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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  Great looking car, terrible reliability on Ford Sync, Poor mileage - 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid
  By r_r - October 28 - 10:47 pm

  Car looks great, drives well for a hybrid, solidly built with a nice interior. However the Ford Sync system along with voice-activated navigation totally sucks. Navigation doesnt compute route 1/2 the time, screen keeps freezing over, reboots by itself. To add insult to injury, Ive had the car 2 months and taken it twice already to the dealer--they simply reset the system and say nothing is wrong and nothing more they can do. Completely unacceptable. If you buy this car, avoid getting the sync and navigation system. You will be burning a few thousand $ for nothing.

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  Ford Escape Transmisson Cooler - 2008 Ford Escape
  By JNBXU - October 27 - 1:17 pm

  Love the car, ride, interior and exterior.

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  Dontt buy it - 2009 Ford Escape
  By RHShaffer - October 25 - 6:07 pm

  This is my first and last ford. I wanted to buy an American made car and unfortunately I made a huge mistake. I travel for my work and need a reliable comfortable, roomy and efficient vehicle. I bought my 2009 ford escape in July and now its October and the vehicle has 14,500 miles on it and is broke down 400 miles away from where I live. I live in Birmingham and my transmission went out in Natchez MS and the car is still there. Not only is the vehicle not reliable but ford fought with me on honoring the warranty on the faulty car they sold me! I am disgusted with the way theyve handled my situation and will NEVER buy another ford. I would NOT RECOMMEND anyone to buy an Escape or a ford

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  wont start - 2009 Ford F-150
  By MADATFORD - October 25 - 7:41 am

  Bought a 2009 ford f150 two weeks ago. stop at a store get somethings got back into the truck and would not start, called roadside assistance and they sent someone to jump start it. did not work, has some electrical problem, pretty sad for a new truck with the dealer tags still on the truck. i would not recommend a ford truck if you want to get from point a to point b. the worst truck i have ever driven. my 2004 dodge was a much more reliable truck than ford, never had a problem with dodge

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  Runs great especially for the price!!!!! - 1995 Ford Explorer
  By $300.00 holla - October 23 - 11:43 pm

  So far so good. I bought it with over 200,000 miles on it. Had to clean the whole interior out(I mean I stripped it down to bare metal).It had been sitting for 6 months, or so, full of trash(this rig had not been taken care of at all)! But I got in it,turned the key,and wah-la she purred like a kitten (a kitten with hairballs,but I was still amazed). Anyway, on to the good part. This thing runs great! 4x4 still works good, the tranny slips just at first,but what can I expect. Im babying it for awhile until I can have the tranny worked on! Anything that can take the abuse that the last owners put this thing thru and still run is a good ride. Props on the 95 eddie bauer its a tough truck!

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  5 speed wins over automatic - 1995 Ford Aspire
  By gotitan - October 23 - 9:59 pm

  I have 96 automatic @ 32 mpg and a 1995 5 speed @ tops 44 mpg....with the back seat out I can haul a full sized gas dryer with the hatch down.

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  Be careful when buying a Focus - 2008 Ford Focus
  By Irriserv - October 23 - 3:34 pm

  Overall the Ford Focus is a nice fun to drive small car with nice looks and great MPG. The build quality seem ok however there are design problems and areas that Ford cut corners to save money that you will pay for. One of the most noticeable areas is they left off the spare tire. So if you get a flat reach into your wallet and expect to pay for a tow. The other areas that we have found is that the defective door latch that will keep you from getting in the car is still a problem since the first focus. Also there is no seal on the break cable so it will sound like an old buggy if you drive on dirt roads. Nice car but I wish I bought a Toyota instead. I would have saved hassle.

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  a true rating - 2005 Ford Mustang
  By kurtis - October 23 - 9:53 am

  I purchased a 2005 mustang on Dec 27,2004. The car has broken down 4 times and the dealership has had it 17 days trying to fix it. Do Not buy one. The kinks are not worked out. The 3rd time it broke down on me I was doing 70 miles down I-95 and the whole car cut out and just stopped running. Do Not buy until 2006. The throttle is the problem and they seem not to be able to fix it. This will be my last American made car.

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  CRAP - 2004 Ford Explorer
  By Mad - October 19 - 2:59 pm

  Week #1 I had to return vehicle to dealer because the tranny slipped. Over the course of 4 years (till the warranty expired) it was back 8 times due to tranny probs. It was not until I got the States Attorneys office involved did Ford repair it. Since then Ive had to have a rear differential/axle seal replaced, the left rear wheel bearing is shot and now I cannot drive it because the harmonic balancer imploded! Ford say that they cannot sell a replacement because there is a National shortage....approx 5,000 suvs need the part and non are avail (manufacter went belly up). I found one in a junk yard! Oh yea, the cruise control was a recalled and replaced. Still doesnt operate.

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  pretty car but drives bad in first. - 1996 Ford Contour
  By not a taurus - October 18 - 9:59 am

  Like look and feel of contour,but the car drives bad in first gear,scary in traffic.Want to get rid of it A.S.A.P.