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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  2012 sho - 2012 Ford Taurus
  By keybd29 - October 14 - 6:14 pm

  With about 6k on my sho I like this ride. However I do not love this ride. Steering is tight and communicates with the road. Steering ratio is fair with a slightly heavy feel. The build quality is always way up there with ford, Ive had a bunch! The main caveat I offer is this sedan is simply too heavy. Too heavy for fun. It feels it when braking or turning. Its skid pad numbers are poor. It has good styling and the cabin is quiet. Stereo is good. Ford SYNC is a poor interface IMO. MPG for me is for me invariably 20-21. My 12 is basically a fleet land yacht. She doesnt much like turning nor braking and I have the performance package.

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  The Only Focus Id defend in a argument - 2002 Ford Focus
  By svt4life87 - October 14 - 6:13 pm

  Great car! I only recommend SVT model nowadays if youre ever looking for an american sport compact from ford. While I drove other Focuses of the same generation this model was the one that melt my heart. At first the car may seem perfect but as the years roll on, the mainenance can be costly when looking for spare parts but Im not talking price but finding the parts which is why as long as you stay on top of the mainenance (as with any car) youll have little heartache as the proud owner of a Focus.

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  1994 Ford Escort - Automatic - 1994 Ford Escort
  By parkspro - October 14 - 5:04 pm

  Ive been driving this car for awhile, and it works wonders. Ive never had any problems with it, and it holds up to regular wear-and-tear very well. Its lasted for 97k miles, and from what Ive seen with friends (and the one my family used to have), Itll last for over double that. Id recommend this for anyone that needs a bit more room than your average sedan or coupe, but still want over 30mpg. (There is no option for the Automatic version, so I had to put it under the 5-speed one.)

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  Dans Triton motor update! - 2006 Ford F-150
  By dan1085 - October 13 - 9:10 am

  Heres my update. Im the "Dan" guy who posts about 3rd Ford truck and still impressed. I finally started to get a misfire. Dealership said it didnt throw ONE SINGLE CODE (like all other keep posting about) no cam phasers, sensors, lifters etc. Replaced all 8 plugs, and misfire is resolved as of yesterday. NOT ONE BROKE!, only 56k, but still 6 years old. I really think the 2 piece spark plug design is horrible and YES causing a lot of you financial hardship, however....change them at or before 60k. I really think that any V-8 not changing plugs til 120k, like I keep reading will obviously give someone a lot of trouble removing. Use Mobil-1 5w-20w, NOT the old fashioned sludge 10w-40

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  Comfortable fun, but........ - 2009 Ford Escape
  By thvillebear - October 12 - 1:24 am

  Bought the 2009 Escape as a replacement for our 1998 F150 that was super reliable. The Escape is comfortable and the V6 is powerful and economical delivering about 22 in mixed driving. However quality leaves much to be desired, the transmission started leaking right before the warranty expired and was fixed under warranty. The throttle body failed at 44000, costing 400 to replace I might mention out of all the cars I have owned I have never ever had a throttle body fail! I really question our decision to buy the Escape and curious as to what other problems will surface, I will be hesitant to buy another Ford.

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  Its a keeper - 2007 Ford Fusion
  By jw1234 - October 10 - 2:43 pm

  Pros: Smooth Drive, Powerful V6, great sound system, AWD is good in snow, lots of compliments on looks, good reception, very reliable Cons: Road noise is high, helicopter effect (back window(s) down for dog) pretty bad, blind spots are plentiful, MPG: 23.4 usually

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  Reliable with manual, reasonable repairs for age - 1997 Ford Ranger
  By 97rangerlou - October 9 - 10:00 pm

  I purchased my 1997 Ranger XLT Flareside in 2003 with about 60,000 miles. 5 speed manual. It now has 198,000 miles. The only time I had any trouble that prevented me from running was around 120,000 when the alternator went out. That was an easy repair. Other issues: Replaced original clutch two years ago around 175,000 miles. Instrument cluster lights started going out around 150,000 and are all out now. I havent seen a way to get to them besides taking apart the dash. Door chime issue hasnt been solved, but I havent spent time on it. I believe now the fuel injectors need to be replaced.

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  Like it but it chews up tires - 2010 Ford Focus
  By frodo922 - October 8 - 8:56 pm

  I bought the car new in 2010 and have averaged 39.5 mpg for the 50K miles its been driven (about 38mpg during the summer with the air on). I bought it for the mileage and features, which Im satisfied with, but the tire noise and constant rotation is a pain. I just noticed that my drivers side front tire has worn bald on the inside and taking it in for new front tires. After every rotation, the tire noise got a little worse. There is a class action law suit in Calf. for this problem.

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  Ford has stepped their game up - 2013 Ford Focus
  By weelman13 - October 7 - 12:16 pm

  Let me start at my previous vehicle:2006 audi A3 manual. I loved my audi, save the electrical gremlins, interior hardware, $90 oil changes, etc. I wanted a compact car and I like hatches. I did test drive a 2013 Honda Civic SI and 2012 focus hatch SEL. The honda was a nice car, but very vanilla inside. The focus (MFT and sync) is so much content! I have only owned the car for a couple of days, so this is just an initial review: My 2013 automatic titanium has the moonroof and the 18" tire/handling package. The car feels very planted and not too stiff, the 17" do ride alittle smoother. The MFT works pretty good, mostly bug free. The sync is awesome, just need to learn the standard commands.

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  06 Explorer problems - 2006 Ford Explorer
  By corgimom1 - October 5 - 6:24 am

  I purchased my Explorer used from CarMax over 2 years ago. The clear coat is peeling around the front head lights. The parking brake handle (plastic) broke and the cost to fix is $400.00. Lucky for me, I have an extended warranty from CarMax. The drivers leather seat is cracking. The passenger seat has ripped on the seam. The rear seat holders are split on both ends. Due to ethanol in gas, miles per gallon are poor.