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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  Go with the Honda Fit - 2011 Ford Fiesta
  By tangog - December 22 - 5:38 pm

  I am looking for a commuting car that can eventually be a hand-me-down. I just test drove both the fiesta and the honda fit with my 13 year old son - manual trans for both as I think it is needed on these small cars. After looking at the write-ups that made the fiesta sound great, I thought I would put it to the test. my son and I both thought the fit sport won hands down based on driving impressions and comfort. the fiesta needed to be jump started and smelled afterwards like clutch and brake - could be new car break in, definitely not me because I drive awesome - ha. At 5,000 rpm, it felt like it was going to blow. For die hard ford fans consider the focus - rebates are attractive.

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  My Touch System failed at 770 mi - 2011 Ford Edge
  By denar - December 22 - 4:02 pm

  My Touch system is completely dead. Shut itself down on Saturday - dealer said has to order module - no idea when it will be in. Went to another dealer who told us he has had FOUR of these vehicles back in the past week and also has no idea when the module will be available. Meanwhile we are ready to leave for 4 months in Florida but cant go in this car. Im sick - disgusted - totally p***ed off at Ford. Love my 2008 Edge and thought we were buying a second great vehicle - think again.

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  Great Car for Commuting - 2004 Ford Focus
  By mike_231 - December 21 - 10:33 am

  Purchased in 2007 with 30k miles, just sold with 66k miles. Overall a great daily driver. Got between 28 and 32 MPG in mostly highway driving. Reliability was above average - only items I replaced were front brake rotors and sway bar end links (a common problem?). Otherwise, I only performed routine maintenance at the intervals suggested in the owners manual. Good braking and cornering feel with decent acceleration. Complaints include strange options (had PW, PL, power mirrors and remote keyless entry, but no cruise control or tilt steering column), and everything under the car was rusted at the time I sold it. Overall, though, a great value.

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  Lemon - 2004 Ford Focus
  By grover04 - December 19 - 8:39 am

  I have had my 2004 Ford Focus ZTS for 5 years and it has been nothing but a money sucker ever since. For the past 5 years my focus has randomly shut down while Ive been driving and I have taken the car to multiple shops and a Ford Dealership, still no one can figure out the problem. I have had to replace the headlights twice every year, and as soon as my car hit 70,000 (this summer) my car basically lived at an auto shop (been in 5 times the past 6 months). My friend who has the same make, same year, has had all similar problems as has a neighbor of mine. The only positives I have to say about this car is a spacious trunk and nice interior.

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  Wont start intermittenly - 2010 Ford Escape
  By jennfruk - December 17 - 10:42 pm

  We bought our Escape new and have put about 8k miles on in about 7 months. We have had to have it towed to the dealership 2 times in 2 weeks because it just will not start. The dealer says that it is some sort of electrical problem with the engine, but they have no answers for us. The power works fine, the engine will not even try to start. The dealer tested battery 1st time and no problems, then the 2nd time it was towed to the dealer...the battery had a dead cell and then it started fine, until they went to move it out of the garage and it would not start again and engine will not turn over. I am sure there are others with the same problems, just not enough to make a difference to Ford.

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  If I had to do over... - 2010 Ford Escape
  By tishpit1 - December 17 - 4:49 pm

  Had previous bad experiences with Ford products so was hesitant to trade my old Jeep Liberty for the Escape. But after reading so many positive reviews and driving one, I decided to give Ford another shot. Pros: Ride is decent, comfortable seating position, impressive mileage for V-6 with AWD Cons: Unreliable... at dealership with less than 8,000 miles on it, possibly electrical or computer related. Dead in garage. Numerous "strange noises," feels flimsy. Overall: Wish I wouldve opted for a new Liberty. My old one with over 75,000 mi. never a repair, unlike my Ford with less than 7,500. Very disappointed, but hope for the best. Sync is costly gimmick better to put $ into quality

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  Nice but not quite there yet. (dual clutch auto) sedan - 2011 Ford Fiesta
  By Anonymous - December 15 - 2:11 pm

  The car is very quiet,even on the highway. The engine could use more power/pep. The car inside and out is very stylish. The fit and finish could use some fine tuning. Also, visor extenders when using visors on the side would be a nice touch. Better/nicer quality weather stripping all over esp on the doors wold be nice...Also a heaver black molding instead of soft rubber where the hood meets the windshield would be nice, these items feel like they will not hold up well with the items used.

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  Transmission problems - 2010 Ford Fusion
  By clayfish - December 15 - 12:01 am

  We are having transmission problems as well with our brand new 2010 Fusion. The car has been at the dealer for over a week. Not the quality I expected from Ford. Be wary of Fords faulty transmissions.

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  Help Please - 2010 Ford Escape
  By nmcrae - December 14 - 8:26 pm

  After 6000 miles I say this is a very good vehicle. Good visibility, easy driving, satisfactory fuel economy. Just one aggravating problem: too little heat from the floor vent. In this northern climate, good heating is important upper vents work fine, feet are blocks of ice.

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  Great Truck - 2004 Ford F-150
  By floridafordleo - December 14 - 8:57 am

  Bought the truck in January 2004 when there werent many on the road. 120,000 miles later and the only two things on the entire truck that have broke was the passenger side window motor and the grommet on the center shift linkage. Unbelievable low maintenance truck. Been using mobile one full synthetic oil since it was a baby and Fram filters. Two sets of brakes and 3 sets of tires later the truck is perfect. Everything in the truck still works even those back up sensors. Put a leveling kit on it when it was new and thats it. Great truck, not looking forward to changing the plugs though, that maybe a big problem due to the issue with the 5.4 and the spark plugs breaking off.