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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  Best Ford Car Going - 1996 Ford Thunderbird
  By mrthunderbird - March 5 - 2:59 am

  I have owned this car for 7 years and over 100,000 miles. There are some issues with the 3.8 that will cost some money to fix, but it is well worth the effort. Head gaskets go like clock work about 140,000 miles. I had mine replaced with better quality ones along with a valve job. Runs great so far at 188,000. Transmissions tend to be glitchy, but regular maintenance keeps that in check. If your looking for a lot of miles from yours heres a trick. Keep it maintained. Use Royal Purple motor oil and micro filter. Use Lucas Top Cylinder Lube in the gas every tank full. I am looking to keep mine for a long time. Still gets 29 mpg Highway. See you on the road.

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  1st Mustang & we love it !! - 2011 Ford Mustang
  By patmiii - March 3 - 9:13 pm

  We have had this car for 16 months & can report no problems at all. Tranny has been good. Sure footed & fun to drive. We usually get 30 mph on highway & the expected 20 mph city. That highway mph was a selling point for us and is pretty incredible. We are keeping close watch on the transmission since we have heard of others with problems but we dont take it to high rpms or shift harshly. We did rent an automatic for 1 wk & highly recommend the manual 6sp. Front seats fit my 6 ft frame very well. One funny note: we are in our 50s & quite regularly come across kids who want to race us. Cant do but would like to get in on a track to see what it can really do. Overall we are very pleased.

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  Best Car - 2011 Ford Escape
  By lazeejjs - March 2 - 3:53 pm

  Previous car was a subaru legacy. This 6 c. 2011 Escape runs circles around the Subaru. The power is extemely impressive with the smooth 5 speed automatic. I live in heavy snow country and the all wheel drive with snow tires makes it unstoppable no real end swing, no tires spinning, just fast efficient snow gripping immediately. Economy is 30 MPG on the highway which is 90 percent of my driving.

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  Love this truck but you will have issues along the way. - 2004 Ford F-150
  By bigbertha - March 1 - 4:45 pm

  This is a wonderful truck to own. It looks good drives good and is dependable. However, expect one if not all of the window regulators to go out. Ford used cheap plastic parts so the gear will go bad eventually. Second, the spark plugs for 04-08 models were designed poorly and get seized into the heads. Expect a bill of anywhere from 800-2000 to replace them as Ford charges by hour to remove them because they break off. Last, the timing gears are plastic and break and result in thousands of dollars in repairs. VCT Solenoid & cam phasers also go bad. Google all the known issues with this truck first. These are the major ones to expect. If youre able to work through them its a good truck.

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  Looks Great and Very Reliable! - 2009 Ford Escape
  By russter - March 1 - 8:57 am

  My 09 Escape has far exceeded what I expected. Unlike the review, this is a very reliable SUV, no problems at all through 50K+ miles, good pickup when I need it, average 22 to 23 MPG, (actually tracked via receipts) despite pulling a trailer quite often. Had a front and rear end wreck, not my fault, the car behind was totalled, the truck in front was damaged, my Escape got new bumpers and lights and some body work! Its quiet inside, unlike my just traded in Honda Pilot. Engine has a perfect sound when you floor it otherwise, it has a understated gentle purr that I like. The 2nd. row is much easier to fold down than Edmunds would have you believe, and, its made in K.C., MO, USA!

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  Explorer Limited in Naples - 2012 Ford Explorer
  By vinced - February 28 - 5:50 pm

  Ive driven the car for about 2 months. Overall I like the car very much. Was worried about the reliability with the reviews by the pros. So far only issue is the My Ford Touch and Nav. Ive had issues with voice command, some times doest work some times doest understand, some times system goes blank. This must be fixed with new software in March some time. The car runs great the engine has plenty of power and is smooth. The electronic steering is great and love the electronics overall. The power lift gate is a must and the rear power seats is excellent and eliminates the back of the rear seat controls, looks bettor. Controls LCD controls for radio, Nav, Air, and and phone-

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  Great Value and Reliability - 2011 Ford Ranger
  By labman3 - February 23 - 8:21 pm

  I have a 2001 Ford Ranger XLT Super Cab 4 door with 4.0 Liter V-6. I bought it brand new off the lot and have never looked back! It is a great truck for the money and very reliable. I have 177,000 miles on the truck have faithfully changed the oil every 3000 miles done routine maintenance like brakes and fluids never given me a bit of trouble. I get 22 miles per gallon on the road and this truck has more than enough power. My son just drove it to Denver Colorado over 1200 miles and never missed a beat! I hate to see Ford discontinue this truck. It is easy to park and very nimble. I love it and am going to buy a 2011 while they are still available.

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  Almost the perfect car for us - 2012 Ford Explorer
  By kris45 - February 21 - 1:27 pm

  We just acquire a 2012 Limited in silver with the EcoBoost engine fully loaded. My initial impression are just Wow. We love love this car. The interior is luxurious and well put together, the configuration of the seats is nice and flexible. I do agree with an earlier review that allowing the middle row of seats to slide forward and back a little would be helpful. The Tech: I am a big tech guy, love my toys and this car fits right in with them. Voice control, touch screen, tons of options and configuration, color changing ambient lighting is cool. Proximity key is KEY! I didnt even look at the base or XLT editions because they didnt offer this feature. (continued in Fav features!...)

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  Great SUV - 2006 Ford Explorer
  By mj9011 - February 20 - 3:06 pm

  Im not sure why all these other people are claiming to have problems because I have never had a single problem! I have owned the car since new and now has 80,000 miles and still runs like new! I will probly have this SUV for a whole lot longer and when I eventually have to get a new car I will absolutely buy Ford again! If you think that cars will never have problems then you are not thinking right. EVERY car will need repairs in its lifetime. THere is no perfect car however I think this explorer is pretty close to perfect.

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  Safest Car Ever - 2004 Ford Expedition
  By rajkosman - February 16 - 8:39 pm

  I purchased my 2004 Expedition used with 20000 miles on it in 2006. I have enjoyed this vehicle every mile Ive owned it. Unfortunately the other day I was rear ended by a commercial vehicle doing 45 mph. It was the end of the Expedition, but the quality of this vehicle saved my life. I would recommend this vehicle 100 times out of 100! Looking for a new one as we speak.