1997 LINCOLN TOWN CAR Complaints

WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE UNDER HOOD AND INSIDE DASHBOARD. CONSUMER PARKED CAR, AND FIRE STARTED DROPPING FROM DASHBOARD, ENTIRE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER NOTICED STEAM COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THERE WAS A SPLIT IN MANIFOLD, CAUSING COOLANT TO LEAK.*AK

WHILE DRIVING, STEAM CAME FROM THE BOTTOM OF VEHICLE. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER. DEALER STATED THAT INTAKE MANIFOLD HOSE HAD MELTED WHICH WAS MADE OUT OF PLASTIC. *AK

SINCE THE PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE THE HORN WAS INOPERABLE. THE DEALERSHIP CONFIRMED IT WAS BLOWN OUT AND FIXED IT AT NO CHARGE. NOW THE HORN SOUNDS OFF AT ANY GIVEN TIME. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS EXPLAINED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN WOULD HAVE TO BE PULLED OUT IN ORDER TO GET TO THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM. CONSUMER ISOLATED THE PROBLEM HIS SELF AND FOUND IT WAS A SHORT CIRCUIT IN THE STEERING WHEEL PAD COVER. TO REPLACE THE HORN SWITCH, CONSUMER NEEDS THE ENTIRE AIRBAG ASSEMBLY. THE DEALER WILL NOT SUPPORT THE REPLACEMENT OF THE AIRBAG ASSEMBLY. CONSUMER FEELS THE THAT THERE WAS A DEFECT ALREADY DUE TO THE HORN INITIALLY BEING BURNED OUT. *JG

THE LOWER CONTROL ARM DISENGAGED FROM THE LOWER BALL JOINT, AND DROPPED TO THE GROUND, TEARING A LARGE HOLE IN THE FRONT TIRE, THIS CAUSED COMPLETE LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE. *YD

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AT 10-15 MPH LEFT FRONT BALL JOINT BROKE, AND VEHICLE COULD NOT BE CONTROLED. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING BECAUSE OF THE MILEAGE. *AK

A BULLETIN (# 97M91, & 97M91-S1 DATED MAY 1996) WAS ISSUED BY FORD MOTOR CO INFORMING OWNERS OF 1997 LINCOLN TOWNCAR, THAT THIS VEHICLE MAY DEVELOP FATIGUE CRACKS IN SOME OF THE COMPOSITE INTAKE MANIFOLDS USED ON THE 4.6 L SOHC ENGINES INSTALLED IN THE EFFECTED CARS. THIS CONDITION HAPPENED TO MY AUTO AND I BROKE DOWN IN THE CALIF DESERT AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE NEAREST TOWN WHERE I HAD TO HAVE IT FIXED IN ORDER TO RETURN HOME. THE DEALER IN THE TOWN IN CALIF SAID THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM. WHEN I RETURNED HOME I CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT MY ENGINE WAS NOT COVERED. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY?? I HAVE WRITTEN FORD MOTOR CO BUT THEY DO NOT ANSWER ANY OF MY LETTERS. PLEASE HELP ME. THANK YOU

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A REMOTE HIGHWAY WITH THE CAR ON CRUISE CONTROL GOING 60MPH. THE HIGH TEMPERATURE ALARM SOUNDED, SO I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER. I OPENED THE HOOD AND HOT COOLANT WAS SPRAYING OUT ALL OVER THE ENGINE. SINCE THE COOLANT RESERVOIR WAS STILL OVER HALF FULL, I DROVE DOWNHILL GOING ONLY 25MPH, TO A POPULATED AREA APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MILES AWAY WHERE I COULD RECEIVE ASSISTANCE. I CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND HAD TO BE TOWED 75 MILES TO THE LINCOLN DEALERSHIP IN LAS VEGAS, NV. I LEFT THE CAR, AND WAS LATER INFORMED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD HAD FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. I PICKED UP THE CAR THE NEXT DAY, ONLY DROVE A FEW MILES AND REALIZED SOMETHING WAS STILL WRONG, SO I IMMEDIATELY RETURNED THE CAR TO DESERT LINCOLN-MERCURY. THEY TOOK IT BACK INTO THE SHOP TO LOOK IT OVER...RETURNING IT AFTER ABOUT 30 MINUTES. THEY SAID THAT COOLANT HAD LEAKED INTO THE SPARK PLUG SOCKETS AND THEY HAD TO REMOVE THEM AND BLOW OUT THE FLUID. THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLDS ON 97 LINCOLNS FAILED QUITE OFTEN AND HE FIGURED THAT EVENTUALLY FORD WOULD HAVE TO RECALL THEM. I WAS SENT OFF AGAIN WITH THE ASSURANCE THAT MY VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. TWO DAYS LATER I TRIED TO START THE CAR AND IT WOULDN'T START WITHOUT REPEATED EFFORTS. I CALLED LINCOLN AND THEY TOLD ME TO DRIVE THE CAR BACK TO LAS VEGAS...APPROXIMATELY 35 MILES AWAY. THEY KEPT THE CAR FOR THREE DAYS AND THEN INFORMED ME THAT THE CYLINDERS WERE WARPED FROM THE COOLANT AND THAT I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. I AM FURIOUS THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY KNOWINGLY LEAVES PARTS ON THEIR VEHICLES THAT ARE OBVIOUSLY FAULTY. THE INTAKE MANIFOLDS ON SOME 97 LINCOLN TOWN CARS HAVE BEEN RECALLED, BUT APPARENTLY NOT ON THOSE WITH OUR PARTICULAR VIN NUMBER. THE DEFECTIVE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS PLASTIC AND THE NEW ONES ARE METAL. WHICH AGAIN SHOWS THAT FORD KNOWS THE PART IS THE DEFECTIVE AND WILL CAUSE PROBLEMS. NOW I'M STUCK WITH PAYING A FORTUNE FOR A NEW ENGINE. FORD SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED TO GET AWAY WITH THIS.

VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM AS STATED IN RECALL #098V322000 FOR LOWER CONTROL ARM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

ENGINE MANIFOLD FAILED SPRAYING COOLANT ON WINDSHIELD WHILE AT HIGH SPEED ON ROAD, MANIFOLD RECALLED ON MANY SIMILAR VEHICLES. *AK