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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  Do Not Buy This Car!!!!! - 2006 Ford Explorer
  By snooker84 - June 14 - 6:16 pm

  Horrible car, Other reviews on here are extremely accurate, bad trannys, bad radiators, electricolosis, transfercase leaked after 40,000 miles, went thru 3 radiators, 2 transmistions, door handles breaking off every few months, overall, very baaaad vehicle..they look and drive well but i dont trust them :(

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  Transmission is junk!!!!! - 2010 Ford Fusion
  By seanm7454 - June 11 - 8:06 am

  Had my 2010 Ford Fusion 4 cyl SEL for 9 months now. The transmission is the worst piece of garbage ever to come in a car at any time in history. It has been reflashed 5 times, had new valve body and been completely replaced once. It is still flaring and shuttering every day. It has spent a total of 47 days in the shop just for the transmission problems and another 7 days for the BLISS system failures. This care is a joke and for will not own up to it. Lemon Law here we come.

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  Waste of money - 2004 Ford Freestar
  By cwiley4l - June 2 - 6:16 am

  I will never buy another Ford. My transmission went out @ 76,000 miles. Cost almost 3K at the dealer to replace. My trac control light goes off and on at will. now I have a check engine light on.. God only knows what that is ... will find out today. Im so frustrated and for the actual cost of the van and to have all these repairs.. ridiculous. There should be a recall on the transmission. Oh and I need to mention.. when Im driving now, it sounds like whales singing. Im fed up.

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  Disappointment - 1991 Ford Ranger
  By mofarmer - May 28 - 12:19 am

  Ive owned this 2.3, 4 cyl, 4wd, 5 speed, short bed ranger for 3 months and is nothing to brag about. I have never exceeded 19 mpg and 14.5-15 is common, with a top speed of about 75 and going up most hills, it might lose 5-10 mph even after dropping a gear. The only good for this truck is most parts are still original, other than the steering sector and the mirrors can never stay in place.

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  Do NOT buy a Mustang - 2008 Ford Mustang
  By cakes5 - May 12 - 7:15 pm

  I bought a 2008 Mustang GT last year. Big mistake. It looks pretty and is fast, but that is it. I have spent thousands of dollars on maintenance for it, having to replace part after part. Just a few days ago my engine light came on. I thought it was no big deal and Id take it in to get checked out sometime. Well I was sitting at a red light, it turned green, I gave it gas, and it died on me. Right in the middle of the road. It started back up and as I began to drive it, it died again. I had to spend another $157 on it to get the cool air intake problem fixed. And of course the warranty has covered none of the many repairs. I had a Toyota before this car and never had these problems.

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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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  Waste of Money - 2002 Ford F-150
  By zapttu2014 - April 13 - 10:29 am

  Bought when I turned 16 in 2008 with 67,000 miles on it, 3 years later have 122,000 with all scheduled maintenance. Front suspension is nearly gone, replaced slave cylinder at 71K, shorted plug wires on valve covers at 73K, replaced rear bumper mounts at 75K, cracked the lower manifold at 94K, 95K lost the throwout bearing, 104K had ECU problems, syncros in the tranny are going...poor engineering. Truck does not have any power for passing and barely gets 15 mpg on the highway. Engine is low on torque and unreliable. Dont think Ill ever buy another Ford after this one. Only used to get to and from high school and college and work.

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  Transmission Replaced at 300 miles - 2011 Ford Fiesta
  By jartiv - April 7 - 10:17 pm

  Performance: unless we measure performance with how loud of a scrapping noise the transmission makes, than I give the Fiesta a 1. Comfort: 53" Driver, I am not comfortable without an armrest. 511" side passenger has seat all the way back. 50 driver cant fit behind 511". Value: paid 15k for an SE Sedan with Super Fuel Economy (code for cruise control) and Sync (bluetooth connectivity) and a transmission that made scrapping noise. 1. Interior/Exterior Design: trendy. 4. Build Quality: transmission replaced at 300 miles. 1. Reliability: transmission replaced at 300 miles. 1.

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  Worst Car Ive Ever Owned - 2009 Ford Escape
  By jolietjake - March 30 - 12:57 pm

  My 2009 Ford Escape has been plagued with transmission issues for a year and a half now. I experience shift flares, hard and harsh shifting, and even times when it cant shift out of first gear. It will also frequently slam into gear when going from P to D or R, causing the entire car to shack violently until banging into gear. After the TSB updates, i get much worse gas milage and the tranny issues have increased. Now i get hesitation in acceleration when coasting or yielding and pressing the accelerator. Its extremely dangerous when making a left hand turn and the car is unresponsive for a few seconds. I have almost had 5 accidents due to this. This car is extremely unsafe.

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  good in formula bad in practice - 2002 Ford Explorer
  By tompnoid - March 29 - 11:09 am

  Ford has built a truck with all wheel drive to help with horse power and grip when riding on wet roads awesome right?? no... a great idea in a lab isnt always practical in real life mine has 89k on it and needs a new transmission i went to a shop the other day and asked a guy about price said i have a 2002 ford explorer he goes wait look over there see all those boxes those are transmissions for 2002 ford explorers. you cannot build a full time 4 wheel drive vehicle that is this heavy and have only a 4.0 l v6 powerplant. this would of been a great vehicle with better gas milage and no trannsmission issues had they only put in a button to let u disengage the 4 wheel drive.