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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  Ford Escape Issues - 2008 Ford Escape
  By cmclove3 - August 12 - 9:56 pm

  First and Foremost...the seats are horrible with just water they stain right away..had to buy seat covers because the backseat looked horrible..I had to bring it on on a Recall and sure enough I had nothing wrong with it...within a week the actuator of one of the Door locks was not working and now the Cruise Control is not working and it is not the Fuse because I replaced that..from an insider who I know works for the Service Dept at the same Ford Dealership advised me that when you bring your suv/car in for repair..they do things so that you have to bring it in again...I can not confirm that they deactivated my cruise control and it is now out of warranty..Soo sad they cant be trusted

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  Numerous water leaks...HELP! - 2006 Ford Taurus
  By tdherder - August 11 - 6:50 pm

  My Taurus has been pretty reliable, although when it rains hard or is going through an auto car wash it gets water in the front passenger foot-well, through the rear passenger side seat belt winder in the back window, and also in the trunk. This make it awfully difficult to store valuables anywhere in the car without worry of water damage!! I would love to hear if anyone has remedies for this aside from taking it to a body shop, Im a do it yourself-er.

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  Best American-Made SubCompact - 2011 Ford Fiesta
  By davep101 - August 11 - 5:57 pm

  We have always owned Japanese and European compact and subcompact cars. This time out, we were very impressed with the quality of the Fiesta, compared to the Hondas we considered, and bought the Ford. The Fiesta has qualities more often found in European B cars, where a quiet, comfortable ride is achieved, along with an impressive driving experience and fuel efficiency.

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  Simply a GREAT car!!!! - 2007 Ford Focus
  By rshipman88 - August 11 - 9:39 am

  To start off I have the 2007 SE 5 speed automatic model. I bought her brand new hot off the lot in June of 07 and I have been happy with it ever since. My car is my life line, with that said my car has NEVER given me a lick of problems and has always gotten at least 25mpg. All the times me and 4 of my family and friends pile into her and take off for a night out in a downtown location, with the extra weight in stop and go traffic she has made not so much as a squeek. Even the times I got mad at my husband and floored her down the road, not a squeek. When me hubby and i moved from Atlanta to Austin, Texas the storage was very spacious (all of our clothes, and our cat boots) fit.

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  The Ultimate Pony-Car - 2003 Ford Mustang
  By aalsip - August 10 - 8:18 pm

  I recently bought this as my first car. This is one of the most reliable Mustangs on the market with lots of great features. Good crash test ratings, good handling, good acceleration, good speed, and a lot of torque for such a small car! It is a lot of fun to drive and it handles very well as long as you have the right tires. The breaks are also very efficient it can stop on a dime and still give you its change back! This car is a lot of fun to drive, so definitely check it out if youre in the market for a new car.

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  Nice ride but interior need redesign - 2012 Ford Taurus
  By chad_s - August 10 - 2:39 pm

  Bought this car a month now. Price close to what we got from Edmunds. Overall the car rides good (especially long drive) but the front view is limited. My wife is 54" and she has a hard time seeing due to the dashboard being too high. Steering abit stiff for local driving with a lot of turn. Console is hard to understand. Too confusing. We seem to get slight better milage than report on highway.

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  Excellent - 2010 Ford Escape
  By wboese - August 9 - 11:14 pm

  Bought this car new in November of 2009. It currently has 38,000 miles and has been on several cross country road trips. Friends are always impressed with sync and with the power that comes from the v6 engine. The 6-speed transmission really gives it a great boost in fuel economy. 22 city, 28 highway and I dont drive like I want to take forever to get where Im going. Absolutely no problems with the car, and the fact that it hits the high rpms in a very short time is a big seller since it gives the car a great amount of power increase. Quiet on the road and no noise from the transmission or engine like some others have reported. No leaking on the passenger side either. Great car!

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  Another Problem - 2010 Ford Escape
  By jrgleason2003 - August 8 - 10:01 pm

  So I posted earlier about the cylinder heads needing to be replaced. That took 2 full weeks. After that, I noticed my engine was leaking oil. I took it to the Ford dealership and said it was a cracked something or other. Again, they fixed it for free, so no problem there, but dang...how about some quality control? I am starting not to trust this vehicle. This will be my last Ford (or domestic for that matter). I wouldnt run from the car if given the opportunity, but definitely get it checked out by a mechanic before you purchase (I failed to do so and am seeing my mistake).

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  Best car ever !!! - 2003 Ford Mustang
  By gmsmoker - August 8 - 5:13 pm

  Bought this car a year ago, and I love it! I put a cold air intake on it and since then the engine really sings (3,000rpm) and gets about 3 to 4 mpg better. Wouldnt trade my mustang for any other car way to much fun to drive. highly recommend it.

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  Not sure..... - 2010 Ford Focus
  By chararoberson - August 8 - 1:23 am

  I bought this car brand new in Jan 2010. In Feb 2011 the throttle needed to be replaced. I was not able to go over 50 mph until it was replaced. It went out on me at night on a freeway when I was diving at highspeeds...very scary. In Aug (6mos later) the driver side window would not go up. A switch needed to be replaced. Have to wat one weeke for the part to ome in. Very disappointed and concerned about these occurences. I shouldt have to deal w/mechanical breakdowns on a car less than 2 yrs old. Thinking if I should trade it in for a Subaru.