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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  10 years, still ridin - 2000 Ford Escort
  By MrsBlanes - July 21 - 7:38 pm

  I bought mine brand new. The only things I have had to replace yet are the alternator, timing belt,and the clutch master cylinder. It has been a great car and will still leave rubber behind if I get on it. 151 thousand miles and still running strong. I have a 5 speed and have had NO issues with the transmission. Keep up on the maintenance and you wont have any problems.

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  Nothing but problems - 2006 Ford F-150
  By fish - July 21 - 5:46 pm

  Ive been a ford driver for decades. This will be my last Ford. I had several transmission tweaks at 20,000 miles. MAF sensor puked at 28,000 ($650). Differential died at 58,000 miles ($2500). Now my transmission needs new bearings at 63,000 miles. Of course my warranty was void last month so I have to foot a bill for over $2500 to fix the transmission on a 3.5 year old vehicle. Very not cool. This truck is a daily driver, not a workhorse by any stretch of the imagination. Goodbye Ford, its time for a Ram.

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  Buyer Beware - 2009 Ford Escape
  By BADCHOICE - July 21 - 10:50 am

  One month ago I purchased a 2009 Ford escape from a local dealer. Before the first payment was made, it was un- driveable. The vehicle started but there were no power locks/Windows/radio/cdplayer, and the emergency brake light was illuminated on the dash yet the brake was disengaged. The shifter would not move, it was locked in park. Apparently its a faulty computer module that is a widespread problem with the 2009s. So widespread, in fact, that the part is on back-order from the mother-ship in the states, and they have no idea when its going to be in. Could be 6hrs, 6days or6mons. The seal on the module leaked water and the components completely corroded inside. Good work Ford, I will never buy another!

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  Vey Pleased - 2008 Ford Expedition
  By danny - July 21 - 7:25 am

  Great truck, well built and reliable. Very comfortable with the whole family on long trips. This is my first American car in over 10 years and I am surprised by how well made it is. I have 97,000 miles on it with ZERO problems. Third row seat is comfortable and the automatic folding flat seat feature is very useful

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  Very enjoyable - 2008 Ford Mustang
  By Bgenia1216 - July 21 - 1:53 am

  I love my GT/CS. The performance is very exciting and the 4.6 does a nice job to really get this car moving. I have an auto and its no slug, it will get up and move when you want it to. The drop top is a very nice feature. Easy to operate and fairly quick to raise/lower. Due to the live rear axle you can experience some drivability issues when pushing the car around a turn with bumps in the road, not enough for me to really consider it not drivable when pushed. I have the shaker 500 and its loud enough to hear with the top down while driving 80. For MPG you can get good numbers if you are being very good. Top down 18/24 and up 20/25. You can have a new car with just a few mods, enjoy!

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  Like the car, hate the fuel economy - 2010 Ford Edge
  By Steve - July 21 - 1:25 am

  This is my second Ford purchase after having owned a 2002 Ford Escape for 8 years and, overall, I have been pleased with my purchase. As part of my car searching process, I looked at the Nissan Murano, Dodge Nitro, Jeep Liberty, and Acura RDX (to name a few). Before test driving the Edge, I had actually been prepared to purchase the Acura but the Edges larger size, overall look/feel, and 6 cylinder engine won me over. Though others have commented on how the ride (seats?) is not comfortable, I have had the exact opposite experience. The ride is fairly smooth and the seats are particularly comfortable. In addition, there is plenty of room for passengers who are taller than five feet!

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  Transmission - 2006 Ford Explorer
  By AmandaP - July 20 - 9:40 pm

  I didnt have any problems with this car, in fact, I bragged to my husband all the time about how much I loved it. Then at 55,000 miles I was broke down on the side of the road an hour away from home because the transmission went out with no warning. Then it cost $2,200 to fix it.

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  oh hum - 2009 Ford F-150
  By cretisan - July 20 - 8:21 pm

  Havent had this truck a month yet and am trying to get out of it. The interior is beautiful but it is so uncomfortable. Ford just threw everything in with no thought to actual placement, height etc. It shifts so erratically that its annoying and dont try to use the passing gear in a hurry because there could literally be a 3-5 sec delay before the truck figures out what to do.

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  Great Truck! - 2004 Ford F-150
  By Bill - July 20 - 8:21 pm

  Dont say anything about the fuel economy. You dont buy a 6000 pound truck and expect 30 mpg! This is a solid truck and even after 6 years, I still love it. I dont drive it that much, but it has been very reliable. The only real problem was the rear end, which had to be replaced by the dealer after about 4000 miles. When they put it back together, they forgot to lube the yoke which caused the drive shaft to go bad. All these were done under warranty at the dealer. Other than that, no problems at all (knock on wood). Its easy to understand why this truck sells so well.

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  American Quality? - 2009 Ford Escape
  By Jeff H - July 20 - 6:35 pm

  Bought American to support my country and UAW after years of Asian vehicles. Engine runs/idles louder/rougher than comparable imports and SUV has been into dealer 3 times for over 3 weeks. Mysterious clunking in rear (Ford engineer called in), leaky transmission, transmission shifting problems (recall to reprogram control module solved them). Overall, I like the vehicle but have been a little disappointed with the overall quality and experience of owning it. Certainly makes me question the contention that domestic vehicles are equal to and exceeding imports. And, it seems like every other car on the road is an Escape!