ArvinMeritor Celebrates Accomplishments in Challenging First Year

    TROY, Mich., July 10 ArvinMeritor, Inc. today
announced that the year-old company has exceeded its $50-million cost synergy
targets and strengthened its position as a premier global supplier despite
challenging automotive industry conditions.  Last year, ArvinMeritor was
created as a result of the merger of Arvin Industries and Meritor Automotive.
    "At the year-one mark, our future as a new company looks extremely
promising," said Larry Yost, ArvinMeritor chairman and CEO.  "To have made
these strides despite weakened markets and in light of the fact that most
mergers fail, validates our original merger strategy.  We have emerged
stronger and more financially sound.  We are fully positioned to take
advantage of growth opportunities in every major automotive sector."
    Yost credited ArvinMeritor's uncommon success during the industry downturn
to:
    *  Starting the integration process early by establishing 19 teams that
met weekly and created the vision for the new company.
    *  The ability to quickly adopt cost-saving and quality initiatives.
    *  A merger that took place without incurring debt or premium.
    *  A diverse product mix that allows the company to uniquely capitalize in
primary segments such as light and commercial vehicle systems as well as in
exhaust and aftermarket areas.

    "It would be naive not to recognize the effect of the dramatic drop that
occurred in our industry," said Bill Hunt, ArvinMeritor vice chairman and
president.  "But what kept us operating and well-positioned for the future was
the fact that the merger forced us to immediately find cost and efficiency
synergies that aided our bottom line.  These synergies helped us to weather
the storm.  We were proactive and our customers responded favorably."
    Hunt said ArvinMeritor represents more than simply a merger.  It is the
creation of a new company that has drawn strength from two distinguished
heritages.  He pointed to the new company's ability to blend best practices,
while has renewing its commitment to continuous improvement through such
quality initiatives as the ArvinMeritor Performance Systems (AMPS), "White
Shirt" and Six Sigma.
    In addition, Hunt said, over the past year, the merger of the companies
has combined the technological expertise of both predecessors to create
numerous opportunities for the new ArvinMeritor.  For example, Hunt noted:
    *  In Ride and Motion Control, the company will be introducing a new
modular independent suspension system later this summer and at the Frankfurt
Auto Show in September.
    *  The company's corner modules are currently on most original
manufacturer bid lists, with more than 1.3 million modules being produced
annually.
    *  Commercial Vehicle Systems exhaust was recently awarded its first
contract to develop and supply as many as 35,000 full exhaust systems to a
major European manufacturer.
    *  The company filed more than 145 original patent applications.
    *  ArvinMeritor opened an Exhaust headquarters and technical center in
Columbus, Ind.
    *  The company began production of ZF Meritor's FreedomLine clutch-less
transmission.
    *  ArvinMeritor introduced Gabriel monotube, a high-performance shock for
light trucks and sport-utility vehicles.

    "We have built a solid foundation for future growth and are poised to move
ahead in building even stronger customer ties," Yost said.  "We continue to
assume greater engineering and management roles with our OEM partners, as
evidenced by accomplishments like the expansion of our wheels facility in San
Luis Potosi in Mexico.  We are confident ArvinMeritor is uniquely positioned
to exceed expectations in the years to come."

    ArvinMeritor, Inc. is a premier $7-billion global supplier of a broad
range of integrated systems, modules and components to the motor vehicle
industry.  The company serves light vehicle, commercial truck, trailer and
specialty original equipment manufacturers and related aftermarkets.  In
addition, ArvinMeritor is a leader in coil coating applications, including
those for the transportation, appliance, construction and furniture
industries.  The company is headquartered in Troy, Mich., and employs 36,000
people at more than 150 manufacturing facilities in 26 countries.
ArvinMeritor common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the
ticker symbol ARM.  For more information, visit the company's Web site at:
http://www.arvinmeritor.com .