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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  Insane Shift Controller - 2006 Ford Fusion
  By mpence - September 3 - 2:50 pm

  I bought the car used in 2009 with about 32K miles. Its been great mostly. But the transmission behavior leaves a lot to be desired. Normally, it shifts smoothly, but there are 3 quirks that drive me mad. Downshifting, it will slam violently into 1st gear at about 45 mph. Part-throttle acceleration - enough to cause a more than 1 gear downshift - the trans again slams in and out of 1st gear, causing a violent bucking. Not much fun trying to merge onto a freeway! A few times when the previous occurred, the trans just goes out of gear. Have to let it coast, shift either to Neutral or First gear, then it resumes normal driving. The electronic shift controller must be insane!

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  Old Faithful with 200,000 miles - 1997 Ford Expedition
  By adeanhobdy - September 3 - 1:16 pm

  The car that doesnt die. If you want reliability, this car doesnt get the props it deserves. It keeps going. We bought the car in 2011. After purchasing it, we realized that it hadnt had regular maintenance. Had never even had a tuneup and had the original spark plugs. We were a little worried but it has never given us one problem. We even took it climbing a few times and it faired well. The one con is that it doesnt have the power I would like. We dont feel comfortable pulling our 25 foot trailer with it. We solved that by recently purchasing the Excursion. Hope the Excursion will be as reliable as the Expedition

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  Great Car For The Money, with minor flaws - 2008 Ford Fusion
  By milennia - August 27 - 12:39 pm

  Now owning this car for two years, and I am very satisfied. It currently has 92,000 miles. Pros: The V6 engine performs very well with the 6-speed automatic, the exterior ages really well, its not that expensive compared to the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, etc., and Im averaging 26.5 MPG (80% highway, 20% city). Very quiet interior, comfortable and smooth. Cons: The interior, imo, is a bit vanilla to my taste, also the door handle (on the driver side) is peeling . Another flaw is that the interior material under the airbag is starting to warp. Other than those flaws, its a very nice car, and I would recommend it.

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  Solid truck- Ranger Extended cab 2006 XL V6 3.0 2WD - 2006 Ford Ranger
  By meatdowntown - August 23 - 9:38 pm

  I considered my 2006 ranger a solid truck. I am not impressed with the mileage, but I think I can live with it. I should have bought a 4x4 if I knew they were going to go out of the market, but oh well. I was ready to trade it in about two months ago and realized that the only competitors (Toyota and Nissan) have the same problems with fuel economy and dated models. They have added fun stuff like USB ports, etc but cruise control is still optional? That is kind of crazy. Pros: It handles well on the highway, low price compared to the Japanese models, cheap repairs. Cons: no cruise control, no steering wheel with positions adjustment, questionable fuel economy, clunky ride, bad brakes.

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  5 years and going strong - 2009 Ford F-150
  By james_neil - August 22 - 9:48 am

  so far the most reliable truck I have ever own in Canada

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  Everything You Didnt Expect - 2004 Ford Explorer
  By memartin7 - August 20 - 1:45 pm

  We bought our Explorer new, having owned both generations prior. This is by-far our favorite, and still sits in our driveway next to our 2007 Explorer today. We use ours for a daily driver and could not ask for a better vehicle given our needs. We have driven the majority of the time trouble free, but once we hit around the 110,000 - 125,000 mile marker, we started running into some issues, which is normal repairs that come with age. And despite the infamous transmission and tailgate cracking, we have encountered neither - but are aware that the problems exist. I would definitely purchase another one without hesitation. Its definitely a vehicle you will enjoy and want to keep.

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  Good Truck - 2005 Ford F-150
  By stuto1 - August 14 - 9:49 am

  Its been a good work truck and it still runs strong like the day I bought it in January of 06. Problems: 2 window regulators, spark plugs breaking when being replaced(actually only 1 broke in 2 separate incidences but most places want to charge big money to replace them), had a part in the differential wear out around 100k(cost me $800 to fix). Good: 182k miles and should be able to go over 200k but I have keep up on most of the maintenance pretty good especially the oil changes. Ive never towed with it and I dont know if Id buy a similar truck with high miles not knowing the history. Hope this helps someone!

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  Long road trip - 2013 Ford Escape
  By explorerx4 - August 12 - 8:26 pm

  Back from a 2500 mile road trip with our 2013 AWD Titanium. Its a good road trip vehicle. Fuel mileage is pretty good, about 26-27 mpg overall, and it has plenty of power. Handles the PA hills on I-80 with ease. Both front seats are ok for spending some hours in.

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  cruise - 2009 Ford F-150
  By cc69 - August 6 - 10:00 pm

  09 stx shifts with a thump in cruise control above 65 mph. Took iy to the dealer twice, the 1st time they said there is no problem with and it was designed that way. Took it back the 2nd time they said there had been an upgrade with the transmission and they said they performed the upgrade but it still thumps when it shifts in cruise control above 65 mph. Does anybody experiences a similar problem and was it resolved?

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  Happy Wife... - 2014 Ford Mustang
  By rossr - August 5 - 2:14 pm

  Got my wife an Ingot Silver 14 Mustang convertible a few weeks ago to replace her aging Taurus. Nothing but smiles every time she talks about it. Weather permitting, she drives everywhere with the top down and enjoys the comments she gets about her car. It is quick and smooth and the miles just melt away when going on road trips with the sun shining and the top down. Hands down the most FUN car in thirty plus years of buying cars together. Low front end caught her a few days ago when she pulled into a parking spot and drove the front end up onto a curb popping a bunch of things loose in the front end...minimum of $1050 to repair but still waiting to get it back and see the full bill.