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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  LEMON - 2011 Ford Fiesta
  By Kori - October 27 - 6:24 pm

  Dont do it. I bought one and I cant even resell because of the Notorious transmission and its defects.

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  Complete junk!! - 2013 Ford Focus
  By Bri - October 25 - 1:00 pm

  So in 2011 I bought a new ford fiesta and after having it for one year the transmission went out. I figured that car was just a lemon and traded it for a new 2013 focus se...big mistake!! After having it for a couple months it started jerking and shuttering very badly. Took it to the dealership and they said it was not supposed to do it all the time just every once in a while. For two years after that I complained about the car and took it into the dealership and all they would do was reprogram it or say there is nothing wrong. Finally in July of 2015 the dealership replaced the clutch and it stopped shuttering almost entirely. Its been 3 months and I have only felt it shutter twice, huge improvement, but of course something else went wrong. Then one day my car did not want to go into reverse and the engine light came on as well. Then it would not drive after putting it in gear. I had to have it towed to the dealership and the transmission control module had to be replaced. This was before ford sent out the letter about the problems with the tcm. Now I am having another problem! Yesterday when I turned my a/c on it made a loud whining noise,the entire dashboard started vibrating, and no air came out. I turned it on and off and the same thing happened. The third time the a/c came on and no more noise. This car is a pile of crap that needs to be recalled but we all know Ford doesnt want to take responsibility for it. Do not buy this car PLEASE!!! Everyone Ive known with one has had problems. It is a waste of money and unreliable.

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  Get a different car! Fiesta NO lemon YES - 2012 Ford Fiesta
  By M. C. - October 23 - 12:40 am

  Do not buy this cute little lemon!!! Recalls recalls recalls !!! And brake trouble, transmission trouble engine light always on , car revs at stop signs the service manager said Im not letting the engine warm up before driving!!! As hot as its been in Southern California thats absurd!!! Im done!! Time for a lemon law lawyer! I took it for a recall repair and they CHARGEd me 300 dollars for a throttle body !!! And threatened to take it back out if I didnt pay! And claimed to give me a 300 dollar Ford discount to offset the 600 dollar price tag!!!! I will NEVER buy another Ford!!! To think I was trying to support American made items!! Well they arent supporting me!! I drive up hill to my house each nite and my car stalls for a few seconds each time!, thats dangerous!! Shall I die for an American made car??? %#Â¥ NO!!! Im done!!! Give me back my Toyota!

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  Dont buy this car. - 2013 Ford Fiesta
  By Steve Haering - October 18 - 10:30 am

  Acceleration - dismal at best, I wouldnt want to be in front of a semi-truck when the light turns green. Bluetooth - in theory its fine. But to turn it on, you have to use the voice activation and say "Bluetooth audio" whenever you start the car. It gets old after 50,000 miles. Braking - Substandard. I feel like Im driving a Mustang. Good luck braking on anything but dry pavement Cargo / Storage - Good enough to put someone in the trunk. The back seat could use space. Climate control - The spray seems a bit uneven in places Comfort - Only one arm rest and no center console. Awesome Dealership Support - Yeah, thats funny. Every time I take it in for transmission grinding "Oh, well recalibrate it. Wait three days". Electronics - Somehow they have a crappy Microsoft radio that only supports USB connections via an Apple device. Explain that one. Entertainnment - what entertainment? Performance - see above. Fuel Economy - It gets a great 40mpg when youre cruising on flat land at 55mph. Headlights - dismal, cant see anything. The brights are like my Camaros regular beams. Navigation - None Noise and Vibration - the tranny is constantly shuddering. Makes me feel really good about driving it, let me tell you. Purchase cost - I could have bought a bottom of the line Camaro for three thousand more. Reliability - little to none due to the Tranny issue. Resale value - abysmal. Okay. Anyway. Let me actually go into detail a little bit. This car is fine, until you hit the transmission issues. It shudders, it clicks, it whines, and it makes you feel like you arent actually going to shift, instead its going to stall out. Its an AUTOMATIC and it feels like its going to stall. Awesome, right? Ive had it into the dealership five times for the same issue, they keep recalibrating the transmission, and absolutely nothing happens. Someone explain that one to me. Trying to get rid of this car is like trying to get rid of herpies - its impossible. Probably because everyone knows that its a horrible car.

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  Steer clear of the new focus. - 2013 Ford Focus
  By Mr. Willoughby - October 16 - 8:52 am

  Dont buy one with an automatic trans. They are total junk. Dual clutched, fluidless paper weights is about all theyre worth. May as well put a lemon badge on the front grille. I bought my 2013 SE flexfuel sedan with 13 miles on it. Ive got over 60k now, but ive been in the shop 4 times due to trans. My car is actually on its 3rd. transmission since new. Still getting the issues as the first 2 did. Guess i shouldve bought a foriegn car. Atleast theyre a lot more reliable. Thank you FORD for ruining 1/3 of american automotive reliability. The worst part is that most car lots wont even give a fair trade in automatics because they are aware of focus transmission problems... ughh!

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  Lemon! - 2013 Ford Focus
  By Sara - October 14 - 11:50 am

  This is by far the worst vehicle Ive ever owned, and Ford has been the worst automobile manufacturer Ive ever dealt with. The car has all of the transmission problems others have noted: shuddering between 1st and 2nd gear, sometimes failing to shift at all, and now a sudden apparent shift into neutral while driving, which will not resolve until the car is shut off and then turned back on some time later (maybe a few seconds, maybe minutes, maybe longer). Ford has told us all of these things: 1. "The car is designed for European drivers." 2. "It functions as designed." 3. "We couldnt duplicate the problem, so we had to charge you a $50 diagnostic fee." 4. "We know whats wrong with it but we have to jump through a million hoops and wait for Ford to get it fixed." Im ready to get rid of this car. There is an extended warranty, but the car cannot be permanently fixed despite multiple repairs, it is not safe to drive, Ford wont help and wont acknowledge that the car does not function well. Ill NEVER have another Ford.

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  DO NOT GET ONE! - 2013 Ford Fusion
  By nichole - October 13 - 7:13 pm

  These are horrible cars. We have only had ours maybe 5 months, got it used. Has 45,000 miles on it. Has transmission issues which dealer has tired to "fix" twice. They reprogrammed the pcm and did not fix the problem. Now were back in the shop with same transmission issue and this time a coolant hose broke and vehicle over heated. Did I mention It only had 45,000? Definitely stick with a Honda or Toyota. I truly feel bad for anyone else who gets one of these they are very disposable, not made to last.

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  Ford Focus & Fiesta - JUST SAY NO! - 2014 Ford Focus
  By a76austin@gmail.com - October 13 - 12:59 pm

  First, I purchased the 2013 Ford Fiesta (Brand new). Went in for transmission repairs FIVE times. (Lurching, jerking, hesitation, failure to switch gears, and finally stalling out). The dealership kept telling me it was fixed each time. They gave me the run around until I was worried my warranty would run out before they actually got the problem fixed. So thinking I got a lemon, I traded it in for a new 2014 Ford Focus. This one is even worse. Same exact transmission problems. Shutters terribly when trying to switch gears, will stall out trying to upshift, and then suddenly LURCH forward with the RPMs going to 6,000 almost 7,000. Power will stall out when merging onto the highway. Has nearly caused numerous accidents. Not only are these cars poor quality, they are very dangerous and hazardous to drive. When the light turns green, and your car stops mid-intersection with oncoming traffic, and then suddenly lurches forward at top speed, thats a problem. I am currently waiting on my second repair for my Focus, and have been told by the dealership that the clutches for the transmissions are on 8-12 week backorder. Not sure if this transmission will even last that long. The car has 31,000 miles, issues started at 15,000. Have spoken with the class action attorney in California, and a lemon law attorney here in N.C. My advice if you get/have one of these cars, KEEP and collect ALL your repair records. The lemon law attorney here told me that Ford has been VERY slow, much more slow than other manufacturers to even respond to their lemon law complaints, because of the sheer number of them coming in. So in my opinion, stay away from Ford all together. I know I will from now on.

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  Worst SUV on the Planet !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - 2013 Ford Escape
  By DM Piazza - October 12 - 4:19 pm

  Worst SUV ever!!!!!!!!!!! Bought my Escape SEL/AWD brand new push start technology package, rear hatch release sensor, auto start, ambient lighting, heated front seats pretty loaded. Let’s start with the obvious issue 1st it stalls when you are driving it. This happened 5 times in 2 years once pulling into the driveway (husband was driving) ok let’s chalk that up to a fluke. The 2nd time it stalled I was pulling into my work parking lot so far each time it was taken right back to dealership and left there for them to FIX every time within hours I was called to say they could not duplicate the problem so hence no found issue nothing done.. The 3rd time it stalled was on Highway Route 1 in stop and go traffic I almost got back ended so again right back to the dealership mind you this is all in the first year and a half of owning it. This time it stayed there for almost a week and the dealer said it had a recall so they would update the electronics (still however not able to duplicate the problem) and asked me if I was sure I was not turning it off while driving it??? REALLY??? REALLY??? YES I AM POSITIVE I AM NOT TURNING OFF MY CAR WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING IT !!!!!!!!!!! Received the call it was ready and to come get it. Ok off I go back to the dealership hopeful all will be fixed and I will have no more issues. Oh was I mistaken I left the dealership and headed down Route 295 to pick up a friend HUGE MISTAKE !!!!!! about 5 miles into my drive in stop and go traffic yep you guessed it STALLED AGAIN!!!!!!! At this point I am losing my mind and call to have them come pick up the death trap on the side of the road. Again no problem when they get it back to the dealership. Now I am still shaken up but willing to take it again. This time for a few months its ok I am optimistic that all is better and the issue is resolved. Oh how wrong I was……. The last time it decided it didn’t want to continue driving it stalled while I was making a left hand turn into a shopping center in the middle of a very busy 4 lane road I almost caused a several car accident thank goodness I was used to the stalling and threw it in neutral started in and floored it into the lot just missed getting t-boned but a second. This was it for me it took me over an hour to stop shaking, crying and being able to breathe again. The escape was traded by the end of the week. Since getting rid of it I have found out a lot of other people have had the same issue with accidents due to their escape stalling while driving it. I will never own another Ford product as long as I live. Ford is aware of the Issue and is being charged by the NHSA for not warning consumers of this huge problem with the Escape & Focus. There is a class action Law Suit also due to Ford not taking responsibility. So if you are looking into this SUV please do a lot of home work. I feel truly lucky that this suv did not kill me while I owned it.

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  POS - 2012 Ford Focus
  By peter - October 9 - 6:11 pm

  Beware of this car. 2012 model year has transmission problems. It has been in the shop five times for new transmission fixes...software, parts..etc. It has stalled while being driven 4 times. It is an absolute hazard. Ford customers service is the worst. They will absolutely not stand behind their products..especially a LEMON! The trade-in value is embarrassing low. Basically, I have lost the entire value of the car. It is worth more at the junk yard.