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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  Worse Car I have Ever Driven - 2006 Ford Freestyle
  By sharris2 - June 29 - 2:00 am

  Ford Freestyle was bought for safety as I do a lot of Highway driving. Since last October car was in for problems 6 times, electrical system failed, rear brakes completely shot, last week fuel pressure hose went, car was a death trap, gas spewing out of the bottom. Roadside assistance which we paid extra for wouldnt take it with fuel leak. Dealership was terrible with what they wanted to give us back on this car. I would never again in my life buy a Ford car of any description

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  Ford Escape 2006 Sad Situation - 2006 Ford Escape
  By lisa - June 16 - 4:45 pm

  Buy one as long as you dont mind putting up 4k for a new transmission at 40k miles over the 36/36m and out of warranty. No help from Ford Motor and the dealer orig purchased from is closed.. so out of luck? sad situation Always loved and took good care of the car then in the high speed lane Boston traffic. just died and now have a 4k in repair bill thanks Ford!

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  Hate Fords! - 2006 Ford Fusion
  By MelissasFusion - June 15 - 9:38 am

  I purchased my Brand NEW Ford Fusion in 06 not to long after that the interior door handles are sticking and the back two are actually broken! Ford wont replace and they want like $100 a piece! this should be something they should want to replace due to safety issues at no cost! They are not very helpful at all!

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  Interior doesnt make up for bad drive - 2010 Ford Focus
  By Relyat08 - June 6 - 9:21 am

  Straight off the lot I realized I had made a mistake. I had hoped Ford could pull off a good car, just this once, but instead I drove off in a lemon. Ever since the purchase I have gotten awful gas mileage, slow and sluggish acceleration, poor handling and all in all a horrible drive. I am sure that a properly made Focus would be fine but mine is constantly having problems. Most recently my sync just stopped working randomly in the middle of a song and switched to AM radio. I never touched a thing. I cringe at the gas station when I get 20 MPG! While driving conservatively. If I was flooring it everywhere I would understand, but I am barely keeping up with traffic and this is what I get.

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  Transmission failure at 91,000 miles - 2004 Ford Freestar
  By maria - June 5 - 2:50 pm

  The car was fine, even my kids loved driving it but the transmission failed even with good maintenance. Im disappointed. Our temp gauge failed during the 2nd year of use.

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  A disappointment - 1996 Ford Explorer
  By EdC - June 4 - 10:19 pm

  This SUV was the first vehicle I got to drive as soon as I received my license. Once I did receive it, I got to see all the problems that accompanied it. In 8 years, we had to replace the transmission 3 times. There was an incredible amount of body roll at speeds above 55 mph (that made it feel dangerous on the highway), and the suspension had a horrendous squeak whenever the wheels drove over anything. Gas mileage was terrible with the weak V6. However, regardless of all its faults, I got very close to this car and was sad to finally see it go when we discarded it through the Cash for Clunkers program.

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  If it blows up tomorrow I wont miss it! - 2004 Ford Freestar
  By alwayscrazy - May 28 - 4:00 pm

  Bought the van in 2004 since then you name it it has broke the 6 disk cd player (twice) window controls, seat belts, 3rd row bench, brakes, a/c, calipers, horn, passenger sliding door groans (had it in the shop numerous times), the sliding door locks dont always work (been fixed many times, wheel bearings, and much more. Warranty runs out soon dont know what we will do then. Will never buy a Ford again, the freestar has ruined it. Thanks Ford

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  I got a lemon - 2010 Ford Flex
  By camumma - May 26 - 5:22 pm

  Ive had my Flex 5 mo. and it has 4,600 mi on it. Ive had nothing but problems from day one. Its been in the shop 3xs. The speakers do Morse code, the dash board squeaks but most importantly, the transmission slips around 3xs a week. Ive taken it to 2 dealerships and so far they cant duplicate the issues. The turning radius is horrible! I have to do a lot of 3 points when back out of parking spots. The gas mileage stays at 17 mi/hr no matter if Im driving fwys or streets. It did not get better after the "break in" period. There is no access to the 3rd row with 2 car seats. I have to have passengers crawl in from the back. I plan on contacting a lawyer.

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  Never Buying American Ever Again! - 2010 Ford Escape
  By transatlantic90 - May 20 - 4:46 pm

  Very Disappointed. In the shop within the first month! FORD = Fix Or Repair Daily

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  What were they Thinking? - 2006 Ford Escape
  By Luke - May 19 - 10:33 am

  First off, this car was a mistake. Many problems, and they just reoccurred over and over again. Not worth the Money. It lost half its value since i bought it. let me start with the problems. 1. The radio has gone bad 3 times. 2. The windows make a horrible racket. 3. The Engine Dry starts. (had normal maintenance.)4. The transmissions are junk. After talking to my mechanic, he said that he has replaced a ton of them. they go bad very quickly, and the starting price for a rebuilt one if 3k. so now i have a money pit, sitting in another state, worth half what i owe, and i cannot even fix it. Great Idea Ford. I DO NOT recommend this vehicle unless u pay 5k or less for it.