Ford probably buy in air con units and the same one is probably fitted
to many makes of car.

Let's talk about Ford air conditioning reliability.  In the last 14
years I've owned 2 Escorts and 2 Focuses.  My brother has owned 2
Escorts and a Focus.  One of my sisters has owned 2 Tauruses.  Another
sister has owned 2 Escorts.  My parents have owned 1 Escort and 1
Focus.  Currently I'm driving an 04 SVT Focus ZX5, my brother is
driving an 02 Focus ZX5, one sister is driving a 99 Taurus SE, the
other sister is driving a 94 Escort SE Wagon and my parents are
driving an 01 Focus SE Wagon.  Not a single one of those cars has ever
had any air conditioning problems.  In fact none of them have ever
even had to have freon added.

BTW, we all live in the Metro Phoenix, Arizona area.  You know, that
place where we usually have around 4+ months every summer with the
temperature in triple digits (100 degrees and over) just about every
day and quite a few days where it goes over 110.  We've even broke
into the 120's a few times in recent years.  We haven't had our first
100 degree day yet this year but we've hit 99 a couple of times
already, the first time back in early March.

So I would have to say your situation is not typical and as noted by
another poster the same thing is as likely to happen or not happen no
matter what brand of car you buy.

OTG

thank you thank you