I purchased a new 1997 Ford Escort in September 1996. After driving the car for about a week the anti-lock brake light came on and the car was losing brake fluid. This happened a couple of times. I took the car back to the dealer and was advised that the brake fitting was missing some threads. Dealer fixed problem. This past January I got a letter from Ford about the recall for the air bag monitor/sensor problem and had to take it to the local dealer to have that problem corrected. Now the car has a slow coolant leak. I took it to a repair shop and was advised that the head gasket is leaking. The car only has about 62,850 miles on it and has been very well maintained. It will cost approximately $800 - $1000 to replace the head gasket. I feel this head gasket failure is premature and Ford should pay for it. This was the first Ford vehicle I ever purchased and it will probably be the last. I want to know why they cannot put a $14,000 car together correctly and assure its quality to last. I looked at some of the service bulletins and previous complaints on the NHTSA web site regarding the 1997 Ford Escort and they are distressing to say the least. My next vehicle will be a GM product.

- Niagara Falls, NY, USA