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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  Buyer Beware, many problems - 2011 Ford Explorer
  By layhe - October 8 - 5:45 pm

  We picked up our 2011 Ford Explorer Limited about 3 months ago. I have never owned a vehicle with this many problems. It is in the dealer service department more often then it is at home. It is in my opinion a nice looking vehicle but that is the only thing it has going for it. We have had issues with the sync system, most of the features will quit working at some time. The radio will come on and off, the rain sensing wipers will turn on and off for no reason. The cruise control speeds up and slows down. The windshield has been replaced and the side mouldings twice now because of a whistling noise and the problem persists. The front axle seals have been replaced because they leaked.

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  crap!!! - 2006 Ford Focus
  By sm448669 - September 16 - 1:08 am

  I have a 06 se at focus,and this is the 3rd!!!! tranny i have put in it...the original crapped out on me at 60,000 miles replaced it and the 2nd one crapped out on my after only 30,000...i will never ever ever again buy another ford car!!!!!!!!

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  Laundry List of Problems!!! - 2003 Ford Focus
  By rlsid21 - September 14 - 10:33 am

  My 2003 Ford Focus SE (Automatic) was my first car I ever purchased, little did I know that I should have done my homework before making the commitment. I bought it pre-owned through the Ford Dealership. I should have inspected it at first sight. It had two torn tires, the roof interior was covered completely in ketchup! I let that one go. Over the years, the ignition locked up, had to get that replaced, the engine gasket broke, the transmission went out completely, got that replaced $4,000 later (in March 2011), the sway bar started squeaking, now the having engine problems, the timing belt broke off, and valves need to be replaced (Sept. 2011) Mechanics quoted $2,000 for repairs.

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  Worst car Ive ever had - 2003 Ford Escape
  By glee222012 - September 11 - 10:03 pm

  I havent even had this car for a good year its at 90,000 miles and since day one ive had numerous problems with it. I had my winshield washer fluid never work along with my cigarette lighter(s) i dont smoke but i would have liked to put a gps in considering me and my husband travel. everytime i turn on my a/c my rpm shoots up and its start this stuttering thing and even after the a/c is turned off it still stutters. i DO NOT get 18 mpg and when i had bought it i was told i was to get 20 mpg i have to put 50 or more in it EVERY WEEK the interior as well as the exterior is falling apart the fabric on the doors are peeling off on each door and the paint is peeling off outside

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  Beware of Manual Transmission - Built in China and Problematic - 2011 Ford Mustang
  By jmatero2 - September 6 - 11:30 am

  The 2011 and 2012 Ford Mustangs V6 and V8 are equipped with a Getrag Ford MT82 manual transmission built in China. These cars are not the subject of a safety investigation by the NHTSA as owners are reporting they are unable to shift. Personally, I lost my first transmission at 1400 miles, and my second transmission at 3,000 miles. This is a known issue and despite customer complaints all over the internet, they have refused to acknowledge the issue or provide a fix.

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  Problems with My Synch just the beginning.... - 2011 Ford Explorer
  By lockew1 - August 19 - 1:29 pm

  My Synch never worked properly from day 1. The phone constantly froze up which brought the whole system down...the phone, radio, navigation. The dealer told her it was not compatible with her phone....a one year old Blackberry? She went out bought a new I-Phone and had the dealer program it. Same problems. Now they say it was a software problem. Replaced/upgraded software and the problems continued. It is a dangerous situation caused by the distractions of the malfunctioning My Synch. The voice activiation never gets the commands or the names right, so it might as well not even exist. Last week vehicle caught fire due to defective valve. Never want to see car again

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  Alot of problems with this car - 2000 Ford Contour
  By garyd6 - August 18 - 8:14 pm

  I bought the car for $5000 in March of 2006. Since then I have put $9,100 in maintenance and repairs. This car has been very problematic and I cant get rid of it. The condenser leaks. The A/C compressor leaks. The exhaust manifold gasket, timing cover gasket, valve cover gasket are all seeping or making noise. The car has $185,000 miles on it.

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  I should have bought the Venza - 2010 Ford Taurus
  By sleepless1 - August 17 - 6:59 pm

  This car is a joke and so is Ford. 43,000 miles 45 days in shop Chrome peels off tail lights Fuel injector failed Brakes failed Transmission feels like slipping Numerous issues while driving I do not feel safe in this vehicle a couple near misses My family will not ride in this car JUNK JUNK JUNK

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  Wait - 2011 Ford Explorer
  By nobargain - August 16 - 10:59 pm

  As background, I have owned 5 ford explorers and loved 4 of them. My 2011 is pathetic. The problem is not with the car but with my touch. It simply does not work. It crashes all the time. Ford is withholding information about the problem and there is no real hope of a solution until late in 2012 when Microsoft does a complete rewrite of the system for ford. Do not even think about buying any ford with this system until this is proven to be fixes.

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  Ford FLEX - Lemon - 2010 Ford Flex
  By yeghi - August 14 - 12:15 pm

  Brand new FLEX 2010. already replaced two balljoint/shafts on the front passenger wheel. First around 12000 miles, and 2nd on 21000 miles. The car still pulling to the right and not fixed. The Dealership admits the problem exist, they claim it is the tire!?, I am questioning are we expecting to change tires every 12000 miles? The extreme tire wear and the pulling to the right is an indication of an existing problem with the front alignment of this car. However both dealer and the Ford Company seem reluctant to do anything about it. The FLEX in general seems to have a weak (perhaps below truck standards) front structure, it seems that all I read is about wheels, breaks, and noises, however, all in front?