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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  troublesome - 2013 Ford Fusion
  By terri - October 13 - 2:51 pm

  Terrible gas mileage in winter. At least 13 recalls. Still dont have the lane warning working all the time. only once in a while. terrible service from the dealer in champaign, il. they dont believe me and i have the videos to prove when things dont work. hard to take a trip when you dont know whats going to work and not work at any given time. theres a mold smell apparently my family is the only one that can smell it despite reports online. sometimes the phone doesnt connect. one time, the whole system just shut down and went black. sometimes the ignition acts like its not going to turn over. i could go on and on. after having a Bonneville for 13 years, i finally get a real lemon.

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  Junk. Should have bought the F-150. - 2012 Ford Edge
  By Miko - October 12 - 7:21 pm

  Im 57, 145 lbs. and way too small for this car. The seats were built for someone much fatter. I constantly have to fiddle with the seat position: fore, aft, up, down, nothing is comfortable. It might as well have bench seats when I take a corner at a bit of speed. The "bucket" seats dont hold you in place at all. And the repairs!!! The "door ajar" light kept coming on, even though the door was closed.The "place engine in park" light came on while driving 70 mph down the freeway. Those two repairs cost $1600. Thank goodness I purchased the extended warranty which covered electronics! The windshield wipers came on during broad daylight - no shade- even when the werent set to automatic. The sync is terrible with my iPhone. The sound doesnt always turn off when the button is pressed. The acceleration has a terrible lag. And now, during this autumn heat wave, my air conditioner has gone out. I have only put 15,000 freeway miles on the car and purchased it certified pre-owned 8 months ago. I tried to sell it, but now cant do that due to all the repairs this car has needed. I hate it.

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  18,000 miles on 2014 Focus transmission shot - 2014 Ford Focus
  By Chad - October 11 - 2:09 pm

  Bought in June of 2014 and by September of 2015 and 18,000 mile automatic transmission is shot. Dealership said they will replace it but not happy my new car has big problems already. Makes me scared to keep it past warranty. Meanwhile my Nissan has 38,000 miles on it with not even a light bulb out. Very sad to see Ford quality go down tried to buy American to support the company. Buyers beware of Ford Focus.

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  next time - 2014 Ford Fiesta
  By mike - October 9 - 12:42 pm

  mine is a 2014 fiesta with less than 10,000 miles automatic but drives like a standard . try to make a right or left turn from a stop and it shimeys so badly you have to almost stop .every time there will be no next time buying a ford

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  bought new - 1997 Ford Escort
  By Tony - October 7 - 12:21 am

  We bought this nee and although we got it - 287000 miles it wasnt without lots of work. Alternator 13000 miles serpentine belt 32000 miles water pump 42000 miles alternator again 56000 miles battery 57000 miles EGR valve 62000 miles oxygen sensor 73000 miles fuel pump 81000 miles alternator again 92000 miles transmission torque converter 93000 miles needed new transmission 93000 miles head gasket 98000 miles alternator again 103000 miles blower motor and heater core 106000 miles radiator hundred and twenty eight thousand miles ac 172000 miles alternator again 181000 miles transmission again 201000 miles Im sure Im missing a whole bunch but I cant remember it all

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  Look out after purchase. - 2010 Ford F-150
  By Brad - October 6 - 12:20 pm

  Watch out for the seat heaters! They go out after a few years. Dont put a sticker inside on the rear window. It takes off the rear window defrost and wont work again. Dont get the dual zone climate control. If the drivers side quits, you have to take out the entire dash to fix the blend air valve! Watch this truck for leaks! Loves to leak around the sunroof and upper rear brake light above the rear window. Speaking of sunroof, you had better us it about once per week, or NOT AT ALL. The track dries out, and if you try to open it you will break the track! Which the parts arent expensive, its all the labor! They Goodyear tires that came on my FX4 were terrible! I think I got 32,000 miles out of the set. Not what I was expecting.

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  nothing but problems - 2012 Ford Fiesta
  By Jack - October 5 - 4:03 pm

  I have had constant transmission problems. Car constantly shudders in low gear. i have had it back for servicing 5 times in 3 years and the problem is still not corrected. Car also has constant transmission noises the dealership has stated that the noise is part of the transmission and is to be expected. I owned a Taurus and a Focus before this but i will not buy a Ford vehicle again

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  Stranded twice and recalls galore - 2013 Ford Escape
  By Brad McLaughlin - October 5 - 1:36 pm

  My 2013 Escape was purchased brand new. As the sole owner for 30 months and 107,000 miles I was extremely disappointed with the this car. I have owned a Ford car for 17 of my 27 years as a driver. This Escape left me stranded twice due to phantom overheating alarms that were part of numerous recalls. The car was at the dealer for service more than 12 days of those 18 months. All for recall issues. Dont buy a Ford on their first model year.

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  Great Vehicle Until the Turbo Died - 2013 Ford Escape
  By James Tarpley - September 29 - 8:40 am

  After the initial recalls in 2013, my 2013 Escape SEL was very reliable. I had it in the shop three times in 3 years (78K miles). Ironically, all three times were because the cluster communicated that Engine Coolant was low and the engine needed to be serviced. The first two times, the local Ford dealer ran a pressure test and it passed with no leaks. The dealer informed me that sometimes the coolant just leaves the system and they cant find the reason for it. The third time, they advised me that it was still holding pressure, but the turbo was leaking oil (causing a fire hazard), so it needed to be replaced. After seeing the $3,000 estimate to replace the turbo and comparing it to a resale value of $12K, I elected to sell the vehicle at auction without performing the repairs. At auction, with the necessary repair disclosed, I was able to get $9,600 for it, so it worked out in my favor. The only other issues I had were Ford Sync related. The radio and blue tooth connection would stop all sound through the vehicle speakers. The Ford Sync people walked me through the process for fixing it the first couple of times. I had to perform a master reset on the electronic system. This is like restoring an Iphone to original condition and erasing all added data. Lastly, as far as mileage, I averaged 26K miles/year. My combined average fuel economy came out to 21.2 MPG. Not bad mileage, but not what I expected for a 4 cylinder motor with an "Eco-boost" performance enhancer. I even adjusted the performance of the motor to be as economical as possible. I really did like my 2013 Ford Escape SEL and was sad to leave it at the dealer and send it to auction. It was a pretty comfortable ride on trips. I took a 5 day trip from NW Arkansas to Washington DC and back, and I was pretty comfortable the entire trip. Unfortunately, the cost of replacing the turbo was roughly 25% of the entire vehicle, and with the motor/transmission and electronics being 3 years old with 78K miles, I could not justify that significant of an expense. If I had picked the 6 cylinder option without the turbo, I would never have let it go.

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  Ford focus 2014 - 2014 Ford Focus
  By Damron Walton - September 25 - 9:46 pm

  Ford focus see 2014 great everything but one special auto transmission DCT junk horrible so I result test find out when traffic slow acc shake and vibration 1 and 2 gear horrible 3,4,5,6 fine smooth but stop and go 1,2 shake vibration try again when stop I try bit more gas fast no shake or vibration smooth1,2,3,4,5,6 look like bad eclectic control dual clutch????? Why ford do not redesign or update because made Mexico trans shot maybe not right lab test???