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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  The Black Phantom - 2000 Ford Taurus
  By Dock - October 26 - 10:26 pm

  I have a Black Ford Taurus SES 24 Valve and It has 15 miles on it when I got. 15 years later it run and look brand new with 355,480 miles on it. I oil change it 6 times a year and change the transmission oil once a year. Also all other fluid in the car is changed yearly. I have only change the belt 3 times and the water pump twice the power steering pump once and everything else is great. I added a performance chip and a turbo blower to the unit and it help my gas mileage while increasing my horse power.

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  Engine replaced at 109,000 - 2010 Ford Flex
  By Jim Olive - October 26 - 6:30 pm

  The ecoboost is not perfected yet. Very nice ride for comfort.

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  Who Says its an average SUV - 2015 Ford Explorer
  By Chief - October 26 - 4:39 pm

  The Ford Explorer get mediocre ratings only because its a domestic SUV and didnt cost us $75K to drive off the lot. It looks and acts like a Range Rover and the upgrade kit we ordered was worth the leather seating. I love the ride its comfortable and the interior is quiet. The steering is extremely sensitive and braking is perfect. My only regret was not getting the supercharged version, otherwise this SUV competes with the more expensive models and frankly its worth every penny. Buy one and no I dont work for Ford I traded my Chevy Blazer for the Explorer and have not regretted it.

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  So far so good - 2012 Ford Focus
  By Sharina - October 26 - 3:32 pm

  Ive had this car a little over a year and its been great. Ive had 2 recalls since getting it and I just brought my car in and it was fixed and I was done. I dont mind the recalls. As long as its fixed for free. My car has never stalled, but it did do that weird thing where youre speeding up and it hesitates a little, but it doesnt happen too often. I got my car with a lot of miles...like 64000 when I bought it for 15 thousand. They could have given me better price because I still owe 10 thousand and the car is worthe like 6 thousand now... Ive had no issues. My car works wonderfully! I mean sometimes it takes a second for the air to turn on, but I love my car and I know Ill have it for a while. Ill probably end up getting a Ford again after this...

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  Worth the money - 2003 Ford F-150
  By mike champion - October 26 - 1:55 pm

  Got truck as a one owner from ford dealership.(48,500 miles) Traded in for a car since they no longer farmed. former life was that of a gently used farm truck.(was in a accident at point.only know by the very clear headlights for a 12 yr old truck) not knowing how its maintenance past was spent a good bit doing all the things a 12 year old truck needed. regardless of of how much or little it was used.and a few issues that I knew about from my mechanics inspection.2200$+-2-300 wasnt to bad to get truck fully lined out.brakes,hoses ,all fluids and filters.and the only thing I considered a repair was replacement of the slave and master cylinder.replaced the clutch since they had it torn apart.while clutch was trouble free it still had 57,000 miles.the repair part was not overly painful on cost.and could be attributed to many factors.sitting for Last 3 years and not being driven and only run 15 min every 2 weeks.and probably a enough people not good with manual transmissions driving it. It runs great and using the cruise control I get 18-20 highway.the twisty hills of Missouri where I cant use it still solid 16-17mpg. with plenty of power.it hands and rides the dirt/gravel roads I drive to get to my favorite canoe launch and take outs. very smoothly. the interior is pretty plain but it fits my simple needs. Lots of pros to this truck.maintenance and repair cost seem pretty good.reliability seems pretty solid as long as you do your part.throw in smooth ride&shifting .solid mpg plus good looks. I was looking for a cost friendly and reliable replacement for my other truck.(Mazda 2300 5spd 309,000 miles)I feel I got a good deal. Cons simple interior and bench seats in vinyl.at least if you want something nicer. Tire replacement could be pretty high 16 rims and priced my tires at 200+ a price.but they are known to get 80,000+with regular rotation.and some parking spots dont work so well with the long wheel base.

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  Great little SUV - 2004 Ford Escape
  By Kelly Lelito - October 25 - 2:56 pm

  This is the best car I have owned to date- I loved it.

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  Complete junk!! - 2013 Ford Focus
  By Bri - October 25 - 1:00 pm

  So in 2011 I bought a new ford fiesta and after having it for one year the transmission went out. I figured that car was just a lemon and traded it for a new 2013 focus se...big mistake!! After having it for a couple months it started jerking and shuttering very badly. Took it to the dealership and they said it was not supposed to do it all the time just every once in a while. For two years after that I complained about the car and took it into the dealership and all they would do was reprogram it or say there is nothing wrong. Finally in July of 2015 the dealership replaced the clutch and it stopped shuttering almost entirely. Its been 3 months and I have only felt it shutter twice, huge improvement, but of course something else went wrong. Then one day my car did not want to go into reverse and the engine light came on as well. Then it would not drive after putting it in gear. I had to have it towed to the dealership and the transmission control module had to be replaced. This was before ford sent out the letter about the problems with the tcm. Now I am having another problem! Yesterday when I turned my a/c on it made a loud whining noise,the entire dashboard started vibrating, and no air came out. I turned it on and off and the same thing happened. The third time the a/c came on and no more noise. This car is a pile of crap that needs to be recalled but we all know Ford doesnt want to take responsibility for it. Do not buy this car PLEASE!!! Everyone Ive known with one has had problems. It is a waste of money and unreliable.

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  The Biggest and Best SUV Ever Created - 2003 Ford Excursion
  By Kurt Young - October 25 - 7:14 am

  My current Excursion is my best Excursion by far. My first was the Limited 6.8L V10. My current Excursion exceeds and surpasses in all categories. Ill keep this one as long as parts are made for it. I see other SUVs on the road and wonder why bother. Ive added after market airbag shocks which has increased the towing capabilities and smoothness of ride while towing. I tow a 10K lbs travel trailer year round, and my excursion has no problem whether pulling passes in Montana or on the long flats of Florida.

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  Low Quality, Unreliable, get a Toyota - 2015 Ford Explorer
  By Jeff - October 25 - 5:58 am

  2015 Explorer, 9K miles and been in dealer service five times for warranty issues. Aircoditioning out of service last visit!!!!!! Very cheap build and finish out, rattles, viberates and squeaks.....very irritating while driving or riding in vehicle. Leather seats are ok, ride is good, handling is spongy, V6 power is adequate, but sluggish. This will be the last FORD product Ill ever purchase due to cheap build and quality.

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  Same ol, same ol - 2014 Ford Focus
  By Tisaac - October 24 - 9:57 pm

  I have a 2014 Focus Titanium...colossal mistake. With less than 15k miles I learned through my own investigation after having problems with the lower gears that there was a recall on the transmission! Took it in for repair to find that they also needed to order a new clutch assembly...8-12 week back order. Apparently this is a major problem! I have only had the car for one year and am already looking for a replacement.