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:
Showing 351 through 360 of 30,482.00-
Be Wary of Ford Products - 2007 Ford Focus
By gawain3 - January 7 - 2:02 pmI bought this car new in the fall of 2006. There are design flaws in the low profile tires, resulting in blow outs and bent rims in Ohio winters. The car suffers excessive road noise. It also is built with inferior Chinese metal. The stabilizer bars were recently repaired, and all of the undercarriage heat shields were replaced. Total cost? $1,021.90. The heat shields should have been recalled, as almost every Ford owner I know from this year to now has the same issues with the heat shields. They are made of cheap, inferior Chinese steel.
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RIP 97 Taurus - 1997 Ford Taurus
By homerrocks2 - December 30 - 7:34 amIt (to me) was a very ugly car at first and I thought it was a piece of junk, but the style grew on me. I didnt realize how comfortable and nice it was until we lost her and got a ZX2 (talk about small, haha)
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Beware of Transmission Reliability - 2003 Ford Explorer
By huemeister - December 29 - 7:32 pmI and my family have been avid and loyal Ford customers for many years until now. Bought the Explorer new. I was alarmed when I went to the web and the government site and saw many customers complaining about Explorer transmission failure. I called Ford Customer Relations and was met with indifference and no help. I asked for a goodwill repair or discount and they flatly refused. A transmission specialist said that Ford built a very bad transmission during that time and it is a surprise that there was no class action against them for a poorly designed transmission. I am not going to say Ill never drive another Ford, but I will shop with their competitors. We now own a Honda CRV.
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Went in for a oil change came out with a morgage.. - 2007 Ford Freestyle
By 88jimbo - December 29 - 7:45 amWent a local ford dealer for a oil change they said it was time to replace pwr steering fluid. No big deal the car has 70k on it they did that we got the car back . Not 3hrs later the check engine light comes on so I figured they might of bumped a sensor or somthing . so when my stepfather gets back he tells me the air box needs to be replaced . now this car has never been in a accident and yet the dealer tells him it was all cracked up and throttle body is rusted so the replaced for like $2000.00 so good enough they get car back .The next morning the check engine light is on again. Now they say it needs a computer for a nother $1500.00 .Now im pulling my hair out feel free to comment .
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Explorer poor choice get a pilot or something - 2004 Ford Explorer
By tabbies - December 21 - 6:07 pmBought used in 09 w/ 80k+ miles. Now 105k. Poor fuel economy I avg. 15 city, 16-17 highwy(67-77mph) UGLY interior. Its fine @ first but look at it for a while and you be sickened. Speaking of sickening the tire noise @ high speeds is very. My kid had a stomach bug, and one or the other tire noise or ugly interior finally made him give. I was about to follow suit. Heat failed, leaving us w/ 1 georgia winter and no heat. Drive/powertrain= reliable, luxurys(audio is funky too)=not. It WILL get u from place-to-place, but w/ @ a high price(not $). Dont recommend. (shifts are jerky but u get used to it, easy to maneuver, no cargo room w/ seats up, stick with 1.5-3k rpm for best perfor/effici
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POS - 2009 Ford Flex
By btcadams - December 19 - 3:49 pmMy wife and I drove numerous cars before deciding to purchase our 1st and last Ford vehicle. At first it seemed to be the answer to all of our needs. We purchased this car new in NOV 08. Within 6mnths,we had to take the car in to have the "sync" systems wiring harness replaced 4 times and the touch screen once! Within 16k miles (2 years) we had to replace the front rotors and brakes. And now just 11 months and 10k miles later, we now need to replace the front rotors again, the rear brakes and the rear rotors! Ford Corporate was of no help for this non-warranty item stating "normal/routine maintenance". Not to mention the horrible screeching sound that comes from the brakes, also "normal"
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Its an OK car - 2009 Ford Focus
By ss2ray - December 13 - 4:25 pmI have been driving an 09 Focus for sometime now. I own both a Chevy and Ford, and thought this would be a good car to run around town in and commute with. I thought one of these cheap eco/gas freindly car, would be a good idea. I am re-thinking this concept. What you gain in MPGs, you loose in comfort, power, peace of mind, etc. I would only recommend this car commuter car, if you can tolerate the road noise. It is noisy! The road noise is horrid, the brakes are soft and slow to respond. We had to drive this car from NC to El Paso, Texas. It was the most uncomfortable ride ever. Look elsewhere if you want to feel and be more comfortable, its worth trading the MPGs for a few $s.
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96 F-150 XL 4x4 - 1996 Ford F-150
By rainbowracer93 - December 11 - 9:50 pmWas my first vehicle, passed down from my dad. Had the bullet-proof 300 inline 6, which made very little power, but never left me stranded. Only maintenance I ever had to do was tires, brakes, an oil, the thing was built like a tank. MPGs in the low teens, which is bad considering its lack of power and a V8. 4x4 worked well, although it became a chore to get into low range. Overall a good ole boy solid truck, would buy one again if ever ever in the market for a pickup.
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Ford Fiesta Transmission Problems - 2011 Ford Fiesta
By j2cub - December 9 - 9:07 amWell my Ford Fiesta had less than 1800 miles on it when the transmission started chattering while holding a steady traffic speed of 30 MPH after it warmed up. Now it does it bad between 30 and 55 MPH, still after it is warmed up. ItÂ’s fine when itÂ’s cold. Also twice after putting 2900 miles on the car, the transmission would not release when trying to stop at a stop light. It drove me through a red light, TWICE. It was as if I was driving a manual transmission car and forgot to put the clutch in. Scared me to death, but IÂ’m forced to keep driving it. Took it to Kline Motors, a Ford dealership in Winfield KS. They said they worked on it for 2 hours and charged over $172 and did nothing.
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Still have quality issue... - 2012 Ford Taurus
By chad_sh - December 6 - 11:00 pmThe car drive well when its new. We had it about 5 months now. And some issues started to appear. raddled sound from inside the car leake gas when pumping gas. Dealer have no idea why. they are keeping the car for a day.
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