2003 LINCOLN TOWN CAR Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2003 LINCOLN TOWN CAR. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE AXLE FRACTURED CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A CONCRETE DIVIDER. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

I STARTED HEARING A METAL RUBBING NOISE REALIZED THAT IT WAS COMING FROM THE L-REAR WHEEL I REPLACED THE WHEEL BEARING & SEAL FIGURING IT WAS JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS SINCE THIS DOESN'T TYPICALLY HAPPEN IN TODAY'S LATER MODEL VEHICLES.ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER THE NOISE RETURNED SO I RESEARCHED IT AND DISCOVERED A RECALL NOT NOTICING IT WAS JUST FOR FLEET MODELS. I CALLED FORD AND WAS TOLD IT DIDN'T INCLUDE MY VIN # I DID SOME FURTHER RESEARCH AND FOUND OUT THAT THESE AXLES WERE MANUFACTURED WITH A DEFECT CAUSING THE METAL TO BECOME SOFT THEREBY CAUSING THE WHEEL BEARING TO WEAR AN INDENTATION INTO THE METAL RESULTING IN THE WHEEL BEARING HAVING TO MUCH PLAY ON THE AXLE (TO MUCH MOVEMENT). THE END RESULT IS THE BEARING DESTROYS ITSELF AND HOPEFULLY YOU REPLACE IT BEFORE IT BREAKS APART CAUSING THE WHEEL TO POSSIBLY FALL OFF AND DEFINITE DESTRUCTION OF THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL! IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT YOU REPLACE THE BEARING WITH WHATS CALLED A REPAIRING WHICH IS WIDER AND HEAVIER DUTY THAN THE OEM BEARING THEREBY IT COVERS A WIDER PORTION OF THE AXLE AND DOES NOT SIT IN THE SPACE WHERE THE OEM BEARING WORE DOWN THE METAL.AFTER REPLACING IT A SECOND TIME IT LASTED ABOUT 3 YEARS 2011) AND THEN THE SEAL BLEW OUT ON THIS WHEEL WHICH IS THE SAME PROCEDURE AS REPLACING THE BEARING. IN 2013 THE R-REAR BEARING HAD TO BE REPLACED. AS OF FEBRUARY 2015 DUE TO THE L-REAR BEARING MAKING NOISE & LEAKING DIFFERENTIAL FLUID ( I CAN HEAR THE BEARING DESTROYING ITSELF) AND THE R-REAR AXLE LEAKING DIFFERENTIAL FLUID I GOT FED UP PARKED THE CAR AND BOUGHT ANOTHER CAR. IRONICALLY I BOUGHT ANOTHER 2003 TOWN CAR WITH 65,000 MILES IT WAS MANUFACTURED IN 5/2003 UNLIKE THE SUBJECT CAR THAT WAS MANUFACTURED IN 10/2003 I HAVE MY FINGERS CROSSED.FORDS BEEN MAKING CARS FOR 100 YEARS I SHOULD NOT BE HAVING THIS PROBLEM WITH AXLES.THIS PROBLEM IS NOT JUST A FLEET VEHICLE PROBLEM, I WANT MY AXLES REPLACED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 LINCOLN TOWN CAR. WHILE REVERSING AT A LOW SPEED, THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THERE WAS GREASE ON THE INNER SIDE OF BOTH RIMS. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT GREASE WAS LEAKING FROM BOTH REAR BEARINGS. THE CONTACT REPAIRED THE BRAKES. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS AWARE OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V328000 (SUSPENSION), BUT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

THIS VEHICLE HAS THE SAME "HARD STEERING" ISSUES AS OUR OTHER TOWN CARS. THE NEWER ONES WERE RECALLED, BUT THE 2003 & 2004 WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THAT RECALL. UPON EXAMINATION, IT IS DETERMINED THE LOWER STEERING SHAFT IS CORRODED AND THE CAUSE OF THESE ISSUES, AS EXPLAINED IN LINCOLN'S 13S01 RECALL. WHY IS THIS VEHICLE NOT RECALLED AS WELL? *TR

LETTER FROM CONGRESSMAN MURPHY ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT RE 2003 LINCOLN TOWN CAR PRIVATELY OWNED WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE SUSPENSION RECALL ONLY PERTAINED TO COMMERCIAL VEHICLES. *JB

MERGING INTO TRAFFIC ON A INTERSTATE HIGHWAY I HAD TO ACCELERATE MY SPEED. VEHICLE SEEMED TO LOCK AT THIS HIGHER SPEED AND THE ONLY WAY I WAS TO RELEASE THIS CONDITION WAS TO SHIFT TO NEUTRAL AND SLOWLY BRAKE, THIS COULD HAVE EASILY BECOME UGLY.THIS TO ME WAS LIKE THE PROBLEM WITH THE UNEXPLAINED ACCELERATION WITH A GM. PRODUCT. *TR

ACTUAL TIME FIRST NOTICED IS DIFFICULT TO ESTABLISH. THE COMPLAINT IS FOR "FLICKERING LIGHTS" . I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A RECALL AND TO VISIT THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP FOR CORRECTION. WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A RECALL, AND THOUSANDS OF 2003 LINCOLNS HAD BEEN RECALLED, BUT MINE WAS NOT ONE OF THEM. THE PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE THE CAR IS NOT DRIVEN AT NIGHT. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT IF ONE LINCOLN IS RECALLED FOR A PARTICULAR PROBLEM, ANY CAR OF THE YEAR AND SAME PROBLEM SHOULD BE COVERED. THE COST OF THE REPAIR IS APPROXIMATELY $650.00. NO MATTER WHAT THE COST, THE COMPANY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE. *TR

MY 2003 TOWNCAR WAS MAKING A SCRAPING NOISE IN THE REAR AND I BROUGHT IT TO REPAIR SHOP. MECHANIC SUSPECTED REAR BRAKES BUT UPON INSPECTION FOUND BAD BEARINGS AND AXEL SHAFTS AND TOLD ME THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. HE ALSO TOLD ME HE HAD NOT SEEN THIS TYPE OF DAMAGE IN ANY PAST VEHICLES. AND CERTAINLY SHOULD NOT HAPPEN AT 104,000 MILES. DURING ONLINE RESEARCH I FOUND A SAFETY RECALL IN 2004 FOR 2003 TOWNCARS DUE TO REAR AXLES. I WAS TOLD BY FORD THAT THE RECALL DID NOT APPLY TO MY VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER, BUT WAS FOR VEHICLES SOLD TO FLEETS. FURTHER RESEARCH FOUND MANY COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME DEFECT ON 2003 TOWNCARS THAT WERE ALSO NOT PART OF THE RECALL. I FEEL THAT FORD TOOK CARE OF THEIR COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS AND LEFT PRIVATE OWNERS EXPOSED TO UNSAFE VEHICLES WITH NO RECOURSE. DUE TO THE NUMBER OF LINCOLN CUSTOMERS WITH THE SAME UNLIKELY PROBLEM FORD SHOULD ADMIT THAT THE RECALL SHOULD AFFECT ALL 2003 LINCOLN TOWN CARS. *TR

WHILE BACKING UP, UNKNOWN TO ME, MY PARKING AID SYSTEM FAILED, I RAN OVER A GARBAGE RECYCLE BIN, DAMAGING MY REAR BUMPER COVER. IF THE SYSTEM WORKED AS ADVERTISED, THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. THANK GOD IT WASN'T A CHILD! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 LINCOLN TOWNCAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SUN HAD CAUSED THE CONTROL BUTTONS ON THE STEERING WHEEL TO BECOME NON ADHESIVE CAUSING THE CRUISE CONTROL FEATURES TO MALFUNCTION. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 144,000.