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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  Excessive tire wear and very noisy - 2007 Ford Escape
  By monirol - October 4 - 5:58 pm

  I purchased my XLT in December 2006 and loved it until about 35,000 miles. I began to notice a lot of road noise from the tires due to excessive wear and "cupping" on the outside of the tires. Once I replaced the original continental contitrac tires with general tires and did a 4-wheel alignment the problem was resolved and it was nice and quiet. However, at about 30K miles on the new tires the noise began again. Despite rotating tires every 5K the problem persists and the tires/road noise returned. I really like this vehicle but this noise just kills me.

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  1999 ford taurus SE v6 - 1999 Ford Taurus
  By fordtaurus98 - September 28 - 11:08 am

  I had a person that had one of these and he was selling it to me. He let me test it out for a few weeks before buying it for 300 dollars. it had 124000 Miles on it. The car was amazing to say the least. The tires were aweful but it still drove down the road perfectly. The engine and transmission were 100% smooth running and it was FAST (IMO). So a week after I had it to test it, I decided to look underneath the car. I had a 7 inch wide OPEN hole in my drivers side floor pan. Both rocker panels were non existent. AND, the sub frame had 4 holes in it. I decided to give it back to the person.

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  Sync Issues - Ford cannot fix - 2013 Ford Explorer
  By syncissues - September 27 - 3:45 pm

  We go this car 4 months ago and in that time it has been back to the garage 8 times for them to try and fix the My Ford Touch/SYNC system. It still is not fixed and Ford dont know how to fix it. The car itself is lovely but if you want the SYNC system to work then dont buy this car. their solution to the navigation not working was to buy us a Garmin!!! no buy back, no switch out and no cash compensation - very dissappointed with Ford and their technology that doesnt work

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  Would make a great car if Ford would fix its issues. - 2010 Ford Fusion
  By rcramsey - September 26 - 10:38 am

  Test drove a SE fully loaded with the 4cyl. First thing I noticed was how horribly slugish it was, as well as its irratic shifting. Loved the car and sales guy said only the 4cyl had this issue. Test drove the 6cyl and loved it. Only to purchase the car new and have issues with it from the first week. Transmission suffers from very hard and irratic shifts. After 3 reflashes, if I havent ran the car in several days the tires with chirp it shifts so hard. With only 15k miles I now have crystalized brakes. Which I now find out through other owners both of these issues are known problems. The rotors I have to pay for out of pocket while the transmission issue remains to which im told unfixable.

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  Great reliable car! - 2000 Ford Explorer
  By drew72 - September 24 - 2:44 pm

  Overall this has been a great car. Weve had our explorer for almost 10 years, and we bought it used. Its going on 230,000 Miles now, with the original engine still running strong. Weve only had to get the transmission changed once, and other than that it has been nothing but your regular maintenance. This is a great car for Michigan winters when youre driving through a half foot of snow and ice in the mornings, and has an amazing a/c for the summer. The tinted windows are nice as well, and theres a lot of room in it compared to other cars the same size as it. This is definatley no the car for you if you are worried about your gas milage though, i average around 17-18 mpg

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  Ford won me over with the Boss 302 - 2013 Ford Mustang
  By drdub - September 23 - 9:29 pm

  Ill be honest...Ford has been the punchline to many of my jokes for the last 20 years. But I traded my 556-HP Cadillac CTS-V for a 2013 Boss 302 and Ive never been happier. This is a "drivers car". Its simple, its fast and it has a driver-car connection thats unlike any Ive ever experienced. Its balanced and nimble, has miles of grip, race-spec brakes and copious power. The note from the quad exhaust is absolutely sublime. But as hard and loud as it can be when driven in anger, its very comfortable and quiet when highway cruising and has just enough tech to be modern (cruise, Sync, USB/Aux, Bluetooth). The Recaro/Torsen LSD option is a must-have.

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  LOVE MY FORD ESCAPE!!!! - 2008 Ford Escape
  By pumpkin2008 - September 22 - 4:09 pm

  I recently purchased an 08 ford escape limited used. I love this SUV, it drives so smooth for a 4WD and handles very well. It is very roomy. I cant wait to try it out in the snow this winter. Gas milage isnt bad for a 4WD, very happy with my purchase.

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  Mistake in buying this car - 2012 Ford Focus
  By displeased1 - September 20 - 10:00 pm

  Car handles pretty well, looks good, gets great gas mileage on the highway, ok on city miles. Some good accessories. That annoying transmission does NOT get better, gets worse. Had issues of parts not being installed completely, screws left off, etc., which were fixed mostly by the local dealer. But I have been disappointed and wanted to trade up at dealer where I bought it Sunny King Ford Alabama...4100 miles only on car. They know all the issues I had and acted like they would make it right for me. They offered me almost half what I paid-4 months!! Resale is pathetic! So really think before you buy.

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  Navigation is unusable - 2012 Ford Explorer
  By explorerdriver - September 18 - 10:19 pm

  I have used different navigation systems for years, but the voice-activated navigation in this vehicle is so frustrating to use that it is unusable. Nothing about it seems to work - it does not recognize what you are saying, even when you enunciate carefully. It does not allow a passenger to manually enter information, so you must always use voice activation. Could not get it to recognize numbered routes. Would not "hear" my address which is a one digit address - kept repeating its prompt. Prompts are not helpful. There are so many bugs that I think I will need to purchase a portable Garmin unit to use in the car insead of the expensive navigation. Do not waste money on purchasing this

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  Big comfy haul anything land Yacht - 2005 Ford Taurus
  By connemara - September 18 - 6:56 pm

  Just turned 200,000 Kms and love this car. Big, comfortable for long trips, reliable and can pack in as much as most half tons. Other than a prematurely rusted weld in the gas tank neck I only do regular maintenance to this car. I look after it, keep the rustproofing going, fix anything like paint chips etc. After I do a total clean-up and wax it it looks, runs and drives like new. Just changed the left ball joint and did a complete brake job (only the 3rd since new- hyway miles only). Tried the new Taurus and it felt claustraphobic due to the small windows and I dont like the way it and the new Focus are high in the rear. Vulcan engine is a Will keep mine until it is done - 6 more years???