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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  Oscar - 1993 Ford Thunderbird
  By Parker - September 11 - 2:00 am

  I purchased this automobile new in 1993 and have driven it for 17 years. Up until recently it offered a trouble- free existence, other than blown head gaskets at around 80k miles. It still has the original exhaust system, muffler, belts, hoses and LED tail lights in functioning condition. Other than replacing tires, shocks, and brakes it has been a no- maintenance car. However, in the last year a variety of systems have finally given out: air compressor (and original freon, sorry ozone), link arms, upper control joints, and paint. I have had these repaired assuming it will repay the investment with many more driving years as this car potentially becomes a classic - well see.

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  1st Mustang for the family - 2004 Ford Mustang
  By Fenderboss - September 11 - 2:00 am

  Moving to a Mustang has been an interesting experience. This is the first Mustang our family has owned and we find that there is a lot of coveting of the cars from everyone. I use it as a daily driver, and my commute is a joy covering 20 miles on some twisty country back roads. There is very little we dont enjoy about the car. That said, there are probably better interiors out there as well as fuel economy, but these shortcomings are more than compensated for when it comes to the overall experience of driving a proper American muscle car.

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  Had been pretty good until - 2002 Ford Explorer
  By POEO - September 11 - 2:00 am

  Like most Explorers of this vintage, the transmission just went at 96,000 miles. Major slippage from 2nd into 3rd, now looking at a $2000+ repair. This is a very common problem so beware if you are looking at picking up a used one. Ford knows about it, but doesnt care too much. Looking to see if there is a class action lawsuit in the works as its not a question of if but when this problem will occur in these trucks. Had been a pretty decent car up until this, now crossing my fingers that this isnt the start of major issues to come. Before this I was considering another Explorer in 2012, now probably not as these type of major issues seem to continue to plague American made cars.

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  2010 v. 2008 (both auto trans.) - 2010 Ford Fusion
  By SeanB - September 11 - 2:00 am

  Like another reviewer on here I had a 2008 Fusion before my 2010. I actually leased the first one. I had a 2008 SE with the sport package/sync, etc. I LOVED IT. It was a fun, sporty car. I was very impressed. The 2010 is not as exciting, albeit I dont have the sport package anymore. The car looks good, but Ford puts strange packages together. i.e. I wanted the monochrome pkg and sync, but it was no where to be found - it was one or the other. I opted for the moon n tune package. The car is good and economical, but the transmission lags terribly, no pickup at all, and hubcaps on a $26k car? Cmon Ford.

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  Our Ford focus at 184k miles - 2002 Ford Focus
  By azasadny - September 10 - 2:00 am

  We bought this car for our son a couple of years ago and we now have 184,000 miles on it. We have had to replace the coil pack, plugs, wires, shocks, front struts, alternator and several small parts, but overall we are 100% satisfied. This car is 8 years old with this many miles on it and still runs great, no oil leaks, no oil burning, etc. This is an economy car that is still economical to own and fun to drive. With this many miles, parts are obviously going to wear, but parts are cheap, the car is easy and inexpensive to repair and its safe for our son. He was in a serious accident last year and the car held together and protected our son and daughter. We had a body shop get the car back.

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  Car is a slug for geezers - 2006 Ford Taurus
  By Dave - September 10 - 2:00 am

  Im 65 but relating to cars Im 25. I dumped the car within Two months. I purchased a 2006 Subaru WRX. superb acceleration, AWD great traction superb handling great looks. Not a geezer car like Buicks and Cadillacs. Rock On! Dave

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  Great Car. some quips - 2010 Ford Escape
  By moonweyes - September 10 - 2:00 am

  This is my second Ford Escape. I bought my first one used and ended up trading it in for a brand new one. I love this car! But I do have to say, the 4 cyl, even with its upgrades, does not beat a 6 cyl. The pick up is not as great as I am used to, so i have to compensate when accelerating onto the freeway. Also, the accelerator pedal doesnt always respond immediately - it seems to hesitate and then lurches a little - but only when I am doing under 20 mph. Its like the computer system goes into sleep mode at slow speed. Sync is new to me and its great! Anyone who gets into my car cannot believe how roomy it is (I carpool, a lot). I see why they are used for cabs in San Francisco. No fires.

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  Interior design is terrible - 2010 Ford Taurus
  By John - September 9 - 2:00 am

  Who designed the interior? All glitz and looks, poor function and space usage. The front console and dash waste space. Several passengers commented how claustrophobic the front seat space is. HUGE blind spots particularly B-pillar. Buttons galore on center stack with no thought apparently to making them easy to find or use intuitively or without looking. Interior door handles are knuckle-breakers, front door opening has big bump-out along back edge that seems to ALWAYS catch a hip or arm on the way in or out. If seat is adjusted high enough for comfortable driving, its too high to get in and out without hitting my head on the roof edge. Cant tilt wheel out of the way easily either.

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  Not grandmas focus - 2011 Ford Focus
  By pvalentino - September 9 - 2:00 am

  Initially was looking at the Honda Fit or Toyota Yaris but once I test drove the 2011 Focus SES it was the clear winner for performance to fuel economy ratio. I was in market for commuter vehicle that would be great on gas, fit all 6 4" and almost 300 lbs of me, and the Focus did one better by throwing in 140 HP. I love the handling and feel of the SES over all the other test drives, plus I really love all the features provided by SYNC through the great sound system.

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  I wish it were true - 2010 Ford Mustang
  By Imreallyunhappy - September 9 - 2:00 am

  My 2010 GT Premium started life being scratched by the dealer before I got it. That took 5 days in total to fix. It now has less than 800 miles on it and its been back in the shop twice. This last time, its been two weeks. The problem was a major rattle coming from inside the dash. Only solution was for dealer to replace dash. Nearly two weeks and the dealer is waiting for the new dash to arrive from Ford. By the time I get it back Im sure the new car smell that it had will have been replaced by the smells usually found in a service department. I wish Id bought something else.