2003 LINCOLN TOWN CAR Complaints

SIDEWALL BLOWOUT AT HIGHWAY SPEED. HAS OCCURRED 2 TIMES. A 3RD TIRE WAS REPLACED PRIOR TO FAILURE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE BRAKING FROM 30 MPH ON A HIGHWAY EXIT RAMP, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED WITH EXCESSIVE FORCE, WHICH DID NOT STOP THE VEHICLE, AND COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE 3 TIMES. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, THE VEHICLE SLOWED, AND THE BRAKE TOOK EFFECT. A POLICE REPORT TAKEN AT THE SCENE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS PERFORMED, BUT THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO NOTIFIED. UPDATED 01/18/07. *JB

I RECENTLY PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED ON THE FIRST NIGHT DRIVE THAT WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE 3RD BRAKE LIGHT(THE ONE AT THE TOP OF THE BACK WINDOW GLOWED BRIGHTLY OVER THE INSIDE OF THE WINDOW MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE TO THE REAR. WHEN IT RAINED AND THE BACK WINDOW WAS WET. THE PROBLEM WAS EVEN WORSE. UPON FEELING AROUND THE LIGHT I DISCOVERED 3/4 INCH SPACE BETWEEN THE LIGHT AND THE GLASS THUS LETTING THE LIGHT SPILL OUT. I CALLED THE LOCAL LINCOLN DEALER WHO AFTER EXAMINING IT SAID THEY WERE ALL LIKE THAT AND COULDN'T HELP ME. I CALLED FORD MOTOR CUSTOMER SERVICE AND GOT THE SAME RESPONSE. I HAVE HAD TO PUT DUCT TAPE AROUND IT TO STOP THE LIGHT BUT I KNOW THIS SUMMER WHEN SUN GETS ON IT THE TAPE WILL NOT STICK AND LEAVE GLUE RESIDUE. I CAN RAISE THE CEILING (AND LIGHT ) UP AND DOWN 3/4 OF AN INCH BUT THEY SAY THATS THE WAY THEY WERE BUILT. IT'S DANGEROUS. I HAD A MERCURY BEFORE AND YOU COULDN'T EVEN TELL WHEN THE 3RD LITE WAS ONL.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THERE WAS A NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE REAR AXLES AND BEARING WERE DEFECTIVE, AND THE PARTS WERE REPLACED. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 04V328000, REGARDING THE REAR SUSPENSION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.*AKI

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THERE WAS A LOUD GRINDING NOISE IN THE RIGHT REAR END OF THE PASSENGER SIDE. THERE WAS NO WARNING SIGNALS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT SHOP WHO DETERMINED THAT THE AXLE AND AXLE BEARING HAD FAILED AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. UPDATED 12/01/06. 8JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, A GRINDING NOISE WAS HEARD. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, WHO DETERMINED THE LEFT AND RIGHT REAR AXEL BEARINGS, SEALS, AND PARKING BRAKE SHOES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS A CONSTANT GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, REGARDLESS OF SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE REPAIR SHOP, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE NOISE WAS CAUSED BY A FAILURE OF THE REAR BEARINGS. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL# 04V328000 WHICH PERTAINED TO THE REAR SUSPENSION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. *AK UPDATED 10/31/2006 - *NM

MY 2003 LINCOLN TOWN CAR WAS SLOWING (FOOT OFF GAS, COASTING) DOWN OFF-RAMP FROM FREEWAY BECAUSE THE STOP LIGHT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE OFF-RAMP WAS RED. WHEN I BEGAN TO APPLY THE BRAKES TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP, THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD VIOLENTLY AS THE FRONT BRAKES LOCKED COMPLETELY, CAUSING THE CAR TO SLIDE TO A STOP. I COULD NOT MOVE THE CAR FORWARD OR BACKWARD IN GEAR, AND COULD NOT GET IT TO COAST IN NEUTRAL. THE CAR COULD NOT BE MANUALLY PUSHED FROM ITS RESTING SPOT AND I HAD TO HAVE IT WINCHED ONTO A FLATBED TOW TRUCK AND TAKEN TO THE LINCOLN DEALERSHIP. THE REPAIR MANAGER TOLD ME AFTER INVESTIGATION THAT THE LINING INSIDE THE BRAKE LINES LEADING TO THE CALIPERS HAD BEEN SLOWLY FLAKING OFF INTO THE BRAKE FLUID. WHEN SUFFICIENT AMOUNTS HAD COLLECTED IN THE FLUID THEY ACTED LIKE A CHECK-VALVE, ALLOWING FLUID INTO THE CALIPERS TO ACTUATE THE BRAKES BUT WOULD NOT ALLOW THE FLUID TO RETURN AND THE BRAKES COULD NOT RELEASE. THE REPAIR CONSISTED OF REPLACING BOTH FRONT BRAKE LINES AND BOTH CALIPER UNITS, COSTING OVER $600. ONLY MOMENTS BEFORE THE BRAKES LOCKED MY CAR HAD BEEN AT SPEEDS OF 55 - 65 MPH ON THE FREEWAY. HAD I NEEDED TO APPLY THE BREAKS WHILE AT THOSE SPEEDS, THE RESULTS WOULD HAVE BEEN DEVASTATING; MY CAR WOULD HAVE BEEN SLIDING OUT OF CONTROL IN HEAVY FREEWAY TRAFFIC AND LIKELY WOULD HAVE LED TO SEVERE INJURY OR DEATH OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS OR OTHER DRIVERS/PASSENGERS. THE LINCOLN DEALERSHIP SEARCHED FOR RECALL AND/OR SAFETY BULLETINS FROM THE MANUFACTURER AND COULD FIND NONE. I'M INFURIATED BY THIS ~ IT IS AN APPARENT DESIGN AND/OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT, ADMITTEDLY SEEN SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE OVER RECENT YEARS BY THE MECHANICS AT MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP, YET NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO ADDRESS IT. I SUSPECT THAT IT'S NOT A "SEVERE" ENOUGH SITUATION YET BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN NO DEATHS REPORTEDLY LINKED TO THE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE I SURVIVED. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS A GRINDING NOISE IN THE REAR END. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, WHO DETERMINED THE REAR AXLES, BEARINGS AND SAFETY PINS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE REPAIR KIT WAS ORDERED FROM THE MANUFACTURER AND THE KIT WAS INSTALLED.*AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, A GROWLING NOISE WAS NOTICED IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP DETERMINED THE WHEEL BEARINGS WORE OUT. THIS ALSO CAUSED EXCESSIVE AXLE WEAR. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 04V328000, REGARDING THE REAR SUSPENSION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.*AK UPDATED 11/21/2006 -*NM