2001 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR Complaints

AUGUST 2002, I REPLACED ALL FIVE TIRES ON MY 01 NAVAGATOR WITH 17" MICHELIN XROSS TERRAIN TIRES DUE TO A SAFETY RECALL ON THE OEM CONTENINTALS. SINCE THE REPLACEMENT DATE, THREE OF THE TIRES HAVE ALL SUFFERED SIDEWALL FAILURES ON THE HIGHWAY, IN THE SUMMER AND WITH NORMAL LOADING. ALL THREE WERE ON THE REAR AND ALL WERE CATASTROPHIC FAILURES. THE FIRST HAPPENED ABOUT LAST SEPTEMBER 2003 WITH APPROXIMATELY 12,000 MILES ON THE TIRES. THE TIRE HAD A NAIL IN IT AND THE CAUSE FROM THE DEALER WAS MY FAULT, UNDER INFLATED TIRE. THE SECOND WAS THE FIRST WEEK OF JULY 2004, SAME PROBLEM AND EXACTLY THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCES. LOCAL HIGWAY DRIVING AT SPEED AND ON A HOT DAY WITH A NAIL IN THE TREAD. AGAIN, IT WAS MY FAULT DUE TO UNDER INFLATION. IT HAPPENED A THIRED TIME YESTERDAY AT SPEED, COOL HIGHWAY TEMPS, OVERCAST SKIES AND ABOUT 75 DEGREES, PRESSURE IN THE TIRE WAS SET THE DAY BEFORE AT 36 PSI AND CONFIRMED THAT MORNING BY AIR CAPS (36 PSI UNITS). NO NAILS IN THE TIRE, JUST A CATROSTROPHIC FAILURE. I AM CONVINCED THE FIRST TWO TIRES WERE DEFECTED AS IS THIS THIRD ONE. THESE THREE TIRES ARE FROM THE ORGINAL BUNCH OF FIVE THAT WERE INSTALLED. I HAVE THE FORTH TIRE ON THE GROUND NOW AS A SPARE AND THE REMAINING ORIGINAL IS ONE OF THE FRONT TIRES. NOT SURE WHICH. I AM GOING TO PRESS FOR A MEETING WITH THE HOUSTON AREA TIRE REPRESENTATIVE THIS WEEK AND BRING UP MY CONCERNS WITH HIM DIRECT. I HAVE HAD TO CHANGE TWO TIRES IN MY ADULT LIFE (44 YEARS OLD). ONE WAS 6 YEARS AGO WHEN A VALVE STEM FAILED, THE FIRST WAS IN 1980 WITH A BAD TIRE ON THE HIGHWAY, LOADED UP AND HEADING TO COLLEGE. SINCE THIS TRUCK WAS BOUGHT, I HAVE HAD 4 TIRE FAILURES, ALL ON THE REAR AND ALL AT HIGWAY SPEED AND DURING THE SUMMER. I AM KEEPING THE LATEST DAMAGED TIRE JUST IN CASE IT NEEDS TO BE STUDIED. I AM GOING TO CHANGE OUT ALL FIVE TIRES TO ANOTHER BRAND AND TRY SOMETHING NEW TO TRY AND SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. *AK

2001 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR- 21,000 MILES -CONTITRAC AT-P255/75R17 TIRES - DOT# AD9C 448 5100. WE HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR ABOUT 2 HOURS ON I-95 AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 65 AND 70 MPH. (POSTED LIMITS ON I-95 ARE 65 AND 70) ON A SUNNY DAY WITH TEMPERATURES AROUND 95 DEGREES. THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE LOST ALL IT'S TREAD AND IMMEDIATELY BLEW OUT. THIS HAPPENED ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON AROUND 5 PM IN MODERATE TRAFFIC 7/16/2004. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE CAR UNDER CONTROL AND MOVE TO THE SHOULDER TO CHANGE TIRE. THE TIRE TREAD CAUSED BODY DAMAGE OF APPROXIMATELY $500.00 AND FORCED ME TO REPLACE ALL FOUR TIRES AND ONE WHEEL AT A COST OF $868. (AT MY EXPENSE OF COARSE. THE FORD DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR WOULD NOT HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY.) I WILL RETAIN THE OLD TIRE AND WHEEL FOR INSPECTION IF NEEDED. *LA

NO START CONDITION EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE FOR A BRIEF MINUTE OR TWO TRY TO CRANK IT AGAIN AND THE ENGINE WILL START. OCCURRED ABOUT THREE TO FOUR TIMES UNTIL NO START AT ALL OCCURRED. AFTER TOWING TO THE DEALER, THE PROBLEM ENDED UP TO BE FUEL PUMP FAILURE. *JB

ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECOMES HARD TO DEPRESS WHENEVER TEMPERATURE IS BELOW FIFTEEN DEGREES F FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD. ONCE DEPRESSED, IDLE DOES NOT RETURN. ENGINE RPM STAYS ELEVATED, DROPPING ONLY WHEN GEARS CHANGE, THEN BUILDING BACK UP TO "STIUCK" RPM. WHEN PLACED IN NEUTRAL, ENGINE REVOLUTIONS INCREASE TO ALMOST 5000 RPM; PLACING VEHICLE IN DRIVE CAUSES RPM TO DROP TO APPROXIMATELY 2200, WHICH IS CONSISTENT WITH 70 MPH IN DRIVE. VEHICLE CANNOT BE STOPPED UNLESS GEARSHIFT IS PLACED IN NEUTRAL OR IGNITION TURNED OFF. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT CONDITON RELIEVES AFTER ABOUT TWENTY MINUTES OF DRIVING, CONSISTENT WITH SOME INTERNAL COMPONENT WARMING SUFFICIENTLY TO RELIEVE A COLD-ORIGINATED CONTRACTION APPARENTLY CAUSING BINDING. CONDITION RETURNS RANDOMLY AT SOMEWHAT HIGHER TEMPERATURES AT SPEED, ALMOST AS THOUGH RESPONDING TO WIND CHILL COLD. DEALER OBESERVED CONDITON IN TWO-DAY OBERVATION, DID NOT CURE PROBELM, YET RELEASED VEHICLE IN UNSAFE CONDITION. NO FOLLOWUP FOLLOWING WEEK; REPORTED TO LINCOLN CUSTOMER CARE, BUT COMPLAINT IGNORED; NO ACTION TAKEN. "WE'LL INVESTIGATE" THREE WEEKS NOW.*AK

THE DEALER REFUSED TO REPAIR RECALL 01S21 FOR REPLACEMENT OF SEAT BELT BUCKLE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING, THE CONSUMER NOTICED A BAD JERK IN THE TRANSMISSION, WHENEVER THE GEAR WAS SWITCH FROM DRIVE TO REVERSE OR VISE VERSA. *AK THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER WHERE THE CONSUMER REQUESTED THE TRANSMISSION BE LOOKED AT, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN FOR A TEST DRIVE AND ONLY THE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE WAS LOOKED AT. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE CONSUMER. WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE LOCKED UP AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP AND IT WAS EXPLAINED THAT THE WAY THE CLUTCH WAS DESIGNED IT DID NOT ALLOW THE PROPER AMOUNT OF LUBRICANT TO REACH THE CLUTCH WHICH THEN CAUSED THE CLUTCH TO SEIZE UP. THE DEALER REPLACED THE TORQUE CONVERTER. *JB

CONSUMER STATES ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS STICKING, CAUSING VEHICLE TO LOSE CONTROL. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK VEHICLE HAS UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED AND OR STUCK IN PASSING GEAR OVER 12 TIMES. ON JULY 14, THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE IN REVERSE. THE REMAINING TIMES IN FORWARD WHILE APPROACHING SPEEDS OF 90 TO 95MPH. THE ENGINE WOULD CONTINUE TO "REV" UP FOR NO REASON. THE CONSUMER'S ONLY RESOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM IS TO PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND TURN THE KEY OFF AND BACK ON TO CONTROL THE STEERING AND HAVE BRAKES POWER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE TRANSMISSION HAD STARTED MAKING A "CLUNKING" NOISE WHEN SWITCHING FROM NEUTRAL TO EITHER DRIVE OR REVERSE. *PH

PROBLEMS WITH FUEL PUMP, WINDSHIELD WIPERS, DRIVER'S SEAT, BRAKES, AIR CONDITIONER, GEAR SHIFT, AIR BAG, CD PLAYER, WINDOW MOTORS, DRIVER'S HANDLE DOOR, SUNROOF. *MR PH. ALSO THE FUEL PUMP, TRAILER HITCH, THE LIGHTER EJECTED TO THE FLOOR ,THE IGNITION WAS LOOSE AND THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE WINDOWS.. *JB

I WAS ON THE EXPRESSWAY, THE GAS PEDAL CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AFTER REMOVING MY FOOT. I THOUGHT I MAY HAVE SET OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL ON THE STEERING WHEEL, SO I PUSHED THE OFF BUTTON. THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE, SO I HIT THE BRAKES, HOPING THAT WOULD TURN OFF THE CRUISE. THE BRAKES ON THE CAR WERE STIFF AND THE PEDAL WOULD NOT GO DOWN. THE BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING AT ALL. I DOWN SHIFTED TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN , THE CAR JUMPED A LITTLE AND SLOWED DOWN A LITTLE. I DOWN SHIFTED AGAIN AND THE CAR SLOWED DOWN EVEN MORE. I CONTINUED TO MOVE FORWARD AT APPROX. 40 MILES PER HOUR AND WAS UNABLE TO STOP. I FINALLY SHIFTED INTO REVERSE, THE CAR JUMPED A FEW TIMES, THE WHEELS SPUN BACKWARDS THUS MAKING THE CAR GO BACKWARDS. I THEN TURNED THE WHEEL TO THE LEFT WHICH DIRECTED THE CAR INTO THE MEDIAN OF THE EXPRESSWAY. AS I CRASHED INTO THE MEDIAN BACKWARDS THE CAR STOPPED, BUT THE WHEELS CONTINUED TO SPIN, AND SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE TIRES. I THEN TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. *NLM

CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE CONTINENTAL TIRE VOLUNTARY RECALL, HOWEVER THE CLAIM WAS DENIED, THE MANUFACTURER STATED THE TIRES WERE NOT PURCHASED BETWEEN AUGUST 19, 2001 THROUGH OCTOBER 10, 2002.*AK *JB