, it would have been a near-perfect vehicle.

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  Rear leg room! - 2008 Ford Taurus
  By rj - March 16 - 8:34 am

  Getting 26mpg at steady speed of 62mph. I assume those getting better mileage have 2wd version. Performance adequate. Main reason to purchase this car was that leg room in rear seat, even with driver seat back, is excellent. We were unable to find any other sedan with enough leg room that even average adults can ride in the back seat for extended trips. They all seem to have yielded this market to mini-vans, which I dont car for. Cant figure out lack of automatic headlight switch. Even our $10,000 cheaper Chevy Cobalt had that! Now we are out of the habit of turning on lights at dusk and catch ourselves driving with them off at unsafe times. Natures ugliest shade of brown on dash.

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  Could Be Better - 2005 Ford Explorer
  By Jay - March 15 - 2:43 pm

  Well gas mileage stinks I only get 13- 14mpg. Could have bought at Expedition they do better. This vehicle has been reliable and I like it except for the transmission it stinks. It shifts hard,it feels like it trips, or doesnt know what to do. When slowing down it clunks into a lower gear. Supposedly though dealer says its fine. So put aside tranny and bad mpg Im pleased.