2004 FORD THUNDERBIRD Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD THUNDERBIRD. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED APPROXIMATELY JULY 2006 WITH THE ORIGINAL WHEELS. THE LEFT REAR WHEEL HAS CRACKS AND CORROSION WHICH ALSO MADE AN INDENTATION IN THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE AND CAUSED IT TO LEAK. THE MECHANIC HAD TO SAND THE RIM IN ORDER TO REMOVE THE CORROSION AT COST TO THE OWNER. THEY ALSO HAD TO REPOSITION THE TIRE TO OFFSET THE PART OF THE TIRE THAT HAD THE INDENTATION IN IT. THE CONTACT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING $42 FOR THE REPAIR. THEY ALSO ADDED SOME FORM OF GLUE WHICH IS A SAFETY RISK. THE TIRE MECHANIC DID NOT PROVIDE A WARRANTY. THE OTHER TIRES WERE NOT DIAGNOSED FOR RUST CORROSION WHICH THE CONTACT IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,840.

ABS & WHEEL SPEED SENSOR DASH LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. HAD MECHANIC INSPECT CAUSES AND DIAGNOSE USING ABS FAULT CODES. VEHICLE REQUIRED A NEW ABS BRAKE / WHEEL SPEED SENSOR REPLACEMENT ON LEFT FRONT HUB ASSY. FORD DOES NOT SELL THIS PART INDIVIDUALLY ONLY AS AN ASSEMBLY CONSISTING OF MAJOR BRAKE AND SUSPENSION DETAILS AS A UNIT. THIS COST IS @ $580. MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO PURCHASE A HUB UNIT FROM NAPA AUTO PARTS @ $236.17. WITH ONLY 21,696 MILES TOTAL THIS PART SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED SO PRE-MATURELY AND PARTS SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR THIS AS A DETAIL OF AN ASSEMBLY NOT A WHOLE ASSEMBLY CONSISTING OF UN-NEEDED PARTS DIRECTLY FROM FORD. IS THERE A NOTICE REGARDING THIS ITEM? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD THUNDERBIRD. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A SCREECHING NOISE AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE ENGINE MOUNT FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE PART IS UNAVAILABLE. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 48,000.

2004 FORD THUNDERBIRD WAS LEFT RUNNING PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. VEHICLE STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARDS. WE THOUGHT THE VEHICLE WAS JUST ROLLING. DID NOT REALIZE DURING THAT SPLIT SECOND THAT THE CAR HAD ENGAGED IN REVERSE ON ITS OWN. VEHICLE DOOR HIT A PERSON STANDING BEHIND THE OPEN DOOR KNOCKING HIM TO THE GROUND. VEHICLE CONTINUED IN REVERSE WITH DRIVER'S DOOR OPEN, STRUCK ANOTHER VEHICLE IN THE DRIVEWAY BEFORE DRIVING INTO A RETAINING WALL. THE FIRST TRANSMISSION ON THE CAR WAS DEFECTIVE AND REPLACED AT ABOUT 2000 MILES. THERE IS ONLY 4200 MILES ON THE CAR NOW AND THE SECOND TRANSMISSION IS DANGEROUSLY BAD. *TR

TL* - THE CONTACT CALLED REGARDING THE 2004 FORD THUNDERBIRD. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 55-60 MPH ON A HIGHWAY WITH DRY ROAD CONDITIONS AND THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAG, WHICH WAS LOCATED IN THE SEAT, DEPLOYED. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE FORD DEALER, AND AFTER EXAMINING THE VEHICLE ,THE FORD DEALER CONCLUDED THAT THERE WAS COLLISION DAMAGE TO THE UNDER CARRIAGE OF THE VEHICLE. THE FORD DEALER REFUSED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE, AND WERE TOLD THEY NEEDED TO REMOVE THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO HIS HOME. THE FORD DEALER AND THE INSURANCE COMPANY TOOK PICTURES OF THE VEHICLE.

I HAVE A 2004 FORD THUNDERBIRD THAT HAS SUDDENLY ACCELERATED 3 TIMES OVER THE COURSE OF 2005. THIS HAPPENED ONCE FORWARD AND TWICE IN REVERSE. ON ALL 3 OCCASIONS I HAD TO STAND ON THE BRAKE WHILE SHIFTING TO NEUTRAL BEFORE THE REVS WOULD COME DOWN. THE FORWARD ONE WAS THE MOST SCARY SINCE I HAD A CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER ON NOV 11, 2005 BUT NOTHING WAS FOUND. THANK YOU TIM SHIPLEY. *JB

2004 FORD THUNDERBIRD ACCELERATOR HAS A 1\2 TO 1 SECOND OR MORE DELAY IN ENGINE RESPONSE (DRIVE BY WIRE) WHEN EITHER STARTING FROM A DEAD STOP OR WHEN PASSING OR CHANGING LANES. FORD CLAIMS IT IS BY DESIGN AND WILL NOT ADDRESS THE DELAY. THE LINCOLN LS IS IDENTICAL IN ENGINE AND DRIVE CHAIN AND HAS NO DELAY. THIS DELAY IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE WHEN PULLING OUT FROM A STOP STREET OR EVEN ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN GOING TO PASS OR CHANGING LANES. THE DEALER HAS BEEN HELPFUL BUT MUST WAIT FOR FORD TO RESPOND WITH A COMPUTER CHANGE TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM BUT NONE HAS COME IN TWO YEARS. THIS PROBLEM EXISTED FROM DATE OF PURCHASE. *NM

ON AUGUST 19, 2004 I WAS PARKING MY 2004 T-BIRD IN THE PARKING LOT AT WORK. MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. AS I EASED IN, I REALIZED I WANTED TO EDGE FORWARD AN INCH OR TWO SO I SLOWLY BEGAN TO RELEASE MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE AND WITHOUT WARNING THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD HITTING THE CURB AND FLEW FORWARD 4-5 FEET WHILE I WAS PUTTING EXTREME PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. IT FINALLY STOPPED AS THE CAR ACTUALLY HIT THE COMPANY SIGNAGE. THE FRONT END WAS DAMAGED TO THE TUNE OF ------. NOT UNDERSTANDING HOW IT HAPPENED, I CHALKED IT UP TO HUMAN ERROR, ALTHOUGH I KNEW I HAD NOT TOUCHED THE GAS PEDAL. OCTOBER 5, 2005. I AM SLOWLY PULLING INTO MY GARAGE IN THE SAME 2004 T-BIRD. AS I APPROACH THE CURB AND A 5 FOOT DEEP CEMENT STOOP, I NEED TO EDGE IN ANOTHER 1 TO 2 INCHES TO CLEAR THE GARAGE DOOR. AS I GINGERLY BEGIN TO RELEASE THE PRESSURE ON MY BRAKE, THE VEHICLE LURCHES FORWARD HITTING THE CURB AND FLYING FORWARD INTO AN UPRIGHT FREEZER IN THE GARAGE ON THE STOOP- 5 FEET FROM WHERE THE CAR USUALLY IS PARKED. THE FORCE IS SO GREAT THAT THE FREEZER IS T-BONED AND PUSHED INTO THE FINISHED WALL OF THE GARAGE, WHICH IN TURN REARRANGES THE CABINET IN THE POWDER ROOM IN THE LIVING QUARTERS OF MY HOME. THE COUNTER TOP/SINK COMBO IS SHATTERED. THE EVENT WAS MOST DISTURBING AND FRIGHTENING. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER SERVICE DEPT. OF WILLOWBROOK FORD IN WILLOWBROOK, IL. AFTER EXAMINATION AND FINDING NO MECHANICAL DEFECTS IT WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE BODY SHOP WHERE I WAS INFORMED OVER THE PHONE THAT NOTHING WAS FOUND MECHANICALLY WRONG AND THEY COULDN'T REPRODUCE THE INCIDENT. THE INSURANCE HAD APPROVED PAYMENT FOR BODY REPAIRS AND SO IT WAS FIXED. THE CAR HAS BEEN RETURNED TO ME COMPLETELY REPAIRED, BUT I AM NEVER GOING TO DRIVE IT AGAIN. A T-BIRD ENTHUSIAST WEBSITE WWW.THUNDERBIRDNEST.COM ALSO RELATES SIMILAR STORIES OF HORROR. PERHAPS FORD WILL DO SOMETHING ONCE SOMEONE IS MAIMED OR KILLED. *JB

I WAS DRIVING IN VERY HEAVY TRAFFIC IN DOWNTOWN BEVERLY HILLS. I WAS STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN MY CAR JERKED AND RAPIDLY ACELERATED. MY CAR STARTED TO GO FASTER AND FASTER AND THE BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK THEY WERE FROZEN. THE CAR WAS GOING SO FAST AND IT WOULD NOT STOP. MY PASSENGER AND MYSELF WERE SCREAMING AND TO AVOID RUNNING OVER PEDESTRIANS I RAN UP A CURB. THIS ACCIDENT WAS SO SEVRE THAT MY CAR HIT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND IT FELL ONTO MY CAR. THERE WERE SEVERAL WITNESSES TO THIS ACCIDENT. THERE WERE SEVERAL POLICE CARS AS WELL AS PARAMEDIC'S AS WELL AS THE NEWS MEDIA. THE CAR WAS SO BADLY DAMAGED THAT THE ENGINERRING COMPANY THAT WAS HIRED BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY CANNOT CHECK FOR MECHANICAL FAILURE. I FEEL LUCK TO BE ALIVE.THE ENTIRE FRONT END OF THE CAR IS TOTALLY CRUSHED AND COLAPSED. THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT THE CAR HAD BEEN JERKING HARSHLY FORWARD. I JUST HAD AROUND THE TOWN DRIVING AND I HAD NO WORRY THAT THE CAR HAD ANY TYPE OF MAJOR MECHANICAL FAILURE. I HAD JUST HAD MY CAR SERVICED AND IT ONLY HAD 9,500 MILES. SHORTLY AFTER I PURCHASED THE CAR IT WAS RECALLED. I WAS TOLD BY FORD OF BEVERLY HILLS THAT THE CAR WAS UNREPAIRABLE AND THEY GAVE ME A BRAND NEW VEHICLE. I WAS NEVER TOLD WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. I AM YOUNG AND A RECENT COLLEGE GRADUATE. I AM NOT EXPERIENCED IN THESE TYPE OF MATTERS. I CAN'T GET INFORMATION FROM FORD. CAN YOU HELP ME WITH THIS MATTER. THANK YOU, ELIZABETH LEON

CONCERNS REGARDING 2004 THUNDERBIRD AND THE CHANCE OF THE TRANSMISSION FAILING AFTER THE WARRANTY IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.*MR THE VEHICLE WAS FILLED AT THE ASSEMBLY PLANT WITH TRANSMISSION FLUID FORMULATION THAT, OVER TIME, MAY CAUSE DELAYED/HARSH REVERSE ENGAGEMENT. THE MANUFACTURER ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM BY INITIATING A RECALL TO ADD AN ADDITIVE TO THE FLUID. THE CONSUMER FELLS THE TRANSMISSION FLUID SHOULD BE TOTALLY DRAINED AND REPLACED WITH THE PROPER FLUID. *BF *NM