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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  Crappiest Car ever - 1994 Ford Probe
  By jennyfly09 - March 23 - 8:21 pm

  I bought a 1994 Ford Probe the middle of last year and Im sorry to say but this is the worst car that I have ever seen. Within a month, I had to pay 1600 to get the transmission rebuilt. To this day, Ive paid at least over 2300 dollars in repairs and it still needs repairs done to it. Ive read the other reviews here about their probes and they were the lucky ones but I honestly will most likely never buy another Ford again because this one completely ruined it for me. The car was only owned by one other person and she had similar issues with it so i highly doubt its the age because she took care of it, fixed it when it needed to be.

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  I LOVE this car! - 2011 Ford Focus
  By juschia - March 23 - 2:34 pm

  This is my first car I bought on my own. Im 21. My dad of course came with me who has plenty of knowledge with this stuff. I wanted something affordable, good and gas, and of course, cute. This car has it all. The car is absolutely perfect. Everytime I get in it I am glad I chose a ford. Both my parents drive Fords and I love their vehicles as well. Ford has done a great job with themselves.

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  Dont buy a used 2006 Fusion - 2006 Ford Fusion
  By danoct24 - March 22 - 9:08 pm

  I personally loved the car until I became victim of the 50k + transmission defect. There is a big problem with these transmissions. The car becomes outright dangerous to drive. Symptoms include, violent jerking when trying to accelerate to pass, followed by loss of speed. At times the tranny with simply drop out of gear, as if it went into neutral while cruising along on the express way. Thats always fun when there is a semi on your tail. There are ALLOT of complaints to Ford and government agencies, but they refuse to do anything about a known defect in certain transmission that is extremely unsafe.

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  2011 Fiesta SE manual - 2011 Ford Fiesta
  By broomball531 - March 22 - 1:33 pm

  I think its the best looking vehicle on the market. Im getting around 40 mpg. The Sync app takes some getting used to, but its cool being able to make phone calls hands free, you simply press one button, it plays your smart phone MP3s the same way. It has a really tight, solid feel. You can barely feel any bumps or pot holes in the road. Driving is fun, the engine is responsive and quick. The radio controls are kind of hard to reach in the middle console. Not much leg room in back seats. Best car I have ever owned.

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  2011 ford fusion sel 2.5 l 6auto - 2011 Ford Fusion
  By nedman3940 - March 22 - 1:06 am

  I leased a 2011 fusion feb 2011, my initial impression of the vehicle was very good. The car drove nice and it seemed that it was well made. The second week of I noticed that the car would rev when trying to accelerate when the vehicle was cold, this only happened once. This past weekend I didnt drive the car for two days, when I got in the car on Sunday everything seemed fine . I started vehicle and tied to acclerate out of my development into traffic, I pressed the accelerator about halfway, the car revved to almost redline and it then engeged into gear after almost getting rearended. Now I feel like I have an unsafe vehicle. Please do some reserch before getting this vehicle, bad trans.

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  Forget this ambassador of Ford junk - 1999 Ford Escort
  By elly2 - March 22 - 12:48 am

  When it was new it was problem free but after a few years and miles even with good maintenance and light driving the problems start showing up. I now expect major work on an annual basis. No doubt the CCRM failed on the A/c which is common to this model, rear springs snapped which is also common, engine pipe fell off, speedometer meter in the axle broke, and even the shift console light doesnt work, and now some kind of power sapping engine problem. Driving this car is zero fun and all hassle.

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  2011 Ford Escape AWD V6 - 2011 Ford Escape
  By laurel2011 - March 21 - 11:28 pm

  So far, so good. I love my Escape! It is a pleasure to drive and has lots of fun (and functional) features. I spend an hour a day on the road (mostly highway) and find the Escape to be comfortable, with excellent handling and a nice amount of "umph" when merging. I am a little bit nervous after reading about all of the reliability issues other owners have experienced but personally I havent found the Escape to be noisy or had issues with brake quality (knock wood). No, this is not a Lexus but it isnt meant to be. It is a reasonably priced old school SUV with enough high-tech features that it doesnt feel outdated.

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  Great Explorer !! - 2011 Ford Explorer
  By maxirwin - March 21 - 11:03 pm

  This is the best Explorer ever!! I spent 16 years working at a Ford Dealership and have had several Explorers as demos. This is GREAT vehicle. The fit and finish is outstanding, a well thought out vehicle. It will take you a couple of weeks to understand the dept of the options and how they work, Im still learning. The handling is great for a SUV. We also have a Lincoln MKX and we love it, but the Explorer suspension is superior!! I have a Limited loaded. The only thing I wish they offered is the 3.5 SHO turbo motor. It is offered in the Flex and the Taurus, it could use more touque off the line. I guess it will happen as a sport model in a couple of years. Geart Job Ford!!

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  Awesome Car! - 2011 Ford Fusion
  By mdh2003 - March 21 - 3:53 pm

  We bought a 2011 black with black leather Sport. Love it! The engine is really smooth and definitely has some get up. The transmission shifts very smoothly. Havent driven much at all in manual mode. Seats are really supportive and comfortable. Great finish and quality with the interior. Love the leather trim on doors. Car gets lots of looks. We parked next to a 3 Series the other day. In the reflection, the Fusion by far looked better than the BMW. Looked much more expensive. Overall, its been a great experience with this car so far. Hopefully many miles to come!!!

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  My baby is about to come of age - 1993 Ford F-150
  By taffiecat - March 20 - 11:02 pm

  Well, 17 years ago I bought my little F150 stepside. It now has 90,000 miles and still drives like new. It has the original everything, clutch, glass, everything except tires, brakes, and automatic window gizmos. The truck starts up and gets me everywhere I need to go. It still pulls the trailer when needed with no problem. As for looks, she turns heads pretty much everywhere I go. The ride is smooth all the time, but put a load in the back and it is like sitting in a rocking chair. This is the best purchase I ever made. Other than regular maintenance, has needed minimal care.