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:
Showing 2581 through 2590 of 30,482.00-
old mans fun car - 2000 Ford Mustang
By cranky franky - December 9 - 10:00 amhad 2 other new stangsmach tape/cd systems are very good ..2 v-8s ride is like an amish buckboard on standard factory tires. put on michelien 15s from my 95 cr vic..much better softer on bad roads. still gets the looks in red and white ragtop. good mileage on the highways..25 to 27. gt v8 could be snappier. mach cd/tape is good. love it. makes this 63 aged guy feel 40. not as fast as 5.o engines seemingly.love the feel of steering controls. wish it were only a two seater...wasted small rear seating.
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Wish I never purchased it. - 2004 Ford Expedition
By jnice - November 30 - 10:00 amIt may be because I purchased it used w/ 30,000 miles, but I have too many problems. At 50,000 miles (1 year later) A/C not working, rear locks not working, something wrong with the transmission, the expensive warranty I purchased does not cover. Trade-in value is low and I have to pay thousands to get rid of it. My previous car, a Toyota Camry of 5 years/66,000 miles had no problems. Make sure you plan on keeping it if you buy it. I would consider another SUV like the Escalade or Navigator.
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This is the last one... - 2001 Ford Ranger
By 3rd Ranger - November 27 - 2:00 amWell, this is my 3rd ranger... and my last. My first was a 93 XL short bed, flawless! In 1999 I turned it in for a new 99 ranger because it didnt have A/C. Turned it in at the end of the lease looking forward to the new 2001 with the big new 4.0. Enjoyed it for about a month, then the noises started. The front brakes began to squeal, the vibrations got worse, unsteady end erratic engine idle (from ~700rpm to ~2200rpm), constant knocking from the front axles, extremely poor gas milage (roughly 15mpg), spotty engine starting, manual transmission got loose and clunky very quickly.
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Bad Brakes - Ford Wont Fix Rear Pads - 2006 Ford Five Hundred
By jim - November 16 - 8:33 amWe drove our new Ford 500 home; after driving 400 miles the brakes were pulsing and making a loud grinding noise. We took it in to the dealer and it needed new rotors and pads. Now we cant go 1000 miles before our wheels are totally black with brake dust in the rear only. I am told that Ford is going to develop new pads this quarter to fix the problem. This is a nice car but we have had all these brake problems and we canÂ’t get an answer if our car is even safe to drive. 400 miles for a set of rotors and is not normal and I dont think its too safe either.
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Problematic Ford - 1999 Ford Crown Victoria
By James - November 11 - 11:50 amThis is my first and last Ford vehicle. I like the car but it has cost me $9000 in repairs over the last 14 months. The plastic intake manifold cracked 1 month out of extended warranty and Ford corporation would not help whatsoever. I thought I had done my research on this car but perhaps mine is a lemon. I have had numerous electrical problems, replaced many coils. Brake jobs are quite frequent. The fenders have rusted through. There has been a high speed vibration that even Ford cannot figure out. I am absolutely disgusted with the repairs and the cost of repairs on this. You have just pushed another die hard American car lover to swing over to Japanese. Ford...your time is running out!
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Rear End Scrapes! - 2006 Ford Five Hundred
By Robert K Weidner - November 8 - 9:23 pmThe 500 is a disaster for Ford. The rear end on my car even when unloaded, scrapes pavement on every speed bump and rain gutter road indentation. I am always wary of high centering this car. The huge trunk is oversized at the expense of basic sound engineering. This is very disappointing!
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Nice but noisy - 2002 Ford Explorer
By ART42 - November 4 - 2:00 amHad water leak in windshied at 20000. Windshield was reset and water leak cured, but, wind noise above 35 MPH is now intolerable. Resetting windshield no help. Ford factory claims this is a design problem. Cannot be fixed. Am very unhappy Ford owner at this.
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Very poor gas mileage - 2016 Ford Escape
By Justin - November 1 - 12:14 amI had fusion before this and got 33mpg highway. This only gets 19mpg. I would look at something else if your looking for gas mileage. The car itself is good, but the gas mileage gives the car a terrible rating.
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Already been in the shop - 2016 Ford Explorer
By Tracy H - October 20 - 10:22 pmI bought this car brand new in 2015. Its a 2016 model. The other day while driving down the road, the car lost power. It freaked me out because the car is brand new. Come to find out, the throttle body went out. I bought a new car so I wouldnt have to spend my days at the dealer getting it worked on. Well that came back to bite me in the butt. Then, a day later, I noticed my AC isnt cooling properly. Is anyone else having issues??
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Quality? Yeah Right - 2004 Ford F-150
By Hugo - October 14 - 3:10 amMy truck only has 8,000 miles and Ive had nothing but problems with it. Where do I start? It all started when the rear power-sliding window stopped working. It took 4 months for the dealership to get the part because it was on back order. That should have been the first clue that more problems were soon to come. Then power steering fluid started leaking from who knows where. After getting that fixed, the brake lights went out completely and the steering wheel started to shimmy when the brakes were applied. Turns out there was an electrical problem and the rotors needed to be resurfaced. If thats not enough, now the transmission is shifting rough. Ill never buy another Ford again.
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