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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  Love It! - 2005 Ford Freestyle
  By Marianne - March 3 - 12:46 am

  Traded our monster 03 Expedition in for the Freestyle. We could not be happier. Since kids we have had three vans, the Expedition, and now the Freestyle. The Freestyle is our favorite by far! You have all the room - without it being a minivan or a hard to park, gas eating large SUV. There is more room behind the back seat for strollers, groceries, etc. than in my Expedition. I also like how easy it is to get everyone in and out. Access to the rear seat is easy, with lots of leg room for our 6 foot tall, 14 year old son. I have had no trouble with acceleration at all. I use I-95 several times per week, and the merge is always easy - up to speed in no time, without flooring it.

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  Best of Two - 2007 Ford Edge
  By Mark - March 2 - 11:20 pm

  I took an Acadia home overnight and after nearly 150 miles I could tell it was nowhere near the advertised mileage. I drove a similarly equipped Edge and thought for approximately $2K less it was the better of the two vehicles. The transmission is smoother and even though it doesnt shift up and down with the buttons the engine braking feature on O/D lockout is much better than on older Ford vehicles. The vehicle is fun to drive, and has a much more comfortable driving postion over my Honda Pilot, thanks to a more comfortable seat and the telescoping wheel. I was getting over 26 MPG on a trip on the interstate and am getting around 21-22 on the mountainous roads I drive daily to work

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  Observations of Ford 500 - 2007 Ford Five Hundred
  By George McDonald - March 2 - 10:13 am

  This vehicle is excellent handling. Brakes are effective. Engine performance is acceptable, but lacks torque. Vehicle has been driven 25000 km but will need rear brakes very soon. Paint and body very good. Poorest feature is noisy inside vehicle from engine.

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  CLUNKY - 2006 Ford Mustang
  By jscott - March 2 - 9:30 am

  My 06 GT 5 speed transmission AND rear end clunk so bad, I hate to drive this car! Im a retired dealership auto technician, and cannot believe I cannot find other complaints on this particular problem. Yes, IÂ’m very coordinated when shifting, but itÂ’s impossible to even drive this car w/out this annoying issue. It makes me hate the car. When downshifting from 3rd to 2nd, it acts as if the clutch isnt completely disengaging ... the transmission dont grind, but it makes an awful noise. IÂ’ve never banged a gear, or been to the drag strip. IÂ’d be afraid the driveshaft would come through the floor! Very dissatisfied customer. This is my 4th Stang since 1994.

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  BEST CAR EVER!! - 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid
  By amerck245 - March 1 - 10:00 am

  Bought this car in August 09 and it was the best decision Ive ever made. This car is amazing. It is so technologically advanced that it is a total surprise it was made by Ford. Ive owned a 2005 BMW 525i and my wife drives a 2008 Acura TL and this car beats them both, hands down. The ride is so smooth and in my opinion it feels like its gliding over the road. The look and feel inside and out is of a luxury car that costs 15K to 20K more. Everywhere I go people ask me questions and most of them always say the same thing: "Ford makes this?" And not to mention the fuel savings! I commute 100 miles to work each day, and went from filling up 3 times a week to 1.

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  Awesome small turbo engine / good gas mileage - 2016 Ford F-150
  By Jorge - March 1 - 5:59 am

  The small twin turbo motor (2.7) is great---really good acceleration, responsive, and good gas mileage. So far, my gas mileage has been 21 - 22 MPG in combined highway and local driving reasonably conservatively---for true mileage calculate it yourself---the truck computer ends up displaying 2 - 5 miles per gallon more than you are really getting). Cabin is very quiet. Ride is quite comfortable, except when you go over bumps of course. Good seating position in the front---rear seats are better than I thought they would be---actually tolerable for adults of average height for short rides. Wish Ford would sell an accessory lockable gas plug for the truck. Alas, the huge annoyance with this truck is the auto-engine-off. Although Ford gives you an override button, deactivating the auto-engine-off is only good for one driving cycle, so you have to push it every time you get in the truck if you don´t want the engine shutting down every time you come to a stop. You might come to a stop for just one second, and the engine shuts down! Also, make sure you want a large truck---this thing is big.

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  Back to the Roots - 2005 Ford Mustang
  By Shawn - March 1 - 5:20 am

  I have always wanted a Mustang, ever since my uncle came home one day with a fastback. I would look and look for a decent fastback but could never find one that was just right. Ford did it for me. The first time I saw the new 2005 I had to have one. I has the right mixture of old with new features that make this car a keeper, just like the 1966 fastback.

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  Issue With Transmission Fluid Leakage - 2010 Ford F-150
  By Sam - February 29 - 11:51 am

  Issue With Transmission Fluid Leakage = Automatic transmission seals replaced TWICE additionally (transmission fluid leakage around the transmission bulkhead connector sleeve which also had to be replaced). Jerking on gear changes service done to lubricate the draft shaft additionally I had the drive shaft coupler/boot replaced.

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  Faulty Cruise Constrol Stytems...No Clue on Fix - 2016 Ford Explorer
  By Jim Heffner - February 29 - 1:47 am

  Our first mistake was taking delivery of this vehicle with a known cruise control and other supporting features failure. Let to believe it was a simple fix that was known on a number of other vehicles...and reprogramming was all that was needed. So not true. Were now back on our 7th, 8h, 9th visit to the dealership depending on how you look at things and yet now answers to a fix. Attempt on our part to bring Ford Corp. intno the picture to help resolve the issue has only complicated matters and not provide one bit of feeling that theyre really concerned and working to fix this ongoign problem. Less that 3k miles on the vehicle and many have been put on by the dealer and/or the back and forth to the dealership for service. Alot of talk but little action. They say theyll somehow make it right int he end for us...not sure what that means, but the air has long left our balloon after doing a significant amount of research on the vehicles that appealed to us and that met our needs, and after spending a whipping near $60k. All we can think about is good thing we purchased out of pocket for the manufacturers extended 8yr warranty. Seems as if we might need it and hoping were not dealing with same nagging problem that far out.

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  Back to a Ford - 2005 Ford Freestyle
  By Roger Wheatley - February 28 - 6:16 pm

  Its been 5 years since my last Ford product (other than controlled company, Mazda). The Freestyle was a compromise between an SUV and sporty sedan. For its size, it has a great combination of ride and handling. With the CVT, the engine seems more than it really is, getting the best out of it.