1994 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL Complaints

AT RANDOM TIMES DURING ANY TRIP IN THE VEHICLE, THE OIL LEVEL GAUGE WILL DROP AND WARNING BELLS WILL TOLL. UPON REPEATED TRIPS TO THE DEALER, THE PROBLEM PERSISTS YET THE ACTUAL OIL LEVEL ALWAYS REMAINS NORMAL. UPON COMPLETE CHANCE, IT WAS FOUND THAT A FIRM TAP ON THE DASHBOARD DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE RIGHTMOST EDGE OF THE STEERING WHEEL WILL CAUSE THE GAUGE TO READ CORRECTLY AGAIN. THE PROBLEM OCCURS WITH UTTER RANDOMNESS BUT WITH FAR TOO MUCH PERSISTANCE FOR THE DEALER NOT TO BE ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM.

WITHOUT PREVIOUS SYMPTOMS OR WARNING SIGNS, ON A FULLY MAINTAINED VEHICHLE, THE FACTORY TRANSMISSION REQUIRES A COMPLETE REBUILD. I DISCOVERED THAT OF THE 152 TSB'S ISSUED FOR THIS VEHICLE MODEL/YEAR, 51 ARE REGARDING PROBLEMS WITH THIS TRANSMISSION. THE FOLLOWING ITEMS MUST BE REPLACED: TORQUE CONVERTER, PLANTETARY GEAR SYSTEM, LUBRICATING PUMP, 4 SOLENOID VALVES, FORWARD CLUTCH PISTON, BANDS, SEALS, EXTERNAL SPEED SENSOR, GASKETS, MISC. PARTS AS REQUIRED. ONLY THE TRANSIMISSION HOUSING IS SALVAGABLE. THE MECHANIC INFORMED US THAT IT "LOOKS LIKE A BOMB WENT OFF" INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION. THERE ARE OBVIOUS DESIGN FLAWS IN THIS PRODUCT. 1993 WAS APPARANTLY THE FIRST YEAR THIS RELEASE OF THIS TRANSMISSION WAS USED AND SUBSEQUENT YEARS WERE SUPPOSED THE HAVE REPAIRED THE DESIGN ERRORS INHERENT IN THE SYSTEM. MY CAR WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE A STEEL FORWARD CLUTCH PISTON TO CORRECT A PREVIOUS MODELS PROBLEMS, BUT IT HAS, IN FACT, AN ALUMINUM PISTON. MY RESEARCH HAS FOUND A TREND OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THIS TRANSMISSION IN LINCOLNS AS WELL AS OTHER FORD PRODUCTS THAT THIS UNIT IS PLACED IN. SPECIFICALLY, THIS IS THE AXOD-E TRANSMISSION. MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE, IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, AND ONLY THE GRACE OF GOD ALLOWED HIM TO CROSS SEVERAL LANES OF TRAFFIC, AND GET TO THE EMERGENCY SHOULDER WHEN HE LOST ALL USE OF THE TRANSMISSION, WITHOUT PREVIOUS WARNING OR SYMPTOMS OF PROBLEMS. AS THERE HAVE BEEN 4 SAFETY RECALLS AND 3 GENERAL RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE YEAR/MAKE/MODEL, IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THERE ARE BASIS DESIGN FLAWS IN THE VEHICLE. *AK

IN APRIL 2000 AT POULSON, NJ ENGINE DEVELOPED A NOISE LIKE TAPPETS OR LIFTER CLANING. WE HAD THE CAR DROVE TO PAGE, AZ (100 MILES) TO THE FORD LINCOLN DEALERSHIP, THEIR INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE CONFIRMED THE ROD WAS LOOSE. THE ENGINE WAS RUNINED, NO ENGINE WERE AVAILABLE TO REPLACE OUR ENGINE. THE REASON GIVE WAS BECAUSE OF THE "HEAD GASKET FAILURES".

VEHICLE WAS PARK ON THE OUTSIDE OF CONSUMER'S HOUSE, AND HE HAD JUST GOTTEN OUT OF VEHICLE. A FEW MINUTES LATER, VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALL OUT. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE FUEL INJECTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*AK

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER HEARD A KNOCKING AND TICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT DUE TO A ROD WITHIN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHICH BROKE DESTROYING THE ENTIRE ENGINE. ENGINE WAS RUINED BECAUSE OF HEAD GASKET FAILURE. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER STATES THE ENGINE NEED REPLACING. *AK *ML

CONTACTED FORD MOTOR CO 6 10 2000 ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, THEY SAID THAT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT EVEN THOUGH THEY SAY THAT A RECALL WAS NOT SENT OUT TO ALL OWNERS OF THIS CAR. I AM THE SECOND OWNER AND HE WAS NOT CONTACTED EITHER. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE SAME RECOURSE THAT ALL OTHER OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE HAD! NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN RECAL.

SUDDEN FAILURE OF TRANSMISSION. CAME TO A STOP (20 MILES INTO A 250 MILE TRIP) AND THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE IN ANY FORWARD GEAR UNLESS I FIRST PUT IT IN REVERSE. THIS HAPPENED AT EVERY STOP. I WAS AFRAID TO STOP AT THE TOLL BOOTHS ON THE ILLINOIS TOLLWAY SO USED THE I-PASS LANE. I MANAGED TO GET TO MY DAUGHTER`S HOUSE IN BOLINGBROOK, WHERE THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. *AK

HEAD GASKETS BLOWN, TOWED TO LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY AND TOLD NEEDS NEW ENGINE WOULD NOT JUST REPLACE HEADGASKER, CALLED DULANEY MOTORS AND THEY SAID ONLY HEADGASKET NEEDS REPAIR SO I AUTHORIZED. IN MAY 2000 TEMPERATURE/OIL GAUGE WOULD BECOME VERY ERRATIC AND ENGINE WARNING BUZZER WOULD SOUND. RETURNED CAR TO DULANEY WHICH THEY KEPT FOR ALMOST A WEEK AND REPORTED NOTHING WRONG, TOOK CAR TO FOX LINC/MERC DEALERAND THEY DIAGNOSED EXCESSIVE ENGINE BEARING WEAR AND ENGINE MUST BE REPLACED. AM WITHOUT A CAR WAITING FOR DULANEY TO ASSESS THE ENGINE PROBLEM.THEY HAVE STATED THEY WILL NOT REPAIR THE ENGINE UNLESS I PAY FOR IT. SO BEWARE, VERIFY THE ENGINE DOES NOT NEED REPLACING WHEN THE HEADGASKET BLOWS. *AK

WHEN DRIVING BETWEEN 5-10 MPH AND COMING OUT A PARKING LOT STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. ALSO, RECALL 98V323000/ MANUFACTURER'S 98S36/ SUBFRAME CORROSION WAS ISSUED. HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

CONSUMERS VEHICLE EXPERIENCED LOW OIL PRESSURE DUE TO EXCESSIVE BEARING WEAR. NLM