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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  poor transmission - 2014 Ford Fusion
  By eric megee - March 9 - 3:55 pm

  i bought this car used with 74,000 on it. and at 84,000 i had a transmission flush done due to being told it could fix the jerking. so 190.00 dollars later the issues went away for about a month. and the issues came back. now at 96,600 the issues are still here and now win your on the highway for about a hour the car feels like u got hit win it shifts gears. and there a slight delay between gears... my mechanic shop says i need a new transmission. i cant afford 3000 for a new one. and the value sucks i payed almost 20,000 for it a little over a year ago and now its worth 10,000 not worth it.

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  REALLY BAD DECISION! - 2000 Ford Windstar
  By liz - March 8 - 12:36 pm

  Bought this car used at about 3yrs/36k miles. Checked all reviews for this year and they seemed great for reliability. After hitting close to 75k miles this car is a money pit. The emission control light keeps coming on and my mechanic cant seem to fix it. Every week it goes back with a different problem fixed related to this light. I am starting to feel the trans slipping...just great! Just what I need. At the time I bought it, I couldnt afford a used Honda minivan, now with all that Ive spent in repairs and aggravation I could (and should) have purchased that Honda. There has to be some type of recall...this is ridiculous!

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  Transmission Failed - 2016 Ford Escape
  By Angel M - March 8 - 2:41 am

  started Having transmission problem at 3K miles Dealer couldnt figured what it was! they replace solenoid, pump, clutches, reset computer Etc. no luck i had to turn it in to a Lemon ! 32k was too much anyways my lady got it while i was out of the country!

• 

  Just OK - 2000 Ford Contour
  By copychief - February 28 - 10:32 am

  We put very light miles on this car, and for that its OK, but nothing more. Its uninspiring and feels like driving a tank, with a turning radius wider than the Titanic. The good acceleration comes at such a high MPG cost that its not worth it. The interior feels incredibly cheap, even for a seven year-old $16,000 car. The blower fan is so loud you cant hear people in the back seat if its higher than "2" ... and thats added to a lot of road & wind noise on the highway. Thankfully we have had no major problems with the car, but its the niggling things, cheap interior and design quirks that will keep us away from any Ford product when we replace this car.

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  This is my first and last Mustang - 2005 Ford Mustang
  By nest - February 18 - 1:00 am

  It is not a performance car. It is very slow at the start and feels very heavy it has "no" traction control though they claim it has ( I wonder do they really understand what that is) drivers seat is very uncomfortable for longer rides visibility is very poor a heating system takes forever to clear the back window and side mirrors (and it turns itself off in just a few minutes) the AC unit stinks because the engine heats the interior greatly the sound system is junk probably in all respects the cup holders location is useless if you have a stick glove compartment is a joke and mileage (WOW) 12.5 per gallon(city and freeway) - thats a scam.Think twice.

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  Stuck with a lemon in oregon!!! - 2000 Ford Windstar
  By gizzy - February 17 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this from a local dealership in Oct 2001, it was their fleet car and had 35000 miles. Right away I had major problems. 8 months later it has been in the shop 7 times, almost $8000.00 in repairs (almost all covered by extended warrenty) Transmission replaced at 42500 miles. No used car lemon law in oregon. Never again will I own a WINDSTAR!! make sure you look at national highway safty website and go to any search engine and type windstar problems and see how many you get.

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  Extreamly Disappointed - 2000 Ford Focus
  By zedinteractive.com - February 17 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car for all the great things that I read about it - it seems what I read vs. what is real are two different things. The Focus is the worst car I ever bought. From the trunk leaking (and soaking all that was in the truck) to the air conditioning that smells, I do not feel safe in this car. The endless recalls and now 6 investigations, Ford should be ashamed that this car was ever put on the road.

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  Way too many electrical problems! - 2004 Ford Freestar
  By Tommy - February 15 - 3:51 pm

  It drove great for the first 2 years. In August of 2006 we took it in to have routine maintenance and it has never been the same. It has had too many electrical problems to list as well as having to replace the transmission. Out of the past 6 months, I have only driven it about 2 weeks. The rest of the time it has been in the shop. I hope I get a new vehicle or they give me the replacement value on it for another vehicle. I am the grandson of a former lifetime Ford employee and have been a devout Ford buyer. This has really made me upset. I just hope they do the right thing. It is even worse because I am in the military and this is my wifes vehicle. It has made my life miserable!

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  Poor build quality...under engineered. - 2000 Ford Expedition
  By Merkl - February 10 - 8:55 pm

  Mine has had 77000 easy miles on it to date. The toughest thing it has to do is load up at Wal-Mart. In the past 19000 miles I have had to spend $2530.03 to keep it running. This includes an alternator and a new battery that the dying alternator killed, a new rear wiper motor, new rear lock actuator solenoid, new #5 coil, new lower ball joints, new left front door switch, new idler arm, and most recently new front sway bar links. Keep up the good work Ford. Way to go putting a 6000 plus lb. vehicle out on the road with paper mache in place of a typical truck front suspension. I have truly enjoyed getting to know the service guys at the dealership. Ill send them a card when it is gone.

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  The truck that went kerthunk - 2003 Ford Expedition
  By jjtblang - February 6 - 2:00 am

  The most disapointing thing about my new Expedition is that I looked at everything first and really thought this was the perfect truck for my family. So many well thought out design details. Unfortunately the thrill ended after about 1200 miles. I took it into the dealer with complaints about a HUM in 2WD that turns into a loud "ratcheting thunk" when switched to 4WD. I was handed a service bulliten that said simply. "Ford is aware of the problem but does not have a fix, do nothing" Message boards are full of the same complaints but Ford continues to sell defective trucks. This is my 3rd Ford SUV and probably my last.