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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  If I had only known - 2001 Ford Escape
  By transyamber - August 29 - 1:33 pm

  I wish I had know that when I bought my 2001 Escape used in 2006 that the transmissions were so bad. I had to have the transmission rebuilt last year and am still paying for it. The bad part is it left me sitting beside the road last week. These are horrible transmissions to get worked on. Then they just break again. After $2000 and a complete rebuild the transmission died before there was 4000 miles on it! I do like it when its working right.

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  IF USED DO NOT BUY - 2008 Ford Taurus
  By monaw - August 28 - 7:37 pm

  I purchase my 2008 Ford Taurus Sedan limited 5/28/2011. My car look great but I learn after purchase, within the ninety day of the warranty. That the car in reverse gose forward and both feet has to be on brake/gas to back up. My car was towed because it would not start, then I took it back after they return my car back to me because the dianogstic only concluded a battery was needed however I return with my car to explain what is acrruing while driving and parking the car.Art test drive the car with me returning back to the dealer, telling me that nothing was wrong with my car. He stated he knew it wasnt the transmission and they were not going to check the transmission at all.

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  BAD TRANSMISSION ON 2006 FORD FUSION - 2006 Ford Fusion
  By bobalu2 - August 26 - 10:06 am

  I puchased a brand new 2006 Ford Fusion because of reliability and currently have about 74,000 miles on it and the transmssion is going bad- it slips and knocks. Talked to numerous mechanics and been given runaround! Will drive car until it dies but now I know why people are buying Toyotas and Hondas! BOBALU2

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  Overheating problems - 2011 Ford Explorer
  By hrivington - August 26 - 8:00 am

  I have about 7000 kms on this Explorer and I had to have it towed back to the dealer because of overheating problems. I have been driving for over 40 years and I have never had to have my vehicle towed. I had to leave my daughter at the soccer field. I would recommend to people thinking about buying a a Ford Explorer (Exploder) "Dont do it"!

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  Fusion a disappointment - 2011 Ford Fusion
  By rtbrain - August 18 - 8:13 pm

  I have the the SEL 2.5L 4cyl and have experienced the same sort of less than stellar gas mileage. It has almost 6800 miles on it now, about 65% of those are highway and the highest it has hit is 29mpg but the city average is only 24 mpg, a far cry from the 33 highway it claims. In addition, I think the transmission feels rough on both acceleration and deceleration and I have had it in for some braking issues that have been present since I have owned it straight off the lot. At first they told me I had warped rotors (on a brand new car) and they spun them. I made them replace them after that but it is still doing a shudder/hesitation motion when I brake. So far I have been very underwhelmed.

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  Ups and downs mostly downs - 2001 Ford Taurus
  By frater249pa - August 18 - 2:04 am

  Bought this with 69,000 miles in 07. shortly after the purchase the oil lines went. Ran good for a while after that until recently at just over 106,000 miles. In a matter of a week the ac compressor went out then the battery died and the ac compressor going bad led to it locking up and popping the belt. Yea the car does have good throttle response but the gas mileage is horrible in the city and ive just run into so many problems with it and im scared to think of whats going to happen next. Also if you have the digital climate control and want to put in a new radio the dash kit is 170$. Also there is a bad seal in the trunk and trunk will always be wet especially around the spare tire.

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  Numerous water leaks...HELP! - 2006 Ford Taurus
  By tdherder - August 11 - 6:50 pm

  My Taurus has been pretty reliable, although when it rains hard or is going through an auto car wash it gets water in the front passenger foot-well, through the rear passenger side seat belt winder in the back window, and also in the trunk. This make it awfully difficult to store valuables anywhere in the car without worry of water damage!! I would love to hear if anyone has remedies for this aside from taking it to a body shop, Im a do it yourself-er.

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  Another Problem - 2010 Ford Escape
  By jrgleason2003 - August 8 - 10:01 pm

  So I posted earlier about the cylinder heads needing to be replaced. That took 2 full weeks. After that, I noticed my engine was leaking oil. I took it to the Ford dealership and said it was a cracked something or other. Again, they fixed it for free, so no problem there, but dang...how about some quality control? I am starting not to trust this vehicle. This will be my last Ford (or domestic for that matter). I wouldnt run from the car if given the opportunity, but definitely get it checked out by a mechanic before you purchase (I failed to do so and am seeing my mistake).

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  Very disappointed - 2006 Ford Freestyle
  By carleysdad - August 2 - 10:32 am

  Up until five years ago I had not purchased an American car in more than 15 years. For me, the quality of Hondas automobiles cannot be matched. Having said that, 5 years ago I decided to give Ford a shot due to all of the press stating that "Ford was back" and the quality of their vehicles had improved. Not! I have had nothing but problems with my Freestyle since buying it new in 2006. Crappy brakes, CVT transmission problems, throttle body problems, etc. My first bad experience happended while on vacation more than 1,000 miles from home when it broke down while we were on the expressway. And in my experiences, the Ford dealers service centers are the worst in the industry.

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  PCM Failure - 2007 Ford Fusion
  By 99lightning - July 30 - 12:21 pm

  I am an electrical engineer with a very well known company that designs electrical hardware (controllers, sensors/switches, etc). That said, all of our major parts are expected to last the life of the vehicle without failure under normal conditions. Ford electrical engineering dropped the ball when it came to the PCM controller. I have 94k miles on the car and the controller failed for no reason other than to just crap out. Control modules shouldnt fail for normal system operation or emergent behavior. Why wasnt this caught in the numerous design reviews or performance/reliability testing? 2 of my 3 vehicles are Fords, I cant say that my next is going to be. This was easily preventable.