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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  What a dud - 2001 Ford Taurus
  By Zac - August 28 - 7:59 pm

  I bought this car as my first car about 3 and a half years ago. As soon as I finished paying it off, it started having one major problem after another. I liked driving the car while it worked, but all too often it didnt. I have only put ~16k miles on it since January 07 and Ive had 3 major breakdowns with it. Kept regular maintenance on it, the car was just a dud. I wouldnt even recommend this car to my enemies, Im not that cruel.

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  Terrible car - 2001 Ford Taurus
  By ihateford - August 27 - 2:34 am

  I bought the car when it had 50,000 and the transmission went out at 63,000 I took it to the Ford dealership and they replaced it. 4000 dollars! Then at 130,000 the transmission went out again I hate this car it is a piece of junk I will never own Ford again the Taurus transmissions are very weak

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  Review - 2009 Ford Flex
  By Bella - August 24 - 2:27 pm

  My flex is very comfortable, plenty of room for my family of five. The third row seat can fit adults. The internal voice activated communication system is great. What I dont like is that there are a lot of blind spots I have difficulty seeing past the support post on the passenger side. We have had the car for about a year now and I am starting to notice that there are whistling sounds when I drive and the breaks are squealing, which the dealership cannot replicate so they havenÂ’t fixed it. If I had it to do over Im not sure if I would buy a flex again.

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  Junk - 2002 Ford Explorer
  By Kern - August 23 - 12:37 pm

  I bought this slightly used with only 14k miles. Nice looking truck inside and out. But after only owning it a year, everything started going wrong. Interior lights shorted out and so did the mirror ext. lights. Coil spring went. Mechanic said it was a design flaw that fords knew about it. Wheel bearings all the way around at 40k miles. Power window problems at 50k. Then at 80, rear diff. and trans went so we got rid of it. It was a money pit. It still rode nice the day we got rid of it but too many repairs. My last Ford explorer purchase.

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  Not a Lemon, but NOT a great car - 2003 Ford Focus
  By CharlestonGurl - August 20 - 10:01 am

  I bought my 03 Ford Focus LX used at 35000 mi. Drove great for first year. Soon after, alternator died (after draining 2 batteries), brakes CONSTANTLY squealed (even after replacing rotors), a pipe to the engine RUSTED OFF (luckily a friend could replace it for me), tail lights died a lot, ridiculous rattle/vibration in the dash that would go away if you hit the dashboard, trunk would not latch since the last few months. I was in a wreck a month ago that totaled the car at 141,000 mi. I walked away without a scratch, so I guess the car was pretty durable. Wouldnt purchase another one though, Im looking for a Toyota Camry or Nissan Altima now.

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  Never Again - 2007 Ford Edge
  By Never Again - August 19 - 11:08 am

  Im so disappointed that I will not buy a Ford again. Too many problems for a new car, especially the air conditioning! So much for buying American. What an upset.

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  Transmissions & Rear Differentials - 2004 Ford Explorer
  By Rusty - August 18 - 2:43 pm

  I purchased my 2004 Explorer Limited V8 new and have had it back at the dealer more often for repairs than any vehicle I have ever owned. It needed a new rear differential at 32,000 miles, a new transmission at 58,000 miles, and now another new rear differential at 68,000 miles. 68k miles in 7 years isnt exactly hard driving and I havent ever towed anything. Ford covered the first rear rebuild but the other repair payments came from my ever shrinking wallet. The dealers service guys are like "oh, yea, those things break all the time". Well, they shouldnt. When will Ford honor its commitment to its customers - "At Ford Quality is Job 1" was their slogan, wasnt it?

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  Fuel pump trouble - 2005 Ford Focus
  By rurba546 - August 14 - 11:56 am

  Bought this car used with 40,000 miles. Drove it to 45,000 and found the factory battery needed to be replaced. It also started to die when it got below 1/4 tank. I replaced the fuel filter and that seemed to help, to be safe I kept it above 1/4 tank whenever possible. A month went by and the trouble returned stranding me half way through a 150 mile trip. Turns out the fuel pump was shot as I feared. Expensive repair due to the fact that the gas tank had to be removed to get to the fuel pump. I hope this is the last major repair for awhile. I like the car a lot otherwise so far. But, doesnt come close to my last car, a 1996 Chevy Cavalier that was awesome and gave me almost no trouble!

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  Transmission Problem - 2010 Ford Explorer
  By JMF - August 5 - 2:30 pm

  Wish I had known Ford Explorers have transmission issues before I bought this vehicle. Loved it but immediately noticed that it was shifting at the appropriate time and when it did it was shifting very hard. Also makes a "clunk" sound when coming to a stop - again the transmission. So far the only thing the dealer can tell me is that they are waiting on Detroit to acknowledge the problem. Said they had this issue with 2 previous year models as well. Contacted customer care in Detroit and was told the vehicle was "functioning as designed". What? Will try to pursue resolution under the lemon law from here. Dont buy this vehicle!

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  My 2010 escape caught on fire - 2010 Ford Escape
  By chris davis - August 2 - 6:26 pm

  We bought a 2010 ford escape and owned it for six months. We tried to start it and it caught on fire. The escape was a total loss. We liked it before it caught on fire. The dealer did a great job of getting us a car to drive in the meantime. Ford is who I am upset with. They did nothing for us. We lost about $4,000 on the fire. Ford gave us nothing and did nothing to keep us as a customer. I have been loyal to ford but I understand now that ford has no loyalty to its customers. Beware of engine fires in the 2010. It was a scary thing having your new car catch on fire. My wife still wakes up at night. There is no recalls on the ford for electrical fires. Beware