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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  Problems, anyone else experience? - 2005 Ford Five Hundred
  By rb - April 6 - 2:13 am

  Rear rotors warped and turned within 200 miles. Now have creaking and grinding in brakes. Rear end rattle that sounds like a lumber wagon (dealer says no problem found). Cruise control cuts off by itself. Anyone else have these problems?

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  Front end noises - 2005 Ford Mustang
  By AJ - April 6 - 1:53 am

  I bought my 05 Mustang GT this past February and really love it! The performance and the muscle sound of the car takes me back to my 67 HP 289. It does, however, make some very annoying popping noises in the front steering mechanism that even my dealer recognized as a problem. Its taken Ford engineers over 2 months to come up with a fix and mine is still not corrected (now were waiting on the parts). If the car was not such a fun vehicle, I would be very disappointed. I hate to admit this but this is precisely why Ive not bought American built vehicles for a long time.

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  Good All Around, Except a Few Things - 2001 Ford Focus
  By Seth - April 4 - 8:26 pm

  This was one of the first cars I had, and it was very fun. The SOHC I-4 was very stout but I would have liked to have a ZETEC instead. There are a few drawbacks to my car. The factory stereo was good, but it had problems reading CDs so I had to get an aftermarket one. I had the car from 74k to 78k and around 77k, I had some issues with the idle. It would die on me at idle. Probably had bad fuel. The alternator couldnt handle the extra power of a 300 watt amp and a 50 watt CD stereo. Not enough amps. Overall my Focus was a great car and extremely fun to drive, but it lacked power in the top of the RPMs. That would have come in handy at the drag strip.

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  Not Bad At All - 1994 Ford Tempo
  By C Mor - April 4 - 6:44 pm

  I got my Tempo from my Grandpa for free. It was my Grandmas but she barely drove it. When I got it July of last year, it had 44,500 miles on it and is only at 50,100 miles. The body is almost mint except for the few small dings from the parking lot. It sat on a gravel driveway for almost 7 years, only being driven a couple of times a month. Because of that, its very rusty under the hood and chassis, but everything works pretty well. It has all of the original parts except the battery, brakes, and tires and everything seems to be holding up fairly well. Not too many complaints here except for the fact its a Ford and its old

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  Vibration at Highway Speeds - 2006 Ford Escape
  By seadog2 - April 4 - 8:46 am

  Love the style and size and gas efficiency, but on the drive home from the dealer I noticed a vibration at 55mph - drove for about a month (thinking break in) and it never went away. Took to dealer and they "road force balanced" the tires - this appeared to hold for about 20 miles. Its back - apparently there are a few others who have experienced this (NHTSA reports and Usenet). No specific remedy! I will be going back to the dealer and giving them their 3 tries to fix - then its the lemon law. Other than the vibration - I love the little SUV. I test drove a couple of Escape rental cars and did not experience the vibration in those cars.

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  Not at all happy - 2005 Ford Freestyle
  By H. Huber - April 3 - 8:59 pm

  Our Freestyle has been a bit of a disappointment. Ive been a Ford guy for 30 years, but not when it comes to crossover SUVs. With 15mpg in town and 22 highway miles, the fuel economy stinks. The doors sound cheap when you close them and I hate the CVT. On the highway at 70mph the RPMs are way to high for decent fuel economy. And we have to have both rear disc rotor replaced at 10k miles because they wore out and couldnt be turned. Apparently, this is common on the Freestyle and Ford 500. I have 90k on the rotors of a Nissan and only had to turn them once.

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  Not exactly what I thought - 2001 Ford Explorer Sport
  By natumbu - April 3 - 2:00 am

  My Ford Explorer sport is a beauty to look at, fun to drive and I love my moonroof the most. But, with this being my first SUV purchase, I expected a more comfortable suspension. The only issue I have with my Explorer is the suspension on bumpy roads or expecially potholes. I think I would have research the other models more, to see if they provided a more comforatable suspension, but I just didnt want that big four-door version.

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  Taurus Wag - 2004 Ford Taurus
  By T.H. - April 3 - 2:00 am

  My wife and I chose the Taurus wagon over a van due to economy reasons. We needed a little larger vehicle for luggage and passenger purpose when our grandchildren are with us. The wagon with the 3rd rear seat works great! If needed, we have more luggage space inside than a normal trunk or can put it on the roof rack. We are very, very satisfied with the Taurus and are getting about 26-30 mpg highway miles and average of 22 combination. The Texas wind in the panhandle area is terrible but the wagon tracks straight and true. The smaller engine provides plenty of power as far I am concerned.

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  Love my Car - 2003 Ford Expedition
  By Robins Car - April 3 - 2:00 am

  Very comfortable, great ride, could use extra trunk space. When opening the back hatch after grocery shopping, make sure you are on a flat surface or the groceries will exit the car by themselves!

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  Why do I have to clean the wheels every - 2004 Ford Expedition
  By stevo b. - April 3 - 2:00 am

  Brake dust MAJOR problem with this truck, and Ford will do nothing about it.