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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  Never Again!!! - 2002 Ford Explorer
  By prat - April 8 - 10:00 am

  I took it into the dealer 3 times in the first year for transmission problems...hesitation, thumping noises, among other things. They were unable to find anything wrong any of the times. They acted like I was crazy. The week after my manufacturer warranty ran out (I did purchase the extended)the vehicle was almost unbearable to drive due to hard jerks, loud thumping noises and extreme hesitation, so I took it back again. Imagine, they found it this time! They had to send it "out" to a transmission place for repair! Of course now it cost me $500 even w/ext. warranty! It drove well for 1 week. I could go on and on but there are numerous other issues as well.

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  Not That Impressed :-( - 2002 Ford Explorer
  By king17 - March 12 - 2:00 am

  I have had the vehicle now for a little over a year and its already been in the shop 6 times. Its been everything from the paint fading to the back window breaking to the front end making an annoying clicking noise. I sorry to say that Im not really impressed with my first purchase of an SUV.

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  Not great in a cold climate - 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid
  By EyeOnAlaska - March 11 - 5:13 pm

  Bought my used 08 FEH awd for my move back to Alaska. Very disappointed with the mileage Im getting in a colder climate-averaging 21mpg all- around. Granted, thats ok for an SUV, but certainly doesnt live up to its billing. It very rarely goes into EV mode, and even when it does, the engine wont stay off sitting at a stoplight. This is in temperatures anytime below 20 F. Below 0 F, mpg drops into the mid teens and it sounds like a coffee grinder on steroids until it finally warms up. Almost a must to keep it in a heated garage. You have to be incredibly careful with the gas pedal to not kick it out of EV mode leaving a stoplight.

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  Think twice before buying - 2012 Ford Focus
  By TH - March 11 - 4:48 am

  I purchased my Focus used but with only 6k miles. Think twice before purchasing one used. The car has several great attributes. Even 5 years later, the styling is still great. For a small car it looks fantastic and accelerates, brakes, and handles much better than most economy cars are supposed to. Plus, the fuel economy is excellent. Around town, i routinely average 28-32 mpg and have seen as good as 38 on the freeway. All of these great traits are ruined however by very shoddy reliability. Its mainly highlighted by a horrible transmission that shudders, slips, and bangs at all speeds but mostly at initial acceleration. The dealership will do nothing for you except a reflash of the computer and tell you its within Ford technical specs. My car had a major radiator failure at 26k miles and had to have it completely replaced. I also had to have all the weatherstripping replaced before 20k miles. With 38k miles currently, the car has huge amounts of rattles and squeaks and the front suspension feels like a school bus over bumps.

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  A GREAT TWO YEAR CAR - 2009 Ford Mustang
  By MIKE - March 10 - 11:04 pm

  It was great when NEW. However, over time, you will be in the repair shop a lot. Ive done major repairs on the suspension, two clutches, motor mounts, interior panels, wiring, etc. The engine is great. Everything around it lacks quality and durability. Having TWO separate fuse boxes that overlap in function is beyond frustrating.

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  Vibrations! - 2004 Ford F-150
  By Disappointed - March 7 - 8:36 pm

  There are some nice features on this truck that caused me to buy it over a GM. Styling is nice, the assisted tailgate is a great idea and the extra space behind the seats on the regular cab was a big selling point. The problem is that the truck has a vibration between 40-55mph that they just cant seem to fix. After lots of time in the shop and thousands of dollars in warranty labor and parts its still not fixed. Based on comments on the forum this is a fairly common problem on these trucks. If you buy one, test drive it carefully to make sure you dont have the vibration. Its easily felt in the steering wheel and seat. If it has it walk away and try another one.

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  15 miles to the gallon? - 2002 Ford Focus
  By Marty Richie - March 7 - 2:00 am

  I am a dealer and bought my Focus the year they came out so I have no one to blame but me for buying it. First off it is very noisy and the belt squeaks every time i start it. The doors lock while the motor is running(Not good with kids in the car seats) and last but not least 200 miles to the tank! That is horrible considering it is rated in the 30s on highway. I am a sales manager at Honda now and everytime I look at it i just want to set it on fire and call my agent. buyer be ware.

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  Trans Problems - 2004 Ford Explorer
  By kblock108 - March 1 - 10:00 am

  At 5500 miles, I had my automatic trans replaced and the vehicle still does not run correct. Person Ford continues to tell me that it shifts rough because it is a computer aided trans. Ford has not stood behind their product and I have taken Ford off my list of future vehicles!

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  Needs help in three areas. - 2005 Ford F-150
  By Allan - February 27 - 6:23 pm

  HVAC controls. Limited choices. Slow to heat or cool. Bad fogging problem outside front windshield at engine vent. Visteon compressors are lame. Premium sound system: NOT! Poor controls/performance. Horrible speaker layout and too few of them. Low quality plastics everywhere and very little in the way of convenience areas compared to GMC or Dodge XLT. 4.6L V-8 Heritage engine dates from a decade ago. Low HP, torque & MPGs. Not particularly smooth, especially when A/C is running. Still, I paid $10K less than a Titan or Tacoma - so I can live with the gripes.

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  Strange Mix - 2003 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By Onitnerr - February 21 - 2:00 am

  The 2003 Sport Trac is a strange mix. It looks good on the outside but once inside you realize that there is little or no room to reach down and adjust the seat settings or power bolsters. The door is so close to the seat itself that your arm can become trapped. Interior could use some dressing up. Even the premium 6 cd in dash sound system is blah to look at