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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  So Far So Good - 2015 Ford Escape
  By square85 - October 8 - 12:26 pm

  Leased a 2015 Escape SE 4WD 2.0 in August and have about 1200 miles on her so far. Got some extras that I didnt necessarily want but the dealership gave me a deal so I took it. Have the vista roof and wouldnt recommend it honestly it barely tilts open and if you open it 100% instead of the standard opening, there is a terrible buffeting sound that travels throughout the inside of the car. I would recommend the 2.0 because it really performs and takes off MPG is so-so but that is to be expected when there is so much power to give. There is no interior storage but I knew that when choosing the vehicle so I cant really call that a "con." I dont understand the negativity behind MyFord Touch Ive never had an issue and thus far has worked flawlessly. Some more observations: -Headlights work fine and I like that they automatically come on when the wipers are put to the low setting -Grown to appreciate the dual zone climate control -Cant live without a power hatch after having one now -Driver seat is very comfortable -All cars should come with built in blind spot mirrors -Keypad entry is nice use it more to lock the car than anything else -Engine turns over very quickly -Power reserve stays on even when the keys are out of the ignition as long as a door isnt opened -LED interior lights are nice and bright Only "issue(s)" Ive had would be the power shade for the vista roof vibrating within the first days of ownership while parked on an incline and it hasnt happened since. Its only happened two or three times but the car will shift very hard when turning it on and shifting out of park.

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  Transmission leaves a lot to be desired - 2013 Ford Fusion
  By Ron - October 8 - 8:10 am

  Purchased new for my wife. Tired of GM and Dodge problems and bought our 1st Ford. Love the design. I am not tall (57") and my wife is shorter, but you can easily nail your head on the A-post when getting into the car. Two complaints: (1) the hard shifting transmission which is beginning to cause me concerns after reading all the complaints from owners online. Main concern is internal damage with the ongoing issue. (2) Recall after recall after recall !!! That said, I regret buying this car. It is paid for and I wanted a car I could count on for years, but feel that Ford is no better than the rest of our domestic brands. So much for Consumer Reports. Too many times they rate a new car well, then a few years later the same unit is NOT RECOMMENDED. I recently purchased a used 2012 Jeep GC Laredo with AWD and the V6. Gas mileage is as good as the Fusion 2.0 turbo + it tows 5000 lbs with REAL AWD. The Ford AWD on our top of the line Fusion is really a 70:30 AWD. That being only 30% (maximum) will be transferred to the rear wheels !!! Before buying go to the iihs.org web site to check on crash tests. The new (small overlap test) has caused many to redesign their vehicles. Also go online to check on owner complaints. This Fusion was in its first year when I bought it. No one to blame but myself. I wanted a reliable & safe car for my wife. It turns out that I would have been best served by buying a Volvo S60 AWD (now owned by CHINA !!).

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  Just purchased Focus - 2015 Ford Focus
  By GLIss - October 8 - 6:22 am

  Good value for price. Get the Titanium if you want a bunch of standard features.

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  Avoid The 2013 Focus Automatic At All Costs - 2013 Ford Focus
  By Realist - October 7 - 9:06 pm

  I almost lost count of the trips to the dealer for warranty work on the infamous dual-clutch transmission. After a recent update, the car stalled out while in slow-and-go traffic on I-95 in Virginia. I traded it two days later. Not safe, not reliable.

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  All was great a month ago. - 2010 Ford Flex
  By Jjulian - October 7 - 3:21 pm

  A month ago, this review would have been all stars. We bought this car because of the room. Our 15 yr old son of 6ft. 5in could sit in the middle seat with ease and comfort. Considering the size of the vehicle, the gas milage is good. I have actually gotten up to 30 mpg a few times on the hwy. We also had a family member who owned the same model and began having the gas tank drop to completely empty at around 60 miles till empty, while our vehicle had no such problem...till a month ago. I was driving down the road, 65 miles till empty then "ding" goes the warning, zero miles till empty. I freaked. This has happened 3 more times since as I wanted to test if it would repeat. Now I dont let it get below 100 miles left before I refill the tank. This is scary and a safety issue.

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  Beware of transmission - 2013 Ford Focus
  By John Murphy - October 7 - 1:53 am

  Ford admits to "shuddering" and "rough shifting" vehicle is not comfortable the head seats can not be removed to clean seat the gas mileage is around 19 city for me with 87 octane and around 15 with Ethanol. Dont believe me? Test drive today.

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  bought new - 1997 Ford Escort
  By Tony - October 7 - 12:21 am

  We bought this nee and although we got it - 287000 miles it wasnt without lots of work. Alternator 13000 miles serpentine belt 32000 miles water pump 42000 miles alternator again 56000 miles battery 57000 miles EGR valve 62000 miles oxygen sensor 73000 miles fuel pump 81000 miles alternator again 92000 miles transmission torque converter 93000 miles needed new transmission 93000 miles head gasket 98000 miles alternator again 103000 miles blower motor and heater core 106000 miles radiator hundred and twenty eight thousand miles ac 172000 miles alternator again 181000 miles transmission again 201000 miles Im sure Im missing a whole bunch but I cant remember it all

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  Big mistake! - 2013 Ford Escape
  By Angie - October 6 - 2:10 pm

  I traded in my 2012 ford escape for the 2013. When I got my 2013 ford escape sel I loved all the luxury items its loaded. I bought it used with 17,100 miles. From the first month I owned it until now (I only had the car 7 months so far) its been into 3 different garages 7 times due to a big list of problems. Now again its in the garage they informed me that the turbo needs replaced thank goodness I got an extended warranty or this car would be gone. And also 11 recalls have been done to this car. I use to love ford.

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  Look out after purchase. - 2010 Ford F-150
  By Brad - October 6 - 12:20 pm

  Watch out for the seat heaters! They go out after a few years. Dont put a sticker inside on the rear window. It takes off the rear window defrost and wont work again. Dont get the dual zone climate control. If the drivers side quits, you have to take out the entire dash to fix the blend air valve! Watch this truck for leaks! Loves to leak around the sunroof and upper rear brake light above the rear window. Speaking of sunroof, you had better us it about once per week, or NOT AT ALL. The track dries out, and if you try to open it you will break the track! Which the parts arent expensive, its all the labor! They Goodyear tires that came on my FX4 were terrible! I think I got 32,000 miles out of the set. Not what I was expecting.

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  wheel alignment - 2015 Ford Flex
  By A E Thompson - October 6 - 9:44 am

  good car... first tires lasted 47000 miles. New tires at that time, had a four wheel alignment @ $79.95. One year later w/54444 miles we are told we need another rear wheel alignment...Is there a problem with the car (wont hold an alignment) or is someone looking for a free lunch? Having been an auto tech ( Ford and independent) for a number of years my experience has shown me there may be some cars with parts problems that would require the alignment be checked more often. Without this problem an alignment should hold longer than 7500 miles. Has anyone else had this same problem?