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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  My first car - 1993 Ford Mustang
  By shay - February 4 - 2:00 am

  This is my first car and I enjoy it, the power and torque of the car is amazing for its size, and the car is amazingly light for the power. The top is a joy in the summertime.

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  My 1998 Explorer Made it to 268,000 Miles - 1998 Ford Explorer
  By Emir Santana - February 3 - 10:52 pm

  I bought My 1998 Eddie Bauer Edition Ford Explorer used back in 2001 at about 58,000 miles overall I have loved my car, but then it was my first car :) .It stood up to 16 years of constantly hauling heavy DJ equipment and speakers to all my DJ gigs and performances over the years, even constant driving up and down the mountains of Colorado. Over its long life It has had a few problems like the Multifunction switch going out twice (controls your Cruise control, turn signals and wipers etc) however I did have to rebuild my engine at about 170,000 miles after constantly driving up into the high altitude mountains of Denver Colorado while hailung DJ equipment. I did start running in to an issue with car alarm system in the last 2 years randomly going off, I believe due to a malfunctioning door so had to stop locking my doors when I didnt have anything of value in the car. Finally at 268,000 miles this week my Transmission Reverse just went out so its probably time to let the car go as a repair will cost between 1800 and 3800 depending on who does it and if they also decide to do the front differential which has issues now as well. Still drives forward perfectly so I guess I just gotta be a forward thinking person LOL and never go back. The car has been pretty reliable overall and has lasted me years its kind of sad that its time to part ways but it has served me well over the years and the cargo space has been great for all my DJ equipment. Personally I kind of want to buy a newer model Ford Explorer, but I have a wife that really doesnt want me to buy another one :( LOL so the debate goes on as we research reliable SUV cars... (which is how I came to find this in the first place) LOL - [HTML removed]

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  so-so - 1996 Ford Escort
  By K560 - February 3 - 2:00 am

  Ive had the hard for about 5.5 years and have gone 100,000 miles with it. Overall the car has been good- but then again Ive done all the maintance. The past 2 years though the car has started to have problems at this point Ive put in over 3,000 and the car never seems to run right. It was a good little car but now it seems to be on its last legs.

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  Must buy a Mustang 5.0 LX - 1990 Ford Mustang
  By MustangLX - February 2 - 2:00 am

  My car is a dark green, 1990 Mustang 5.0 LX. The engine was built by Budd Moore Racing, and it looks and sounds very nice. About one month after I bought my car, my transmission started messing up. When the transmission went bad, I had Greenville Transmission Clinic in SC rebuild it. All in all, it cost me $1,411.30. Now the AOD has been rebuilt w/ a high-performance rebuild kit, new torque converter. Now I love driving my green coupe around town barking gears (I have spun my wheels when shifting around 40 mph). Specs: HP: 300+ (not had it dynotested yet) Mileage: under 70k Weight: around 2800k I think

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  2006 Explorer: So Far So Good...... - 2006 Ford Explorer
  By T. B. - February 2 - 1:20 am

  This 2006 Explorer is a fun drive, smooth ride and a nice solid vehicle. Great for long trips. We got the captains seats for the second row - very comfortable and storage is convenient. So far with about 7,000 miles on it our highway mileage is at about 21 mpg. Not bad for the solid build of the car and the great get up and go of the V6 engine. So far so good, but our past experience with the Ford Explorer has been at 3 to 4 years old, lots of things start going wrong. Hopefully Ford has improved the reliability as well as the look. Needless to say, we leased this one for two years. Time will tell.... Still happy we chose the Ford Explorer. Love all the improved safety features, too!

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  SHO - Drivetrain Good, The Rest is Bad - 1994 Ford Taurus
  By Grey - February 1 - 2:00 am

  The drivetrain has held up well. Everything else has fallen apart or off. Sunroof leaked. Paint flaking off. New radiator, new radiator tank. New starter. Ford mechanics cant get the "Check Engine" light to go out - I gave up. The engine is VERY expensive to maintain. Parts crack and break in the interior even though it is garaged in a mild climate.

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  Great Value & Great Vehicle - 2006 Ford Five Hundred
  By DStewart - January 31 - 3:00 am

  This is my first Ford product. My wife bought the 2006 Freestyle. We were impressed with her vehicle. So I traded my 2003 Nissan Altima SL for a 2006 Ford 500 Limted AWD with 5K miles on it. I got a great price for all the features and low mileage, with 5 year warranty too. I wanted more back seat room for out two growing children. So far, the car has been fault free on every level and very satisfying for the cost. The Limited features are wonderful. It is a perfect all purpose vehicle with excellent saftey features, visability and since of control when driving. I highly recommend this vehicle and tip my hat to Ford.

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  My Poor Mustang - 1996 Ford Mustang
  By Mustang Sally - January 31 - 2:00 am

  I bought this Stang 7 years ago and always kept it well maintained until that dreaded day when I let my 16 year old drive it 10 days after he got his license. Well ill tell you something he hit a telephone pole and pushed the engine darn near into the passenger compartment and walked away with minor injuries so I rate it safe. What a great car. I never had a major repair done in 7years. The only rpoblem was the excessive wear on the tires. I seems I replaced them every 18 months.

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  Great little car - 1992 Ford Escort
  By Male Escort - January 31 - 2:00 am

  Amazingly reliable car for the price if you can find one. It is by far the best car I have ever owned (thats why I still have it). It has only cost me app. $600. in repairs in the 6 yrs. Ive had it. It has paid for itself over & over again!!

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  1990 Ford Bronco XLT 5.8L EFI engine - 1990 Ford Bronco
  By Dick Forrester - January 31 - 2:00 am

  First year for EFI in Ford trucks so there some initial problems with electronic sensors. Gas mileage is around 12 mpg. Sturdily constructed and a do-it-all go anywhere vehicle. Towing capicity is excellent. After 133,000 miles, this vehicle looks and drives like new with regular maintenance by the book. Very reliable. Resale value is poor. Ford factory parts are expensive but aftermarket parts are readily available and much cheaper.