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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  Impressed - 2011 Ford Fiesta
  By shaffzane - May 3 - 7:57 pm

  Only in with 200 miles but Im impressed with the car so far. Averaging about 34 mpg in town. Dual clutch 6 speed is not a slush-box nor a manual so it takes some getting used to. Nice ride and handling.

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  >> BUILT FORD TOUGH<< - 2003 Ford Expedition
  By unitedwestand - May 3 - 4:58 pm

  Bought my expedition new in 2003. Its been the best truck i ever had!! Barr None. I have 272,000 miles on it. No engine or transmission problems what so ever. The alternator went out at 150,000. Ive put several sets of tires on and a few batteries. I change the oil every 4,000 miles, and a tune-up every 125,000 or so. We pull our boat with it like theres nothing behind us. We lay down the seats and camp in the back. weve hauled stuff in the back countless times, Thank god for all the room of our full size Suv. I rented a tahoe for a week while on vacation , with 25,000 on it. What a piece of Crap. like driving a tank.

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  buyer beware - 2004 Ford Freestar
  By jessica2004 - May 2 - 8:56 pm

  my husband and I just bought our freestar 5 months ago and have had nothing but bad luck. had it in the shop within the first 3000 miles of owning it 4 times. the steering wheel shakes all the time, the transaxle light keeps coming on, new coil pak, 2 new crank shaft sensors, 2 new high speed output sensors and only 54000 miles on it. I didnt mention that it had a new transmission in it when we bought and we didnt realize it and by the way it has 59000 on it now and just had it towed to ford dealership this morning......needs new transmission AGAIN!!!!!!!! Do not buy this vehicle it is a money pit and a major lemon for the ford company. Every freestar needs to be recalled!!!

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  Dont buy 2006 Ford Fusion - 2006 Ford Fusion
  By ccron79 - May 2 - 2:51 pm

  I LOVED it when I first bought it @ 49k miles.....when I got close to 90k I started having issues with it jerking when accelerating onto on a highway or so....NOW the transmission is SHOT @ 94k miles I have seen so SOOOO many complaints on this & people have sent these to FORD....so why hasnt FORD recalled the 2006s? I should not be having transmission problem on a car thats only 5 years old & the 2006s were the 1st Fusions. When they have recalled other models/years 2007-2010... I WILL NEVER buy another FORD in MY LIFE I was always a Toyota girl & wanted the fusion bc of the look...Biggest MISTAKE I MADE

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  A great little car - 2003 Ford Escort
  By mark_s3 - April 30 - 1:12 pm

  Bought this car new (13 miles) and drove it 143,000+ miles. I love this car. Got standard transmision that makes it even more fun to drive. Vibrations from the motor can be rough in idle, but its not too bad. Gets 34 MPG in stop and go traffic. Very comfortable inside and sporty outside. Never had a machanical problem with it, and its been very dependable. The ride is very smooth even after all those miles. Plan to drive it until the wheels fall off! It is MY car! **Sorry for any misspellings**

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  More problems - 2011 Ford Escape
  By al_syracuse - April 28 - 1:27 pm

  In addition to problems Ive reported earlier, (hoot, and poor build quality) I now have another issue. When driving in bad weather (heavy rain such as weve been having lately) water comes into the passenger compartment from below and totally drenches the interior floor. Another example of the extremely poor quality of workmanship. - This will definitely be my last Ford.

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  BIG time TRANNY issues/Bearings also - 2002 Ford Explorer
  By tracydeech - April 28 - 9:48 am

  Mine was a demo when I bought with few miles on. Absolutely loved it for the first 6 years. 09 is or 08 is when I saw problems. The heat/AC went out. And then the wheel bearing started going (every 6-8 months one would need fixed) It has around 120k miles on it. Tranny died 3 weeks ago!-and on top of that 2 more wheel bearings need fixed on it plus tie rods. AND it is a gas guzzler! Its paid off but it is still costing me lots to keep it! So I have a LOVE/HATE relationship with my explorer. Goes GREAT in snow(only reason why I would consider keeping).Im going for a more economical vehicle now.

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  Tweaked GTconvertible - 2011 Ford Mustang
  By mustangalan - April 27 - 11:58 pm

  I recently bought the GT convertible after looking at the Camaro and Challenger. Immediately loved it but decided to add some stealth performance so had the Ford Racing supercharger instaaled along with Magnaflow exhaust to give a little more rumble. Now 600+ horsepower and fast not the word for it. Now a Corvette killer. The Camaro and Challenger dont even come close!

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  good buy - 2008 Ford F-150
  By raygu - April 27 - 11:52 am

  I would buy this truck again! I bouhgt this truck new in northen Canada for 17554.00 on the road. No trouble with 100248 klm or 62000 miles. the reviews back up the truck !

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  8,000 Miles Update - 2010 Ford F-150
  By rpinks_99 - April 27 - 10:56 am

  Beware if you park this truck on a sloped driveway. Or a side street for that matter if youre in the mountains. The location of the fuel sensor in the tank is a huge issue to me. This has happened since purchase, and local dealer refuses to address it other than "park it in the street". At just above the half-way mark on the fuel gauge, parking it nose down on a slight incline causes the gauge to read "E" and "0 Miles To Empty" the next startup. Gauge may creep up 1/4 tank or so, but not to the original level thats after 25 miles or so. This is hugely inconvenient if my wife takes the truck and is unaware of how much fuel is in the tank. For $35,000 +, this seems ridiculous.