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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  Amazing ! - 2002 Ford Taurus
  By sanskrit - August 12 - 6:30 pm

  Beautiful car, have it for one month so far and cant believe how smooth the engine is. Fantastic seats and quiet ride. Amazing sound system (I have the MACH). I know previous Taurus models have had reliability problems but I really believe most of these things have been worked out. After all, the engine design has been around for 15 years !! Plan on keeping this car at least 10 years.

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  Troubled Taurus - 2004 Ford Taurus
  By Big_Guy_Green - August 12 - 4:34 pm

  The week after my girlfriend bought this car with 43000mi on it, she took it on a trip from central MN to Colorado. They encountered problems the entire way! It stalled 3 times in the mountains, twice needing to be jumped, and once more when they got back in MN. 5 trips to the dealer and 3 batteries later, we thought it was fixed. Now whenever the temp gets above 65 it will sputter at idle and accelerate like tortuise for the first 150 feet. Also, we started learning why this car is called "disposable" when parts started falling off and breaking in the interior. Not to mention the annoying heat shield rattle and fuel cap sensor! At least it gets 28mpg avg. Well get a Malibu next time.

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  Not The Best - 2003 Ford Focus
  By Jennifer - August 12 - 10:53 am

  My dad originally bought this car for me for my first car. I will say that for a first time driver, it is decent. Very easy to drive. For the few years I owned it, I never had any mechanical problems with it. The 4cyl. engine, in my opinion, is way too small. Awful pickup on the highway. It is very low to the ground and had a tendency to bottom out. Also, not really good in the snow. Decent MPG though. I ended up trading it in for a 07 Jeep Liberty, which I love and would recommend to someone over the Focus.

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  Not to my expectations - 2002 Ford Explorer
  By mosinoi - August 12 - 9:27 am

  I have a 2002 Explorer, which I bought in 2001, when the new line first came out. Transmission was bad from the time I took it off the lot, brand new. The dealer could not fix it, and last year 166,000 miles later I put in a new transmission. I also have the "door ajar" light problem, even though the door is closed. The drivers rear wheel bearing broke about three years ago, now the passengers side broke, too, at 192,000. I guess for the mileage it has it has served me pretty well. But I was expecting to get a lot more from this care for the price I paid ($32,000). I would not buy a Ford car again, thats for sure. Ill go with the German imports.

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  Perfect pizza delivery or college car! - 1990 Ford Probe
  By sam - August 11 - 8:37 pm

  I am the 3rd owner of this car. When I got it, it had 125,000 miles, now it has 153,437 miles. I just recently gave it a tune up. it was getting a little sluggish. Now its running great again. I went on a 165 mile one way trip and only used 1/4 tank of gas! the AC has never been worked on, to my knowledge anyway, and it is just now starting to take longer to get cold and its 2008 the car is almost 20 years old. It is fun to drive and if I could make it into a sedan that would be great. I plan on keeping this car until it dies, and can not be fixed. Im a big guy, and it fits me well.

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  This is a Ford? - 2007 Ford Fusion
  By swamprat - August 11 - 7:14 pm

  What a great car. I had already decided to buy Asian until I drove this car. Ive had it 20 months and still love it. Not one problem encountered so far. Good fuel economy about 28 at 65+ and 24 combined.

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  Great on duty and off duty... - 2008 Ford Crown Victoria
  By David Ibarra - August 11 - 3:43 pm

  As a veteran law enforcement officer I have driven a lot of police vehicles. The best patrol vehicle is a "Crown Vic" I love it so much I bought my own. This is a safe and reliable vehicle. When you drive it, it is so comfortable that it feels like your in your sofa chair. Why spend thousands more for a foreign vehicle. I trust my Crown Vic on duty and off duty.

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  Happily on Edge - 2008 Ford Edge
  By On Edge - August 11 - 3:15 pm

  I am very pleased with my Edge. I went from a convertible Sebring to an Edge. Being able to see the road is awesome. I love the Sync and Sirius Satellite. I am going on a road trip and can hardly wait to see how she handles on the highway. Right now shes a city girl. The ride in is so smooth, I dont hardly want to get out when I get to work. Shes turning heads all over the place. I love my Edge!

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  Stay away from the 10 speed transmission!!!!! - 2017 Ford F-150
  By Reybeast - August 11 - 11:41 am

  Biggest issue, this 1st gen 10 speed tranny causes a clunk noise to come from transfer case intermittently on startup. Ford Field Service Engineer calls it a "characteristic of this truck". Also, front camera of lane keeping system displays error messages. Dealership doesnt see the issue. Go to youtube and search for "Driveshaft clunking on engine start 3 level grade resting on brake" watch the driveshaft move and clunk.

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  2008 Taurus is Great! - 2008 Ford Taurus
  By Ray Eberly - August 11 - 8:53 am

  Quiet, comfortable, responsive, good looking, and excellent gas mileage (getting 32 highway). Very smooth ride on the 18" wheels. Excellent visibility with high seating. Build quality is excellent, no problems whatsoever.