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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  transmission failure - 2002 Ford Windstar
  By Denise - July 29 - 9:45 am

  The Ford Motor Company has been notorious for building poor quality cars that do not last past 100,000 miles. This van is no exception to their "Fix Or Repair Daily" reputation. We purchased the Windstar used with 60,000 miles on it, figuring wed at least make it to 100,000 before anything substantial went wrong. I use the van to drive my homeschooled children to their many activities and I drive the speed-limit while doing so. Aside from the various annoying problems, we have just experienced transmission failure at 83,000 miles. And from my research, we were lucky to get that much from the van. Ive seen reports of failure on this model starting at 30,000 miles!! Ford should pay, yet...

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  Design Flaw - 2002 Ford Explorer
  By Gary - July 28 - 5:57 am

  02 Explorer 70K Needs rear springs/struts, replaced front bearings and hubs, needs rear bearings. Has the big old crack down the rear another one of many design flaws. This truck has never towed or hauled a thing

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  Nothing but trouble with this car - 2003 Ford Escape
  By Never again - July 25 - 11:13 am

  I acquired this vehicle with the idea of great quality. Big Mistake! 1 week after purchasing it, the engine light came on, the fuel door open light came on, the battery light came on, etc... Took it into dealership where I was told that the lights were on from a short in the wiring. 1 week later while slowing down to make a turn during rush hour traffic, the car completely shuts off. This happened about 15 times with the dealership telling me they could find anything wrong with it. Come to find out there was a recall. The trans. started slipping not more than 3 months after that. Brand new rear tire was bald in less than 3 months from rubbing. Smelled burning oil always. radio buttons broke

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  Horrible car!! - 2005 Ford Focus
  By orionmomof3 - July 24 - 11:49 am

  I bought this car brand new! Within a year my transmission went out, clutch, clutch cylinder and my front axle broke!! I never drove it rough never got in an accident nothing! It was in the shop for two months!!! got it back two weeks later my clutch transmission was out again! I got tired of waiting and bought a four door 07 focus....all of them are horrible!! door handle has broken off, cant use the key to the trunk, my alternator broke....mind you both were brand new!!!!! Ford is horrible and I will never buy from them again!!!!!!

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  Piece of Junk - 1994 Ford Taurus
  By Kent - July 17 - 10:42 pm

  Bought this car with 116k miles. Almost immediatly had to replace the radiator, power steering, oil pan and valve gaskets, and both rear bushings. Gets terrible gas mileage, transmission slips, check engine light is always on, rides like crap, 3.0l v- 6 is painfully slow, and every interior piece sqeaks and rattles to the point I want to kill myself.

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  Dont buy - 1999 Ford Escort
  By HC - July 11 - 1:45 pm

  I was the 3rd owner and bought this car for every day use. The car condition was considered “clean” and previous 2 owners kept excellent valid maintenance records. This is my first car so I stick tightly to check up schedule to reduce any mechanical problems. I got around 28-30 mpg highway and 18-21 mpg in town. There were many problems with this car. The biggest two were tranny and engine. This car sucked too much money form me. At ~94,000 miles the transmission slipped (after 20,000 miles used). Sometimes, it stuck at low gear and won’t shift up when I gassed it up or slipped, shift down and lost speed, very dangerous if it happens when I pass a car. I got it fixed. At ~130,000 miles, the

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  NEVER LOOK INTO THIS CAR !!!!! - 2000 Ford Windstar
  By EMH888 - July 9 - 10:00 am

  This van seemed like a good deal at first but at about 30,000 mi. It started burning oil profusly and I took it in for repairs. Ford said they havent expierienced this with the windstar before but I have hered of a few stories from others who say they too have had problems. Ford fixed some of the problem but i dont know what will go next.

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  Same problems as everyone else - 2002 Ford Explorer
  By Brian Apple - July 7 - 8:47 am

  Well, my problems seem to not be a coincidence compared to others. Ive had wheel bearing problems since I got the car and the strip under the rear window has a crack. Ive had this car towed once because the wheel bearings failing in the front almost killed me on the interstate. I cant believe it has such an average high rating on this site. The V6 is one of the weakest on the planet. If Cadillac can get 306 hp out of 3.6 liters, why does Ford manage 210 hp from 4? They still use the same crappy V6 and the mileage is pretty terrible too. Oh, and the ride is rough and the open differential is also terrible. If you have one wheel on mud and one on pavement, youre going no where.

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  Junk - 2005 Ford Focus
  By puskar49 - July 6 - 8:26 pm

  Less than a year after buying this car, the transmission died. It turns out there is a design flaw with the transmission. Way to go Ford. Regardless, the car is a piece of junk. The interior is cheap and cramped and rattles like the doors are lined with ball bearings.

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  Disenchanted - 2005 Ford Explorer
  By WannaFord? - July 6 - 1:17 pm

  I purchased my Explorer (XLT-V8) new back in 2005, and had a great time with it the first two years. Then last year, started noticing the truck would "lurch" when shifting gears, or going into reverse. It was out of warranty when I took it in to the dealer to have the transmission looked at and was told it would cost me at least $2500 just to have the solenoid replaced and the transmission inspected, with potential additional costs. Took it to Aamco and had the transmission rebuilt. Runs great now, but now the AC comes and goes and cruise control is fickle. Have dumped about $5 grand into it in the last 6 months, and am now looking at trading it in for a Toyota!