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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  junk - 2014 Ford Fusion Hybrid
  By Rose - November 15 - 1:47 am

  Only 25k on my vehicle and I continuously have issues with the car not starting/no power. Go to unlock my car, alarm not working; Manually unlock my car. Turn the key in the ignition, nothing. No power. I would not recommend this vehicle to my worst enemy.

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  windshield glare - 2006 Ford Explorer
  By Jason - November 7 - 11:03 am

  This is pathetic. The windshield glare is terrible. The entire dashboard is reflected onto the windshield. It is dangerous and distracting. The dealer claims its a "normal glare." Dont buy the 06 Explorers with the tan interior. The engineers knew of this defect but did not fix it. They dont care. I have owned Ford cars all of my life. This is the last Ford I will drive. I will tell everyone I know about the lack of customer service. This is very upsetting that Ford stands behind such crap!

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  Horror Movie Lemon Law - 2016 Ford Escape
  By Blong2+ - November 7 - 10:29 am

  I was sad to see that someone else had a Ford 2016 Escape that cut off going down the road. Mine also said going down the road at 60 miles per hour that "the car was not in Park". Mine went a little further when all the screens went black and the window washers came on. I also recorded this with my phone. The SUV stopped working several times and I took it to different dealerships. None could find out what was wrong. Each gave me a car to drive while it was being worked on. After the Horror Movie response I refused to get back into that car. I tried to find out what to do to invoke the Lemon Law. None of the dealerships had given me any of the paperwork, without the paperwork no attorney could help me. I had a case manager at Ford but that is just a pacifier to keep me quiet. The dealership required that I take the Horror Movie Car back which I refused so they sold me another Ford 2016 Escape with penalties for high mileage on the next car. I am now $10K upside down in the car. Customer service is a real joke. Attorneys can not help you without the paperwork trail that I had asked for each time Service agents at 3 dealerships said since I did not pay for the service and that it was a Warranty job that I did not need the papers.

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  built ford junk - 2013 Ford Fiesta
  By bj - September 28 - 3:51 am

  unless you want to die in a car do not purchase this car.

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  Ford Motor Company - F=Fix O=Or R=Repair D=Daily! - 2012 Ford Focus
  By TW - Unsatisfied Customer! - August 4 - 5:51 pm

  I purchased a 2012 Ford Focus SEL in August 2012. Brand new car with no mileage. After a few weeks of having the car, it happened, your worst nightmare....MAJOR manufactured Ford Motor Company parts just failed and caused me a world of spending time-off from work, commuting back and forth, and just a very stressful time dealing with car issue after car issue daily and weekly, and on a "NEW" car!! Every year from 2012-2016 I have had "MAJOR" mechanical, technological, and Ford Motor Company manufactured parts issues! How is this fair to your customers? How can Ford Motor Company "NOT" help to resolve these issues rightfully with the customer? What ever happened to "Ethics" and "Morals", doing the RIGHT thing by your customer? The Executive Chair states in their Website, “I believe the purpose of a company is to make people’s lives better,” he says. “That is how we became great in the past and it is how we will become even greater in the future.” This is a false statement. Many consumer lives have been turned upside down, inside out, and damaged due to Ford Motor Company!! This is not acceptable customer service! Ford Motor Company has not created any "EHTICAL & RIGHT" strategy or plan to "HELP" their customers with car issues due to Ford Motor Company "FAULT". They are making us pay for Ford Motor Company mistakes! What ever happened to Customer Care??

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  Junk - 2006 Ford Expedition
  By Jason - July 24 - 5:42 pm

  Ford should be sued over this horrible product. The 5.4 3v is plagued with problems and wont do anything for the loyal customers to fix or replace vehicles.

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  You will have fun racing bicyclists - 2011 Ford Transit Connect
  By lexxter - July 5 - 1:37 pm

  This is the worst vehicle I have ever had the displeasure of driving. It is extremely uncomfortable. It is extremely slow. The A/C sucks! The heater sucks! The radio sucks! The hubcaps fall off. The cabin noise is terrible. You may want to wear earplugs. I drive with the gas pedal stomped at all times. I cannot wait until the engine blows, which will not be long. I would rather be driving a 72 pinto.

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  need physical therepy - 2016 Ford Fusion
  By j cat - July 1 - 9:18 am

  this is not a vehicle to use to drive more than 1 hour. the seats caused my legs to get numb.. drove this 2400 miles and I was sore for 2 days after I returned it. the good is MPG 32, brakes also. the bad directional control too high/road vibs in the steering wheel / stability on uneven hywy vehicle rocks side to side/ steering is too tight ,just a small movement causes the vehicle to move too much/engine is loud on loading up grades/transmission stays in high gear too long on slowing down/engine has not compression,low torque. the real bad , delay in acceleration when stopped .. when the power pedal is depressed at idle the engine is not engaging for about 1.5 sec.. not good when trying to get back on the road .

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  Do some real research before buying the Fiesta. - 2017 Ford Fiesta
  By M Smith - June 18 - 11:08 pm

  BEWARE! extremely poor build quality. Made in Mexico. I really want to like this car with its European design, and great economy, however, the build quality is horrible. The front shocks were no good from day one, some of the trim (fit and finish is falling apart). The Air Conditioning has been an intermittent problem from day one. Numerous trips to the dealer for service with the same "It didnt happen while it was here, so we cant/ wont fix anything.) he AC blows cold/ hot randomly and without pattern.

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  Buyer Beware - 2012 Ford Focus
  By Bill Smith - June 11 - 4:26 am

  Bought car new and have had nothing but troubles with transmission. This car should be on recall as it is a safety issue when driving at highway speeds and car decides to buck and jump. Just traded it on a new Camry will never buy another Ford car. Real disappointment and the dealer could only make excuses. This car could get you killed when driving at highway speeds. Read the internet it is full of horror stories regarding the transmission. Purchased this car with the hopes it would be a dependable vehicle and then had to trade it in to get something dependable. Ford is terrible to deal with, dont buy this car if it is your primary driver as it will let you down and Ford will only make excuses for an inferior product. The Focus rates there with the flaming Pinto.