I work
Directly for a motor manufacturer (not Ford!) in product development. I can say with absolute certainty that Ford are streets ahead of other European manufacturers when it comes to actual quality of engineering and reliability. VW group cars have a high perceived quality due to the nice materials used in the cabin and trim, but the mechanical bits are well below-par.

Don't confuse the quality of a manufacturer with the quality of one of its dealers (the manufacturers don't own the dealers). In terms of dealers, you'll get good ones and bad ones regardless of which manufacturer it franchises.
( rubberduck should only be used after consulting with your GP, Wed 9 Sep 2009, 6:56, Reply)