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:

• 

  A Plum - 1996 Ford Explorer
  By CarD - May 30 - 8:26 am

  This vehicle has never caused me the slightest heartache or problem. Beyond the expected ravages of time (hoses, slight rust, etc.) I have never had a mechanical or performance issue.

• 

  getting tough to keep buying American! - 2002 Ford Explorer
  By Kilbrie - May 29 - 8:36 pm

  I bought my Explorer with 19k on it. The front bushings were replaced as well as a spring tensioner on the timing chain (it sounded like a diesel above 2500rpm). But these were covered under warranty so I was fine with them. Then at 44k, the transmission took a dump! Thank goodness I had an extended warranty but I still had to deal with the insurance company and the transmission shop ... 6 weeks later my truck was done. Now the rear end is humming quite loud and the transfer case is leaking somewhere. The wind noise is getting worse every day. I had a Taurus wagon that had over 200k miles on it and had less wind noise and no leaks. I keep vehicles for a long time ... but not this one!

• 

  Holds a load - 2003 Ford Expedition
  By ken - May 29 - 6:56 pm

  It will hold a large family with ease-6 grandchildren and a 10 yr. old daughter- no problem -I could not imagine owning a vehicle with out a DVD player. Gas mileage has been averaging about 16 mpg. I was rear ended by a compact vehicle last year, it just bounced off, left me with a scratched bumper which their insurance paid for

• 

  Not a bad truck - 2004 Ford Explorer
  By SN190498 - May 29 - 4:53 pm

  The ride quality is surprisingly good for a truck chassis. Ours has not had any technical issues except for the incorrect transmission oil debacle. The rear axle does have a binding problem (2WD) which hopefully will be resolved with changing the axle fluid. Turning left or right from a standstill results into a rattling vibration. Only regret is not having the canopy airbag system. It is difficult to comprehend that Ford toutes this safety system and then builds so many cars without it. Overall this was not a bad purchase in early 2004 since there was less competition. If we would buy another SUV today we would get a Hyundai Santa Fe or similar.

• 

  07 Mustang GT - 2007 Ford Mustang
  By John - May 29 - 8:26 am

  I have owned this car since it had 189 miles on. It is fun to drive. I have tuned the suspension, shifter, and air intake. It is pretty fast. Handling is much better afte the suspension upgrade. I would buy again once the kids have left home.

• 

  Great car - 2005 Ford Freestyle
  By Trod1 - May 28 - 7:58 pm

  We have had the car for 2 years and only problem has been the CD player. We are on number 2 now and waiting for 3. The car still looks great, inside has worn well, although it would be nice to have more leather and less vinyl on the seats.

• 

  Reliable workhorse - 1998 Ford Explorer
  By Love to travel - May 28 - 7:23 pm

  Purchased 2 years old with 34,000 miles. Original flaws repaired under warranty by first owner, but had to take it in to redo the front differential pinion seal. Relatively few problems over 7 years and 70,000 miles: the usual DPFE failure, cruise control servo that went out at 100,000, squeaky bushing requiring replacement of an anti-wind up bar in the rear suspension, very short lived ignition wires - replaced twice. Major annoyance: disappearing display of the MACH radio - replaced the power board myself otherwise a very expensive repair. Minor annoyance: squeaky front axle seals in cold weather. Overall, compared to other vehicles that I owned, a very reliable, almost trouble- free performer.

• 

  fully loaded Escape - 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid
  By robert - May 28 - 2:53 pm

  Moving the seats around to allow more cargo space is a pain; other than that its a nice vehicle.

• 

  Big Money Wasted - 2007 Ford F-150
  By john - May 27 - 9:50 pm

  The 2007 Ford SuperCrew I purchased has already had problems. The signal lights stopped working last month, and the windshield washer stopped working this month. There is also a heat sheild that has been fixed twice that is still fibrating in my ear. Over all the quality of the truck is poor. It is a nice truck to drive when it is working correctly, but it has not worked correctly in since it was new. I would like to trade it in but Ford plays with the pricing so much that it is hard to find what the real value is. They do not hold any value. I will take a $12,000-$15,000 loss on it.

• 

  Good truck, great old time engineering - 2006 Ford Ranger
  By Shook - May 27 - 6:57 pm

  This is about my 5th Ranger had them from 83 to 06, including a rare Ranger GT. This is by far the best. I have the 4:10 posi rear, with the 4.0 automatic. The truck is very responsive, steering feels great with the rack and pinion, and rides nice with the torsion bar front end. Overall the older engineering to me is just well proven, like the dash borrowed from 95 era explorer, simple, functional, and reliable. The rugged looks of this truck are unbeatable. Ive had it for over a year now and have had zero problems. Sadly I think these Rangers are last of a breed, Ford will be forced to downsize the engines due to emmissions regs, and probably change the body and frame setups.