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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  2009 sel (auto=trans ESC ) - 2009 Ford Focus
  By Cliff M - April 27 - 1:17 pm

  I now have about 12K on this car, Ice Blue w/black leather, the seats are great,after (2) 14 hr days on our trip to El Paso,Tx in Sept ,2008. Mileage was 37.5 overall with 1 tank full getting 42.2, the only problem Ive had is with the junk Perrelli Tire that came on this car, they ended up replacing 3 of the 4 before getting a decent ride. Car gets 28.5 in city but I know it dors much better on the open road. IM 63" 235LB NOTE-OUTSIDE TEMP AND COMPASS IS NOW AVAIL AS OF 1- 2009 ALSO AUTO TRANS USES A SPECIAL FLUID, (LV) LOW VISCOSITY AND IS GOOD FOR 150K MILES

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  Nice job Ford! - 2006 Ford F-150
  By Rob - April 27 - 12:00 pm

  Traded in my 04 Tundra that I had been leasing to purchase the F-150. The King Ranch model could not be matched by any other truck. I had considered the Titan but found that the reliability on the Nissan was less than acceptable. The Dodge had the most horribly unstable ride (felt like I was on a boat) and the Chevy is just plain dull looking. Overall my F-150 has been a real pleasure to drive, you almost forget youre in a truck. But, when you need to pull a trailer or haul a load, the Ford performs like a champ. Not the fastest truck 0-60 (due mainly to its hefty weight) but it will pull just about anything. My biggest complaint is the ride can be bumpy at times due to a short wheelbase.

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  Steering Wheel/Battery Problems - 2008 Ford Escape
  By RECYCLER333 - April 27 - 11:29 am

  Took my 2008 escape to the dealer for problems before the 60,000 check-up. None were covered. It would cost $1,000 to fix. Steering wheel clunked - sounded like the tires were going to fall off, temp gauge didnt work, passenger airbag inconsistent, and most disappointing, the battery needs replaced and not covered - $220 outrageous charge to replace. Why would a battery go dead in under 2 years and not be covered. If I didnt come from a Ford family, I would not buy another Ford vehicle.

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  F for Ford and rear brake squeal - 2006 Ford Focus
  By Fordratesan F - April 27 - 10:51 am

  Rear brake squeal is a major problem with these Ford Focus for a number of model years and Ford refuses to fix or acknowlege the issue except for a few. We bought 3 of these and have the same problem on all. After about 2 years the rear brake squeal is so loud it is deafening. The dealship has not been able to fix the problem and we have spent a lot of money on them. Ford tells us we are just out of luck. Buyer beware.

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  Vroom! - 2005 Ford Mustang
  By chris - April 27 - 9:56 am

  We purchased this vehicle and absolutely love it. It is the first new car weve ever owned and what a way to start. The power is unbelievable. Its 300 horse power is awesome. We would highly recommend the vehicle. The soft boot takes some time to get used to. But with a little practice you can master it in no time. It has a very soft clutch which makes driving easy even for the less experienced manual transmission driver.

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  Nice car but needed lots of work - 1999 Ford Contour
  By Tobei - April 27 - 8:45 am

  Bought it used with 14,000 miles on it. I liked the car for the most part, but I had to stick a lot of money into new springs and struts for both the front (70,000 miles) and rear (105,000). This was a factory problem (springs were made too short and a common problem), but Ford refused to cover the cost on my car because not enough people reported this problem from the factory where mine was built. Also paid a lot to replace a seal on the gas tank (70,000 miles..another recall on cars from a different factory, but not mine). Recent transmission leak and oil leak. Needless to say, Im not thrilled with Fords service. Dont know if Ill buy another Ford.

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  Irritated with Ford Motor Co!!! - 1999 Ford Taurus
  By Rachel - April 27 - 7:23 am

  My dad gave me the car 2 years ago. I have loved it up until recently.Its been a well maintained car while both of us have had it, more recently, really stupid things have been going wrong with it, like the heater hose, but guess what they dont make those heater hoses any more...by the way the are a molded maze of nightmares,the master cylinder was just replaced with the brake booster too, and the cam shaft position sensor went bad, dont go by the diagram to replace it, you will never find it. The starter is out on it now, due to an oil leak and I had to replace a battery, for the second time, 90 bux they are for that car. i liked the car, until ford stopped makin parts for it!

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  Fords are junk - 2002 Ford F-150
  By LAD - April 27 - 5:38 am

  I read a lot of the reviews, some say it would be great if not for XXXX. I say it is lousey truck because: At 20K it needed a complete brake job, rotors, included and the seat plastic clips broke. At 40000, clutch went out. Mose said it was a old truck (at 4.5 year?). I have had others last over 200K. At 52K, brakes start acting up. Needed a new brake job, did the pads and turned the rotors. At just under 60K, Brakes are acting up again, and the shops says replacement or rotors is needed. At this rate the cost of repairs is over 1/2 the cost of the truck. Toyota here I come, let the usa auto go under, who needs the junk?? My 4th and last ford

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  Fun Car with great interior and engine - 2009 Ford Escape
  By Benji - April 27 - 2:06 am

  The 2009 Ford Escape is an outstanding value. The interior is spacious and well thought out, and the seats are comfortable. The buttons on the center console are pretty crowded. Its a good thing Sync is such a powerful tool, because navigating some of the audio menus during driving could be dangerously distracting. The V6 feels powerful and has great get up and go. Fuel economy is just as advertised at this point. In traffic-clogged downtown Madison, WI Im getting 19 mpg. Its much more efficient on the highway however, as it edges towards the advertised 26 mpg. Sunroof is a particularly great addition in this car. Really opens up the car. Light interior also makes the car open up "bigger"

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  Went Downhill Fast - 2007 Ford Focus
  By NDO - April 26 - 9:37 pm

  My husband and I got this car less than two years ago brand new. We only use it for commuting to work so it has low mileage. It doesnt get the posted fuel economy.. 6 months ago it started shuddering at stops. They told us it was a transmission leak and supposedly fixed it. Two weeks ago it began dying at stops so they replaced a tranny gasket. Now only two weeks later, its shuddering, dying, and has a fast leak of transmission fluid puddling everywhere. We can smell it as we drive, too. Ford is putting a bandaid on a big hidden problem and were thinking of trading this lemon in before the warranty is out and were stuck replacing a transmission out of pocket.