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:

• 

  Amazing! - 1999 Ford Mustang
  By bmeers22 - June 25 - 1:22 am

  This car is awesome! It has power and feels sturdy. I recently gave up my 01 impala and I dont regret it one bit. Mustangs are the best. It gets great gas mileage as well.

• 

  Over 202k miles! - 2005 Ford F-150
  By kgaston - June 23 - 9:54 pm

  I have logged over 202 thousand miles on this truck since it was bought used in January of 2007. Major repairs: none. Minor repairs: replaced EGR valve at ~175k miles, other than that, it has been just regukar, routine maintenance. My only complaint is the quality of the cloth seats in this vehicle, they easily trap dirt and dust, causing them to stain if so much as a bottle with condensation on the outside is placed in the seat.

• 

  broke and stressed out - 2001 Ford Taurus
  By stressedout2 - June 22 - 10:51 pm

  I got my 2001 ford Taurus s.e.s. model in 2013 with 132 thousand miles-NOW-169 SCARED TO DRIVE THIS CAR......I have spent 6 thousand on repairs.it started every 3 months it needed another repair. now the car last every 3 weeks and another grand to fix it everyone who has worked on this car said you have to take the hole engine out to get to parts or they have to go through the dash.TRYED TO GET ALIGNMENT they could only do front the back is welded together so you cant get a full alignment.always runs hot. I have never had sooo many problems with a car.I see reviews on ford tauarus and it says reliable haha not the ses model.when you see this car run F.o.r.d. found on road dead.A RUST BUCKET

• 

  Ford Sucks - 2013 Ford Edge
  By jammeabend - June 22 - 1:36 pm

  Ford Customer care sucks. My Edge was involved in a minor accident on May 12th, the passenger side door is creased and unrepairable. To date we are still waiting on door and will be waiting for a minumim of 2 more months. Meanwhile the body shop has my edge torn apart and is undrivable. During this time we have contacted Ford on many occasions and have received the run around and been told its not Fords fault it is their vendor. We were told that if it were a dealership fixing it they would provide a rental but my local dealer is not an approved repair facility. I hate to rate the car so low, because I do enjoy the car, but 3 mos waiting on a door is unacceptable.

• 

  Not reliable - 2011 Ford Fiesta
  By cpearsall - June 22 - 8:35 am

  I do not recommend anyone purchase this vehicle. Despite research that informed me that there were transmission issues, I went with good faith that the car would perform well, so I purchased the vehicle. It had 17,500 miles on it and the second day I had it in my possession, the engine malfunctioned - forcing me to pull over on the side of the road. I am not getting this vehicle again. If this happened on the second day I had it with barely any miles on it, I can only imagine what may happen months down the line. DO NOT PURCHASE. The specks inside the vehicle does not make up for the car breaking down on the beltway!

• 

  Disappointed - 2009 Ford Taurus
  By bemon - June 19 - 2:06 pm

  I picked up a used 2009 Taurus limited in December 2014. As of June 2015 its been in the shop 4 times, and has totaled over 4k in repairs. Its racked with electrical gremlins, has required multiple sensor and gasket replacements and worst of all a timing chain job. Im the second owner, and it has lest than 100,000 km on the clock. I made the poor decision to finance this car, so Im stuck and can only continue to throw money at it and hope Ive seen the last of my problems. Its a comfortable car that gets compliments, but its had so many problems I feel nervous driving it.

• 

  worst truck I have ever owned. - 2007 Ford F-150
  By voeter01 - June 18 - 8:58 pm

  When I bought this truck it was three years old and had 52000 miles on it. Sense I bought this truck I have had to have the intake manifold replaced it cracked and leaked water all over the engine,shorting out the spark plugs. The alternator burned out. The starter motor went bad.The rubber seal around the windshield has started falling apart and leaking. The interior is falling apart. The instrument panel cluster has gone bad, which I have not had fixed because of the cost. When I bought this truck I considered Ford as the best truck built. Now I would never buy another one! The truck now has 108000 miles on it. Ford has refused to acknowledge they have had any problems.

• 

  Best Car I Have Owned And Love to Drive It - 2015 Ford Fusion
  By twr777 - June 18 - 10:04 am

  I bought the Fusion Titanium AWD (Ruby Red) and just love it. It is truly a gorgeous car and is the best looking car in its class with a fluid design. Too many cars today have gone overboard with odd geometric angles. The Fusion design is just stunning. I have the black leather interior which looks sharp. The engineering of the car is superb. Great feel on the road.

• 

  Deroyadams - 2015 Ford Fiesta
  By deroyadams - June 18 - 9:14 am

  I had this for two months and love it. It feels comfortable driving it. Love the rims love the seats. The inside front big. Love the grill and color

• 

  Great Value S model - 2014 Ford Escape
  By rkelon - June 16 - 5:15 pm

  We have enjoyed the car, it does what we want and have no complaints. No issues. We also have a 2014 CRV ex, same story.