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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  Poor quality regardless of cost - 2015 Ford Edge
  By Tim - August 21 - 11:03 pm

  I recently leased this 2015 Edge Sport. The list price was just over $48K. Because I wanted the 21" wheel option, my dealer traded for my vehicle with another Ford dealer in a neighboring state. So the first time I saw my vehicle was at delivery. In the euphoria of new car purchase, I failed to recognize what I discovered the following day upon closer examination. I was disappointed to find the following quality shortcomings carpet fit poorly to expose raw floor pan, loose panel on console, loose door trim, poorly fitting driver side door, poorly fitting hood, damaged and ill-fitting window trim. The quality of this vehicle is jaw-dropping awful. Im embarrassed to be seen in it. It appears to have been assembled by third world slaves. My wifes 2009 $15K Honda Fit is of light years better quality than this piece of crap. Cant wait for my lease to end. I may end it early - its that bad. I should have bought the Murano despite its ugly front end - it at least was screwed together with better quality. No more Fords in my future.

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  Worst Purchase of my Adult Life - 2011 Ford F-150
  By Hugh - August 13 - 10:54 am

  Coming from a Toyota/Honda - you WILL be disappointed in a Ford. Sure, it has more gadgets, flashy interior, updated styling, etc.. but the maintenance and expensive repairs will eat you alive. Compare either at 100K miles and the difference is clear. The Good: Big fuel tank, means less stops. Interior is nice, Color (Mine is Blue) is really nice. Big back seat area. Also, I was able to get 21-22mpg out of mine during road trips. The Mediocre: Handling and Suspension is just meh. Lackluster is the word. Also, the traction control is a joke compared to my old 2013 Tundra. In 2wd, I was getting stuck in the exact same places that my Tundra would just crawl through without any wheel spin. The Ford would dig a hole and then cut engine power. The 5.0 Engine seems weak for the size of the truck, it does the job, but struggles with a small trailer or load in the bed. The Bad: At 86K miles, this truck needs MAJOR work. Its sad. Rear main seal is leaking enough to leave spots in the driveway. Steering Rack needs replaced due to the "Service Advance Trac" light that is coming on almost daily, which leaves a dead spot in the steering and cuts off the turn signals as well. These are issues that most trucks had covered under the factory warranty, so known issues, but these issues didnt pop up until later. The driveline has a gnarly clunk when leaving from a light or during heavy acceleration. Was told it needed a new driveshaft and slip yoke. Power Steering lines are starting to leak around the fittings. Why this truck is a total turd: For the money, this thing just cant compete with a Tundra. I can get a 2015 Tundra Limited with many more features, a bullet proof driveline, and better warranty and service. The local ford dealer is kind enough, but acknowledge that these issues are known in these trucks, but cant do anything for us. Toyota has always taken care of its customers, many times well after warranty if its a known issue. Not finding that kind of support from Ford unfortunately. Resale - ugh... Im looking at losing 6.5K in just 1/2 a year, in order to avoid all these costly repairs (totalling nearly 5K in just 6 months) from trade-in value. However, given that I simply dont have faith in either the Manufacturer or the product, its a loss worth taking to get away from this vehicle.

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  Do not recommend - 2012 Ford Focus
  By Lis - August 12 - 10:24 am

  Bought this car brand new back in 2011, I have had issues ever since. Taken to the dealership several times to be fixed and they never get fixed. Mainly transmission and the my ford touch technology. Just terrible.

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  Pulsating vibration 60-75 - 2015 Ford Mustang
  By Josh Gilman - August 6 - 6:23 pm

  Have had the car for 3 weeks already been in the shop 5 day. It has a pulsating vibration between 60 and 75...horrible and feels unsafe to drive. Replaced driveshaft and rear differential on a car with barely 1000 miles and still not fixed. Lemon law is next if its not resolved ASAP.

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  TRUCK GOOD - CUSTOMER SERVICE HORRIBLE - 2013 Ford F-150
  By Jeff chenery - August 6 - 3:31 pm

  The truck is good but developed a shimmy when starting off up to 10 MPH. We asked the service department at the dealership to look at it over a year ago and at that time they did not acknowledge that there was a problem. We continued to note the problem every time we went to the dealership. Finally the dealership did acknowledge the issue in May but have been unable to fix the issue. We contacted FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE three weeks ago and have not spoken to anyone from their regional management group. We did receive 1 message on the 30th but have not been able to get anyone to call us back since. Also really low gas mileage compared to what was said on the sticker. Ongoing saga.

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  STAY AWAY - 2014 Ford Focus
  By Izzy Schwartz - August 3 - 12:19 pm

  Dual-clutch auto trans is a living nightmare. It was horrible originally, is still terrible. ITS A FAILED DESIGN. If youre considering a Focus, go rent one (with 10-15k miles on it) for a week or so and drive it on your normal routes.

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  RUN LIKE THE WIND - 2012 Ford Fiesta
  By Debbie - July 20 - 10:00 pm

  Thats what you should do when considering this car. I bought my car brand new in July 2012. The test drive was great and I traded an SUV to get better gas mileage and to have the reliability with a new car. Well, I got the great mileage but everything else about this car has been a disappointment. In the first 2 years I had it, 3 door locks broke. They suddenly would not shut and latch - so you couldnt drive the car without the doors flying open. I had to put someone in the back seat to hold the doors shut to get it to the dealer. I had to physically hold the passenger door shut with one hand while driving to the dealer. And then they didnt have the parts. Obviously I couldnt drive it home so they did get me a rental and the door was fixed within a week. Then, the transmission started to shudder and it felt like I was popping the clutch when its an automatic. There were times it would barely go from a stop light and you have to be careful not to pull out in front of anyone because it may go and it may not. Its not safe and I absolutely hate this car. Unfortunately I have 3 more years to pay on it and Fords service leaves alot to be desired. Apparently the transmission has indeed a problem and I took it in last November 2014 - they first told me nothing was wrong with it and all the settings were normal. I threw a fit and told them I needed to speak with the Service Mgr. I spoke with him and he took it out for a long drive and then I got a call saying yes indeed, there is a problem with the transmission and Ford is aware of the problem but they didnt have the parts. They told me it would probably be January 2015 the parts would be in but they would contact me and let me know when they had arrived. Its now July 2015 and I still havent received that notice. Now there is a recall with an emissions problem - I am 63 years old and have never had so many problems with a new car as I have with this Ford. I will never buy another Ford car - EVER.

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  had few issue - 2014 Ford Escape
  By GReg - July 16 - 7:41 pm

  10 K radio stop working for 1 hour dealer could not explained why battery disconnect thats all they did to reset issue 13k ac stop blowing for one hour on long trip from Detroit on hot day..gate inside handle already broke loose If u do oil change good luck to remove oil filter no room for hand or any tool

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  Wishing in one hand [non-permissible content removed] - 2002 Ford Taurus
  By witness45 - July 1 - 9:34 am

  3 years ago I was really proud to be able to finally purchase a vehicle. This car was clean with only 36000 miles on it. I thought I had a reliable vehicle but I was wrong. I had to replace the front driver side tire often. It would wear unevenly. When I hit 47K miles the transmission went, fixed, the alternator went, fixed, the AC went, and now the fuel pump is going out. It really is disappointing because I loved loading up the dog and fiancé and traveling out to the lake or mountains, and using the back as our tent, the rear seats fold down and there is plenty of room. If you get a good one, they can be an awesome car, I got a bad one and am now in the market again.

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  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