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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  Better then I ever expected - 2013 Ford Fiesta
  By Andre - August 27 - 2:45 pm

  I have had this car for around a month. I live in southern California and it has already been to South Dakota and back. The car was amazing during the 3000 mile round trip. Comfortable for as small as it is. Im a big guy and I fit nicely. The interior is very much better then I could.have hopped for. The soft touch feels better then cheap hard plastic. Im not a huge fan of the red lights I like the blue of the newer models. The accent lighting is a useless touch but makes the car stylish. The 6 speaker sound system Id amazing. Great bass, and clear highs. A big plus was no rattling from the speakers. The sound system is a little confusing and hard to use but works very well. Interior road noise is heard but not over the top. Engine noise is very present but in a way that makes you want to work it. The engine revs to redline very smoothly. It feels at home at higher rpm. The Powershift transmission is different. It is weird and parking lot speeds but under hard acceleration it wakes up. There is almost no torque loss between shifts and is very eager to get moving. Its a great concept but needs some refinement. I swore Id never drive a small car again. But I am very happy with this little ford Fiesta. Ford did their homework with this car. Nothing better then a warm so Cal night by the beach moonroof open windows down music up. My advise, take a serious look at this car. Its heart is bigger then its size. I was able to get it to 105 mph and the car drove straight, and on corse. Breaking is on the weak side. Rear disk word have been a better option. Very happy with this little car.

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  The Good and the Ugly - 1993 Ford Taurus
  By Worst Ford ever made - August 27 - 1:59 pm

  The 93 Taurus was a great car if you got the right one.. The right one was the cheap one, the GL without the 3.8ltr V6, if you got a cheap-o one with the 3.0 and the bench seats these cars were fantastic. I however didnt. I ended up getting a LX wagon, with the 3.8 and all the bells and whistles.. This was a mistake. The transmission was horrible, it would blow through torque converters at least one every 3 months, the electronics were GM 80s quality, where you would only have the AC in the rain, and the window switches would only work if you got them wet first. The Electric seats jammed and would not go forward unless you did the dog but drag on the seat to pull them forward. The stock radio was terrible, even by 1993 standards, the car had another feature that would auto lock the doors, even if you were in park, so if you got out of the car after starting it to warm it up, and closed the door, you had to break into your own car to get back into it. The engine had good torque, and the seats were comfortable, but the quality of the car.. the build quality was something that even Hyundai with an excel surpassed.. I eventually gave up after about 25-30 torque converters and months of loaner cars, and bought a 1999 corolla, which lasted close to 400K miles without a single issue.. The resale of a 1993 taurus in 1999 with 67K miles on it was 3500.00 Worst car ever!

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  Drive Shaft, Door Latches and all 4 door agitators - 2010 Ford Escape
  By Anthony S. - August 27 - 8:50 am

  I bought my 2010 Ford Escape used with 27,000 miles on it in October, 2012. I had a drive shaft issue which was fixed by the dealer as a recall item. When I reached roughly the 40,000 mile mark in early 2014 I began to see problems with my door latches opening with the remote key fob ( I realize the mileage has NOTHING to do with the door agitators). Since I didnt always open all 4 doors and it was happening only once in a while it wasnt that much of a hindrance. My driver side always (and still does) work with an old fashioned key turn process. Fast forward to the fall of 2014 and now 3 of my 4 doors were giving me problems. I took it to the dealer and the verbal quote to fix the problem was "around $2000.00". I knew the problem wasnt going to fix itself but it was more than I could afford at the time. It was especially difficult to imagine that a car worth around $10,000 had 20% of its value in door latches and agitators. Beginning summer of 2015 all four doors were/are only working with the remote about 1 out of 10 times. But my driver side rear door now wasnt opening AT ALL. I took it back to the dealer, who was extremely courteous, and they gave me a written quote of $2,200 for the 4 door latches/agitators plus another $500.00 for the door that wouldnt open problem. So now I have a car worth about $8,500 with about 25-30% of its value in those door latches. The car was perfect for my size (64) and worked great when all of the current issues were not issues. In doing my research, it is difficult for me to believe that there hasnt been a recall on this problem since so many other people have had door latch/agitator problems with Ford Escapes. The dealership(s) (I have spoken to 2 certified Ford Dealerships in the process) have NEVER seen all 4 door latches go. The fact that they occasionally work tells me that it could be another issue but the dealership is pretty confident that it is the agitator. Hopefully a recall becomes available in the near future or I may be forced to trade this car in rather than put out so much money for such a seemingly minor issue. I may be better off selling off parts since they apparently carry way more value than a traditional trade-in.

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  Great car - 2014 Ford Fusion
  By Chris Grisdale - August 27 - 8:22 am

  Bought this car after having a 2007 Fusion that I never had to fix anything on besides normal things like tires and brakes. I have 22k on the new car with only one problem the seatbelt in the back was made wrong. The dealer replaced it and every thing works great. My 2007 Fusion got about 26 MPG (2.3l 4-cyl manual transmision) on my run to work and had about a 160Hp my new Fusion is getting about 27-28 MPG with 240Hp (2.0l turbo)...Id say that is a win for EcoBoost. My Ford Touch can be slow at times but I love it. Heated and Cooled seats are the best. The heated steering wheel needs work the outer rim heats up but nothing else. This is the first automatic trasmission that I have not hated. I usually drive manuals but my wife talked me into an automatic because she cant/wont drive one.

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  I currently own a 1985 - 1990 Ford Mustang
  By ThatGuy - August 26 - 3:27 pm

  I am the second owner of a 47K mile 1985 5.0 LX vert. I love this car, i have a chevy Volt i drive daily and have this as a weekend nice weather cruiser. The car has a bunch of upgrades and a few things removed, because at this point it is a classic and will never have to be smogged again. The car by todays standards is horribly inefficient, extremely unsafe, and the fit and finish from day one was terrible. They rusted the day you left the lot, and there are not many left that are either original cars, or were looked after there entire life. The convertibles suffer from chassis twist due to torque, and there are quite a bunch of them out there that are permanently bent. What makes these cars great is the simplicity, anyone can pick up a cheap set of tools and wrench on these cars, the parts are cheap, and with less than 1000.00 you can put together a junk yard 500+HP build. Mechanically they are pretty well bulletproof, and are very simple to fix when they break. These however are not cars you buy to daily drive any longer, unless you are a kid, who has the time to work on them weekly to fix things, and does not care about safety or fuel costs. All this being said, the sound of the old small block 5.0 is intoxicating, the grunt when you lift off the clutch and the gear engages, and the RPMs rise is what draws the motor heads to these cars, and the reason mine will be mine until i die. Here is a brief list for anyone checking reviews for a Fox body mustang they want to buy.. 1. They rust, but the worst places are generally at the lower portions of the strut towers where the weld is to the frame rails in the engine bay. If they are rusted, unless this is a low number car like an original Saleen, i would just walk away. 2. The Rear main seals are notorious to leak, this is a cheap part, but you have to take the tranny off to get it out, so be prepared for a new clutch, and all the additional parts that will likely need to be replaced.. 3. Valve cover gaskets were cork, they are probably shot too.. 4. Intake manifold gaskets leak out of the rear, generally leak down the rear of the engine and look like a rear main seal, when they probably arent they are cheap and easy to fix for even a novice. 5. Oil pan gaskets leak, these are not fun to change.. Generally have to lift the engine about 3in to clear the cross member, and you dont want it to continue to leak, it will burn off the collectors off the exhaust.. 6. Every vacuum line under the hood is likely dry rotted by now, you will likely have to re-plumb every line, or make the choice to go carb and get rid of all the clutter of lines. 7. Body rust, if it is a vert, keep in mind that doors are nearly impossible to find, so if there is rust in the doors, i would just walk away. 8. electrical.. Most of these cars if they are stock have a solid electrical system. 9. exhausts, although they were stainless, they are likely also shot by now, i needed to replace mine, and it ran me about 1100.00 to do it the right way. 10. Convertible tops are 1200.00 11. Convertibles should have frame connectors installed, this will stop the flex, and the rattling.. Its worth doing. 12. suspension, most of the parts for the suspension are cheap, easy to find, and easy to replace. Aside from the listed items above, anyone looking to buy one of these should check the forums first as they generally have classifieds of these for sale, and most of them listed on those sites have been well taken care of.

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  gotta have it green retirement dream car - 2014 Ford Mustang
  By Timothy Burkholder - August 26 - 1:20 pm

  I have always been a mustang lover since I owned a 69 mach1 when I was 17. I was looking for a perfect vehicle for my retirement, and so I bought a 2014 mustang with the 3.7L v6 and am so happy with it. It gives me the performance when I need it and the fuel economy when I dont. I am getting an average of 26 mpg to and from work. I get so many people looking at my car with the "gotta have it green". I know they are green with envy. Keep up the great work Ford.

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  2013 explorer sport shortcomings - 2013 Ford Explorer
  By Evan Edwards - August 26 - 9:36 am

  Have a 2013 ford explorer sport black on black. Fantastic looking vehicle and have been pleased overall until the warranty ran out. Currently at 38000 which is 2000 over. Basically one month. Ac compressor locked up and caused belt to break which left vehicle without power steering and had to be towed. Ford said " too bad out of warranty, you owe $1100. ". Vehicle is 2.5 years old. This does not seem to be a normal item to malfunction so early on and am very disappointed that Ford is taking position of no responsibility. The sync system is as bad as others say. Never worked as advertised which had been a major incentive to buy the vehicle. Also the rear parking aid stopped working and I considered that to be a minor concern but perhaps its more indicative of future things to come. I was happy that ford had turned things around in 2009 and felt good about the purchase but not anymore. Cant imagine what I would do had the transmission failed instead of just the ac.

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  My first new car FORD EDGE SPORT. what a nightmare - 2011 Ford Edge
  By Joann rodriguez - August 25 - 10:57 pm

  This car has so many issues, the camera stops working, the drivers door latch isnt working. Which is a safety issue. There are 1000 people complaining about it and Ford is ignoring it. They should have a recall. The electrical in this car is dangerous. And the tires OMG. I dont recommend a FORD TO ANYONE.

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  New Edge Night and Day Difference - 2015 Ford Edge
  By Jeff Cermak - August 25 - 8:28 am

  We traded in our 2013 Edge SEL and opted for the 2015 Edge Titanium. We are very impressed with the new design both inside and out. Our new Edge is as quiet if not more than my mother in laws 2015 BMW X5. The ride quality has improved even with the optional 20in Tires. I know people gripe about the My Ford Touch, but knock on wood we have never had any issues. The push button controls are a nice alternative to My Ford Touch. The engine provides more than enough power for us in the hills in and around Pittsburgh. We are still under 5000 miles, but continue to be pleased with our purchase. I would definitely recommend this to friends and family.

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  I Love this Car! - 2013 Ford Focus
  By Nile - August 24 - 6:21 pm

  Okay a lot of people harsh on this car because it had a clutch recall, but seriously people if you take your [non-permissible content removed] to the dealrship the replace it for free! For free people! Once you have that done the car is great! Mine gets in the 40s mpg. I drove a round trip from Salt Lake City to the grand canyon and got 43.5 mpg average. The bluetooth system rocks! Its so great taking calls hands free! The car is zippy and I have driven it through a blizzard in the middle of Wyoming. When I traded my subaru for this car I was a bit timid. In fact I named my focus subi in hopes that some of my old cars reliability would wear off on it. This is by far the best car I have owned. I have put 40,000 miles on it in one year and it has treated me so good through it all.