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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  Piece of junk - 2013 Ford Focus
  By aaamadre - December 28 - 6:54 pm

  I bought my 2013 Titanium new, mainly to have a reliable car. Horrid transmission that jerks and hesitates. Not safe for merging. Also it randomly wont start. Im trading it in this week.

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  14 escape titanium 2.0l AWD w/nav. and pan roof - 2014 Ford Escape
  By rwalters1 - December 27 - 7:33 pm

  Great so far. traded a 13 Honda crv ex-l on this 14 tit. 2.0l awd. Only drove 1400 miles. the ford makes the Honda feel like it was a ten year old car. Love the power of the 2.0 turbo. Much better than the 1.6 in my fusion se fwd. drives nice feels solid, quiet. put a hitch on. 2000 lb cap. learning to use the nav. and sync. nice features but takes some learning. Will follow up at 10000 miles or so.

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  Fun, but room for DIY improvements - 2012 Ford Mustang
  By endophage - December 27 - 1:02 am

  Bang for buck a Mustang is never going to disappoint and I managed to snap up a 2012 GT Premium with only 1000 miles, and (as far as I can correlate) all the options barring the glass roof and California Special package. Ive had it about 18 months now and got fed up with the sloppy shifter. Having replaced it with a Barton short shifter (and also replacing the shifter bracket with the Barton 2 post shifter bracket), its a much better drive (this shifter and bracket are also sold under the Ford Racing brand, Barton has the manufacturing contract). Ive had a few minor trim issues (e.g. button fell off the steering wheel), but no mechanical problems.

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  Have owned a 2004 and now the 2014 Limited - 2014 Ford Explorer
  By 1963f100 - December 25 - 8:40 am

  Really wanted a SUV with at least a reasonable third row seat. With about 12,000 miles on it Im pretty happy. I do miss my old V8 as I just dont feel the acceleration of the eco-boost is as strong. I did buy all but one of the available additional feature packages. Really like that the second row has heated seats. Ironically I think a better salesman couldve talked me in to the final upgrade as it would be nice to have the navigation (vs ford sync which uses your phone) and high-def headlights. My only real criticism is the blind spots, even the hood height makes it a little hard to park. I do like the Blind-Spot systems (mirror blinks).

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  Great Vehicle, But Terrible Customer Service - 2015 Ford Mustang
  By dk10 - December 24 - 8:38 am

  The last (and only) Mustang I have owned was a candy apple red 1968 "289" automatic coupe. It was my first car so of course it was awesome...but wait a minute, this 2015 V-8 GT Premium Automatic Coupe is really AWESOME! The power (very quick/fast), ride quality (firm yet smooth), comfort (very comfortable seats and quality feel interior materials) and handling (you have to drive one) are simply amazing. My wife and I had previously rented a 2014 Camaro and after 1-minute we both agreed that the 2015 Mustang is far superior to the Camaro in every way. The new Mustang is the most fun vehicle I have driven in the last 40-years! I find myself making excuses to run "errands"...fun fun fun.

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  I love her!! - 1999 Ford Explorer
  By alavacca - December 23 - 1:45 pm

  So I bought this truck after my Acura Integra was stolen. I decided I wanted to be higher up off the ground so I bought the 99 explorer. I absolutely loved the truck but I am 4 foot 10 so it was hurting my back. I decided to sell it for a smaller car. I sold the car to my fiances old boss. Three weeks later my smaller car was totaled. His ex boss kept the title and truck in the parking lot and it was never touched. After 3 months we offered to pay him back for it and he did. The truck was not started in 3 months (and it is very cold here) and she started right up!! She always started right up and never gave me an issue. I knew I could never part with this truck!

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  One tough Ford - 1994 Ford F-150
  By jtalabama - December 22 - 10:30 pm

  I just received this truck 2 days before thanksgiving. It was towed to my house by flatbed after sitting 8 years in a field. The truck ran when it was parked in December of 06 after the owner had a stroke and then passed away. After making the determination that the 4.9L (300 cid) engine would turn over, I started to work on cleaning it up, giving a good tune up and replacing the fuel tanks, fuel pumps, and sending units as well as all the hoses, and belt. A new battery, a set of new tires, the truck cranked right up and has been excellent to run. After 500 miles, I drained the oil, and it looked just as clean as it was the day I put it in.

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  Buy a Tundra or RAM - 2013 Ford F-150
  By andywx127 - December 20 - 7:47 pm

  My wife and I really like our Fusion and so I thought I give the F-150 a chance. I liked the way it drove and some of the options and decided to buy it. After my first two months of ownership, Ive had one recall, a driveshaft vibration and the gas gauge is all over the place. The Fords suspension absorbs bumps better than my old Tundra but the Ford tranny hunts more often than the bulletproof Tundra driveline and the 5.0L is no match for Toyotas 5.7L. Its these initial quality issues with Ford that drive buyers crazy. Fords F-150 division still doesnt get the importance of initial quality. Im forced to suck it up and keep this truck for a few years until I can buy another Tundra!

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  Very pleasantly surprised! - 2014 Ford Focus
  By rex81 - December 19 - 2:54 pm

  Ive owned import cars for years and was planning on buying a Mazda3 but just couldnt pass up the price on the Focus. After incentives it was $6,000 below a comparable 3. Im glad I did. Ive had it for 9 months and 15,000 miles and I love it! Its comfortable, quiet, efficient, stylish, and well built. It feels light but solid at the same time. Great suspension allows for a perfect ride/handling balance. I enjoy getting into it every day. I opted for the manual transmission SE with sport package. Glad I did because I rented a Titanium with auto trans and hated it. Like two different cars. Its true: The auto has issues. And the MyFord Touch was annoying. Simple is better here.

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  A sporty little SUV, packed with amenities! - 2013 Ford Escape
  By alby144 - December 18 - 10:18 pm

  We bought a 2013 Escape SEL, that had about 12,000 miles on it and so far have had no problems. 26MPG all around milegage is pretty nice for such a sporty, fun to drive vehicle of this size. The interior is very nice with leather heated seats, auto-dimming mirrors, various colors of interior lighting to choose from and a very comfortable climate control system. We have had two re-call notices (of no consequence) which is a little inconvenient.