You lost me before the half-way point. I don’t see how any of this is Ford’s problem. If you can’t fix it yourself, find someone with more skill than yourself.
You want a good Ford? Get one prior to 1977. I have a '65 that is tough as nails, a '69 that is good as new and even the '88 is pretty damn good.
I also own a Fiat, so watch that other blasphemey too! 
She told me she loved me like a brother. She was from Arkansas, hence the Joy!
Um?
Ford Motor Company makes a whole bunch of cars, under diferent brand names, in many countries around the world. They own Ford in Sweden, which, if nothing else, is obvious since they’re offering sales of shares in Ford Motor Company, USA, on their Swedish website. To be an official dealer of Ford cars, being able to use their logo and get the benefit from national advertising, any local dealership is of course licensed. I doubt if ‘Honest Joe’s Back Lot Auto Mart’ can get to be an official dealer, from just wanting it. I would also expect that Ford, through its subsidiaries (sp?), check on quality. Most multinationals do this: McD, IBM, Hertz ASF.
Now, if the only official Ford dealer in this entire region (they have many outlets, but are all the same company), which sell Ford and Ford original parts, can’t find out what’s wrong with a car of the brand they’re representing, and are guessing as to what I might try to get it fixed, at my own expense, since they don’t have a clue, well then I think it is Ford’s fucking problem, even if the board of directors in Detroit aren’t gonna lose any sleep over my old lemon. In a small way, it hurts them. If enough people experience the same, the dealership might lose its license to ‘Honest Joe’, and in the process, Ford loses goodwill among former and potential costumers, since it’s their representative that’s fucking up.
It might help if you realize that there will be only one Ford dealer in a certain area. It’s not like it is in the US.
Oh and prior to '77?
I’ve owned a Mustang Mach II and a Ford LTD. The Mustang was a POS, and the '74 LTD was a gas guzzler. We do pay almost $5 a gallon i Europe.
Ditch the Escort, man. On a good day, when it runs, take it to an auto trader and see what they offer. Say you’ll still get $1500 for it. For that money, buy yourself a Japanese car with low mileage. I don’t know, an early 90’s Toyota Carina or something. Sure it’s boring, but in that budget region, they’re the best value for money to be had, and they’re a lot less likely to leave you stranded.
Brutus, just for your reference…
The Ford Escort was an entirely English designed and built car. Rather small in size - similar to a late 70’s Fiat 124 in size but rear wheel drive. A pretty light car, but overall, so were it’s engineering levels too.
Like a lot of European mid range family transporters, fuel economy was a really important issue - and so the Escort was a car which wasn’t designed to be either large, or super duper high in terms of build quality - basically, just your typical low budget unit shifting compact car which wouldn’t chew up too much fuel.
But they did make a good version which was quite highly regarded - a rally car which actually did very well in the late 70’s in the World Rally Championship - the RS2000. It featured a north-south Cosworth designed 2 litre 4-cylinder normally aspirated engine which could really pump the ponies if it was tweaked enough.
Nonetheless, by far the huge majority of Escorts were shit-boxes. Very poor design efforts were made in terms of longevity.
My point being? America can feel no shame about the Ford Escort mentioned in this thread - apart from the blue badge on the grille. England on the other hand? I’d be hanging my head in shame if I was a Pom - that fucking car was an insult to car lovers the world over. They tried selling them down here for a while and they were rated by one of our prestigious motoring organisations as the most unreliable car ever offered for sale in Australia’s history.
Beaten only by the infamous Triumph Stag. Ahhh… the Triumph Stag. As the Bosch people used to joke of the Lucas electric systems used in that car… “They were designed by the Prince of Darkness…”
Now, the Ford Sierra Cosworth Turbo on the other hand? Now that was a car worth owning.
Great car though, the Stag. Talk about a bloke’s car!
Cosser Turbo, eh? Tons of fun indeed. Wasn’t there a souped up version of the Escort Mk I RS2000 called the Mexico or something? That was a serious piece of kit, too.
US Ford… I like the older Mustangs, especially the Sting Rays (or Stingrays, whichever the first generation was called. Not the late 70’s rip-off). But that’s about it, to be honest.
Coldie I just took delivery (after something like 3 months on a ship out from Miami) of a 1966 Shelby GT350 Mustang - a really nice car. The whole thing fucking bounces up a down when it’s idling. I shudder to think how wild the cam in it is.
Scarlett Red with white Le Mans stripes. Matching interior.
If I wanted I could spend up to $10,000 to bring it up to show winning concours level (which is totally the behaviour of compulsive obsessives) but even as it is, it’s about 8.5 out of 10 in terms of quality. Serious motherfucker car.