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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  Sweet With Some Glitches - 2014 Ford Fusion
  By Dennis Toomey - May 10 - 6:25 am

  First of all, the car looks great. Performance is sweet with the 2.0 Turbo with 240 horsepower. No trouble passing. I love not having to take the key out of my pocket to start the car, open the trunk, or lock the doors. Negatives: Im 6 ft. tall and bang my head when I get in. Not a good design for a family sedan. The glove box is poorly designed. You have to move stuff around just to shut it and its not very big. The Ford Touch screen sucks. Turns on by itself, and very distracting and frustrating trying to adjust heat and cool up and down by pointing your fingertips on a + or - sign. Give me old school round knobs that I can turn left or right. The trunk is long but not high enough to make loading any amount of luggage or cargo practical. Thete are no daytime running lights and a rear window wiper would sure be nice. All in all a decent car but Ford needs to think of driver ease and practicality a lot more.

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  Not quite what I expected - 2007 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By a cooper - May 8 - 1:53 am

  The interior is not well designed. The door opener is ok, but the grip on the door is awkward; its hard to grab to keep the door from swinging too far, and at a bad position to close. The interior/exterior temperature gauges are small and hard to read. The message center is in the middle of the dash, but the speedo is hard to read through the steering wheel. The parking brake release is hard to reach and cramped. There is no indication on the dash as to what gear youre in. There is no way to manually shift out of the overdrive(s). The flip-over rack was bent and the locks wouldnt work. When you flip the larger back seat down, there is a big gap between the back of the seat/cab.

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  Buy something different - 1999 Ford Windstar
  By Lee Vines - May 4 - 10:00 am

  I will not buy another Windstar unless I read reviews that tell me otherwise. We have spent too much repairing this used vehicle since purchasing less than one yr. ago. Intake system ( $600). Rack and Pinion???($650.) Vacuum lines ($150.) Now the passenger window will not roll up and and it acts like it is going to cut out while idling. Same symptoms as when we spent money on intake system.

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  Would not but another - 2000 Ford Taurus
  By swinslow - May 4 - 10:00 am

  Have had nothing but troubles with the fuel system since I bought it. Have been unable to resolve problems after about 10 service trips. Car stalls out constantly in hot weather.

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  Uncomfortable Seats/Poor Gas Mileage - 2006 Ford Escape
  By Christine - May 3 - 11:13 pm

  I have been driving my Escape for 6 months and I just cant escape the fact that the seats are hard as rocks and are very uncomfortable. Ford needs to go back to the drawing board and take some hints from other manufacturers (Honda, Volvo). The only saving grace is that Im in my vehicle for a few minutes a day (2 mile commute). Trips of an hour or more and Im miserable. Just for the record I bought a Limited with every option (premium leather seats w/ heat). The gas mileage is poor (onboard computer says Im getting 15.4 mpg). I have to use Premium gas to keep engine from pinging after working with the dealer. After only 6 months I will probably start looking for something else.

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  Not Impressed - 2000 Ford Explorer
  By lily3p - April 27 - 2:00 am

  We purchased our Ford last year, so far we are not too impressed. Yes the car is attractive, comfortable and has great pick up. However, I find that this SUV is unsafe and handles terrible in bad weather and hauling heavy loads. Weve already had to send back to the dealer to replace a $400 faulty part. Both my husband and I agree that this will be our last Ford Explorer.

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  Should of Kept the JEEP - 2002 Ford Explorer
  By raven - April 25 - 10:00 am

  Ford 2002 eddie bauer 4x4 v-8 . Wont go into park with ease. Jumps out of park. Rattles in the driver door. Sounds like valve is sticking. 2 dealerships have done nothing to fix the problems. NEVER AGAIN will I Buy A FORD.

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  OLD STYLE VS. NEW - 2004 Ford F-150
  By gfodor - April 25 - 10:00 am

  Bought this truck after much thought in giving up my Heritage sytle Lariat. Im still wondering if I made the right choice. New Lariat looks like a Dodge RAM in some respects. Some materials, both in and out, are chinsey/cheap. The beltline/bed is too high. Doors sound tinny and hollow when opening/ closing due to sheet metal wobble. No door mouldings to protect side. No Lariat pinstrip. Carpet and floor mats are thin. No Lariat logos on leather seats or mats. No silver metallic 2- tone paint/gray interior available for Lariat. Smaller front floorpans. Captain seats design/placement of seat belt tensioner is awful. Outside mirrors too big & not painted.

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  Not too bad for Fords first attempt - 2005 Ford Escape
  By Camper - April 10 - 9:53 am

  Living in Michigan, you get dirty looks and raised eyebrows if you dont buy American. Michigan is also very spread out, with my daily commute being 35 miles each way, mostly freeway. This SUV is just a regular 4 cylinder car at freeway speeds (70 mph), with no benefit of fuel economy. Engine sounds terrible at 70 mph. But it is great for city driving (particularly stop and go traffic). Ford says the towing capacity is only 750 lbs., which is very non-SUV like. We would not buy this again. Toyota Highlander hybrid is coming, and we are trading in the Ford for Toyota. The Toyota is much more comfortable and can tow our 1500 lb. pop up camper. So much for the eyebrows.

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  My 05 ZX3 Review - 2005 Ford Focus
  By mwp1 - April 8 - 9:33 pm

  My car is the basic S model with air and 5- speed; I bought it as a daily commuter as I drive 120 miles a day for work. Runs well but has had transmission problems beginning at 50 miles, the shifter cable keeps falling off at the transmission, three times now, the dealer keeps "adjusting" the cables but I know that there is a design flaw with the plastic connector. Also the drivers seat frame broke requiring a new seat back to be installed.