Faults:

Alternator failure at 100,000 miles. It was very expensive to replace because they use a Japanese-built alternator.

General Comments:

The car was a former rental or lease car with the usual wear and tear issues. A fairly loaded model with ABS (four wheel disc brakes) that has saved me from two wrecks on wet pavement and the 4-wheel discs are amazing in the mountains. The brake pads wear rather quickly, but are cheap and easy to replace. The car also came with 65-series tires standard and quite firm suspension. I love it the wife hates it. It handles very well for such a heavy car. Fuel mileage about 25 m.p.g. highway. About 17 m.p.g. in town.

Faults:

Transmission started slipping, too expensive to fix, I was told.

Electronic components would flicker on and off.

Door ajar warning would stay on at times along with dome light.

General Comments:

This car was very nice to drive, smooth. A bit of road noise from the wheels, but other than that the power was there when needed. Being a station wagon it at a lot of room to carry most kind of merchandise. For a car this size it was great on fuel. I still miss it. It was loaded. Now my new Hyundai Elantra hatchback has really big shoes to fill.

Faults:

I've had several electrical issues with this car. I have been told this is common for the model year. Both rear window motors have burned out. The antenna does not always fully rise. The intermittent windshield washers sometimes acts possessed. (Ford makes bad winshield wipers, wiper blades need replaced every 3 months.) I've had oxygen sensors replaced. Also had tie rods, sway bar, and AC compressor replaced. And of course the usual breaks, tires, shocks, etc. Last ongoing problem is a trunk leak.

General Comments:

This car, for all it's minor nuisance problems, is built like a tank. And the drive is smooth. Handling is less than could be desired, and in rain could be much, much better. Also, body roll is excessive. I would suggest firmer aftermarket shocks and sway-bar. The interior is awesome. The layout of the instrument panel is perfect. My car came with bucket seats and lombard control - extremely nice on long drives. The only thing I would change is to allow the front seats to go back farther. (I'm 6'5" and oddly enough the front drivers side has more than enough room, but the front passenger side feels cramped. Shorter (than me) co-pilots don't have this problem, though.) The rear seats have plenty of leg room and are comfortable with front seats all the way back. The trunk has plenty of room.

Faults:

This car has had an internal transmission failure so severe that the transmission assembly required replacement (The transmission is the type "Ax4N"). The dealer stated there was an internal mechanical failure and that individual components were unable to be serviced and the only remedy is to replace the transmission unit. I don't call that a failure, I call that a design and manufacturing defect.

General Comments:

My VW lasted over 200,000 needing only brakes, scheduled service, and an exhaust at 110,000. Ford can't build a transmission to survive 66,l00 miles.

I have filed a complaint with NHTSA and encourage others to do the same.

My next vehicle purchase will not be from Ford Motor Company or any of its affiliates.