Ford Fusion, Lincoln Zephyr and Mercury Milan outrank competition in US survey

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 26, 2006 - Three Ford Motor Company vehicles have topped their respective classes for reliability in the latest survey by US-based Consumer Reports.

Consumer Reports' Annual Car Reliability Survey put 2007 model year vehicles available in the United States through their paces at its Auto Test Center in Connecticut. The report recommends models that have shown 'average or better reliability' at its test facilities and passed government and insurance industry-sponsored crash and rollover tests.

The Mercury Milan, Mercury's first mid-size sedan in a decade, and the Ford Fusion scored above the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry for reliability, and the Lincoln Zephyr came second only to the Lexus ES350 in the upscale car category.

Hussein Murad, Sales & Marketing director, Ford Middle East, said: "It's great to see Ford vehicles getting the credit they deserve, and improving reliability has been a priority for our designers at Ford to complement the excellent overall design, performance and ownership experience of the Ford product line-up."

Murad said: "Ford is expanding its product range in the Middle East significantly in 2007, and the five-passenger Mercury Milan is one of the high performers we're looking to bring onboard to extend the Mercury family, which currently includes the Grand Marquis full-size sedan, the Mountaineer mid-size SUV, and the Monterey luxury minivan."

-Ends-

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures and distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With about 300,000 employees and 108 plants worldwide, the company's core and affiliated automotive brands include Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo. Its automotive-related services include Ford Motor Credit Company.  For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.fordvehicles.com.

Ford Motor Company's history in the Middle East goes back to nearly 60 years. The company's local importer-dealers operate more than 55 facilities in the region and directly employ more than 4,000 people, the majority of whom are Arab Nationals.

© Press Release 2006