Fords can be really picky about which alternator you use! Even if it’s a remanufactured Motorcraft, it’s worth it. Had a friend with an 11 Edge 3.5 that we put a aftermarket alternator in and it complained errors etc… for months till we finally swapped it out and it worked fine with the Ford part!
I just replaced mine with a motorcraft one from rock auto. Yeah it's pricier than reman or other brands but if it lasted 20 years and 190k, I figured that this would last just as long. Get what you pay for
I went through 3, iirc on my 2006 mustang. Wound up with a used motorcraft (OEM) that I bought off eBay.
I will always vote for a 10SI or 12SI GM alternator swap on an L-series engine. Affordable conversion bracket. 1-wire GM alternators are simple, reliable, cheap and readily available online but not easy to find in parts stores. 3 wire GM alternators are are easy enough to wire up and are absolutely everywhere in parts stores if you’re more concerned about parts availability and potential breakdowns on long adventures.
I had to order a motorcraft alternator which hasn't given me any problems 6 months later.
My shitbox, I replaced my alternator just for my window motor to go bad, I replaced the window motor just for the thermostat to go bad the next day, it’s inevitable.
I also noticed that the alternator looks like a remanufactured unit. I’ve been reading about how these PCMs really don’t like reman units that are not built perfectly to spec. It’s best practice to replace these with only motorcraft units.
three alternators in a Cadillac, even "new GM" are remans, only way to get a new one (never installed, made of new parts, new for you) is to buy a new car.
It's a dice roll. I've had some success with them, but when I put a reman one in my Focus, it only lasted 2 weeks.
Had an appetite for alternators, as they put it behind the rear cylinder head and tried to keep it cool with some little rubber/plastic air duct. Failboat. We sold the car with its third alternator, each failure attributed to failure of the rear bearings.
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If choosing alternator across many manufacturers, check the part ranking. If your choice is down to two brands, the PartReview part comparisons help.
We compare alternator across these categories:
In March 2026 on PartReview, alternator Motorcraft were overall better than GENERAL MOTORS.
In March 2026 on PartReview, alternator Motorcraft were overall more popular than GENERAL MOTORS.
By vote balance, alternator Motorcraft surpassed GENERAL MOTORS:
By number of reviews, alternator Motorcraft surpassed GENERAL MOTORS:
In March 2026, according to PartReview, alternator Motorcraft led more car-specific ratings than GENERAL MOTORS:
Motorcraft are chosen by owners of cars such as: Ford Mustang, and others.
Alternator GENERAL MOTORS have not yet taken leading positions in car-specific ratings. You can help by adding a review and specifying your car.
If this comparison didn’t fully answer your question, there are many others on PartReview.
For example, comparisons of alternator Motorcraft with: Denso, Bosch, Duralast, OEM Toyota, VALEO, OEM Honda, OEM Volkswagen, AC DELCO, OEM FORD, OEM Audi.
Also available: comparisons of alternator GENERAL MOTORS with: Denso, Bosch, Duralast, OEM Toyota, VALEO, OEM Honda, OEM Volkswagen, AC DELCO, OEM FORD, OEM Audi.
You can also see who is better among other alternator manufacturers: Bosch or Denso, Denso or Duralast, OEM Toyota or Denso, Bosch or Duralast, Denso or VALEO.
