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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  Disappointment - 2015 Ford Fusion
  By Randall - December 28 - 7:02 am

  I bought the car new and have owned for about 1 and half years now. The car is not worth the sticker price. For 25K I expected much more. Looks like a performance sedan, but performs like a cheap economy car. While the numbers on the 2.5 liter four look good on paper, it only comes at the high rpms. I do a lot of highway driving, and in heavy traffic the constant down shifting to keep up with the flow is beyond annoying. The sport mode on the transmission keeps it in a lower gear longer, but every time you let off of the gas completely, it down shifts to slow the car down. The “sync” system has bugs, and built in annoyances. The system has locked up several times and will not reset without shutting the car off and restarting. I have the feature to automatically call 911 turned off. So every time you start the car, about 60 seconds later the system interrupts the radio to tell you 911 assist is turned off. Pros: We get around 8000 miles between oil changes. Gas mileage on the highway is great, around town, not so much. For city driving the car is not bad. Lucky for me, my wife “who only drives around town” loves the car. She is driving it, and I took her Jeep.

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  MAJOR problems - DO NOT BUY - 2006 Ford Escape
  By John - December 27 - 12:58 pm

  DO NOT BUY! Since 15000 miles, we have had numerous SERIOUS issues with this car. Two of the faults almost caused fatal accidents! It has been in the repair shop 16 times total - 5 times for brake issues. MOST DANGEROUS - the vehicle will just shut off without warning. This has occured 4 seperate times, but Ford is unwilling to do anything about it because they cannot localize the problem! In addition, it has been in the repair shop for drivers side window (2 times) and a inoperative driver seat heater (2 times). Ford thinks it is okay that my family drive the vehicle and refuses to stand behind their name and product. The reliability of this car is suspect. DO NOT BUY THIS CAR!

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  But forgien! - 2000 Ford Ranger
  By MT Man - December 20 - 5:18 pm

  I inherited it from an elderly relative who bought it brand new. When I got it it had only 27K miles on it. Its noisy, it looks and feel cheap both inside and out. The fuel milege is terrible. If I drive it 65 I can squeeze 17mpg out of it. The electric door locks quit at 30K miles and the transmission gave up at 33K miles. Now they want $3K to put in a replacement. when I asked if the new transmission would last longer than the old one, the dealer just shrugged. I cant beleive what a piece of crap this truck is. Ford should be ashamed!

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  Should Have gotten a ZO6 - 2003 Ford Mustang
  By I hate Fords - December 15 - 10:00 am

  Ok hear I bought a Codra for about 33 grand.Well I wanted a car tnat was sporty and good on streets. So I tour the front bummper going over a pot hole at about 10 to 13 mph.And ever since then the car been falling apart. My freands 2001 Corvette ZO6 never hade this probloms.

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  Taurus nightmare - 2006 Ford Taurus
  By displeased - December 10 - 6:52 pm

  My 2006 Ford Taurus SE has road noise that is almost unbearable even with the windows up and the radio loud. It does not handle well and often hesitates when taking off from a stopped position. Today, I found that on the passenger side, it leaked terribly. My floorboard had about 1/2 inch of water in it and I have no idea how that is happening. The car is too large for my needs. It does average 25 mpg though. This is the only Ford Ive ever owned. I look forward to trading for a GM product or possibly a Honda, Nissan or Toyota.

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  Ford Freefall - 2004 Ford Freestar
  By jgenovese - December 6 - 8:17 pm

  transmission failed at 45000 miles without warning. The vehicle was impeccably maintained. The failure was not do to neglect or abuse. Of course, this was after the warranty was up, (barely), so Ford is hanging us out to dry. So much for rewarding customer loyalty. (This was the 9th new Ford I have bought in 23 years.)

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  More Problems then its worth - 2006 Ford Explorer
  By D - December 3 - 9:40 pm

  we traded in a expedition for this.We get worst gas milage then with the v8 expedition. we live in hawaii and needed something a little smaller for parking. A month after wewe purchased this car it started making a funny noise. a year later and still trying to figure it out. ford has had my car for more then a month. they made me feel like i was the crazy one. finally they said it was the rear brake. they replaced the whole back end and still there is a problem. Also we we questioned the gas milage they said it was normal. we are getting 11 miles per gal. Arm rest on doors are chiping and they are not willing to do anything about this.I would not buy ford again. Im very disappointed

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  Found on road dead - 2002 Ford F-150
  By docster - December 2 - 3:53 pm

  had truck for 3 months. was in shop almost every 3 weeks. For a new truck, this is unacceptable by any measure. Ford says does live up to all of the accronyms. turned truck back in and bought a toyota. Toyota builds a FAR superior Truck in quality. Id pay more for the quality and sacrafice the options any day

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  Dont buy this truck! - 2006 Ford F-150
  By steve - November 22 - 5:30 pm

  I bought this truck new last year. I travel alot for my job, so I need something comfortable and reliable. When I was in Mississippi, I was driving about 30 mph on a back road when it sounded like I hit a roadside bomb. My truck stopped. I got out only to find a huge puddle of coolant, pieces of metal and what I later discovered was transmission fluid. they towed the truck to a Ford dealership in Memphis Tennessee, and found out that my transmission blew up. The force cracked the engine block, broke the suspension, broke the radiator, and cracked the trucks frame! So I was stuck 7 hrs away from home with a totaled truck, trying to find a new car, and I missed my daughters birthday!

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  Dont buy an Explorer - 2003 Ford Explorer
  By Brian Millar - November 19 - 11:40 pm

  I took very good care of our 2003 Ford Explorer (even took it to the dealer for the 30K checkup). At 59,500 miles and just under 5years, the transmission went out. The dealer wouldnt cover the replacement since Ford only offered 3yr/36K power train warranty at that time. The transmission specialist I took it to, indicated that he sees transmission problems all the time with Ford Explorers