1996 LINCOLN TOWN CAR Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 LINCOLN TOWN CAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR SHOCKS WERE BEING REPLACED BY A LOCAL MECHANIC. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE REPAIR WAS COMPLETED AND THE VEHICLE WAS READY. HOWEVER, THAT SAME EVENING HE INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE AND WAS TOTALED. THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE WAS NOTHING BUT DUST, AND THE REST HAS FIRE AND SMOKE DAMAGE. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT A FAULTY CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH CAUSED THE FIRE. THE CONTACT FILED A CIVIL LAW SUIT, AND DID NOT HAVE ACCESS TO A POLICE OR FIRE REPORT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 150,000. *AK

PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED ON 1996 LINCOLN TOWN CAR WITH 4.6L ENGINE AT APPROXIMATELY 101,000 MILES. ANTI-FREEZE LEAKED OVER ENGINE AND INTERIOR HAD TOXIC SMELL. MECHANIC WHO REPAIRED THIS ($900) INDICATED THAT THIS WAS VERY COMMON AND A DEFAULT IN THE DESIGN BY THE MANUFACTURER. *JB

WHILE DRIVING DOWN A NARROW HIGHWAY, USING THE HIGH BEAMS, THE HEADLIGHT SYSTEM FAILED (NO DASH LIGHTS OR HEADLIGHTS). I WAS USING THE AUTOLAMP SYSTEM. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND TRIED TO MANUALLY TURN ON LIGHTS TO NO AVAIL. AFTER WAITING A MINUTE WITH THE CAR OFF, STARTED IT BACK UP AND HEADLIGHTS CAME BACK ON. THIS HAPPENED AGAIN SEVERAL TIMES AS I TRIED TO GET HOME. THE 18 AMP BREAKER FOR THE LIGHTING SYSTEM WAS VERY HOT. I TRADED THE 20 AMP CIRCUIT BREAKER FROM THE POWER LOCKS/WINDOWS SYSTEM WITH THE 18 AMP BREAKER ON THE LIGHTING SYSTEM, AND DROVE HOME. IT DID NOT ACT UP AGAIN. I WILL TRY REPLACING THE 18 AMP BREAKER AND CHECK THE LOAD ON THE SYSTEM WITH A MULTIMETER. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE PARKED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES, AND A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. THE SPEED CONTROL WAS THE SOURCE OF THE FIRE DUE TO OVERHEAT EVEN THOUGH THE IGNITION WAS OFF. THERE WAS A RECALL #05V017000. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.*AK

PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED ON 1996 LINCOLN TOWN CAR WITH 4.6L ENGINE AT APPROXIMATELY 102,000 MILES. *NM

1996 LINCOLN TOWNCAR DEFECTIVE INTAKE MANIFOLD. *KB THE ENGINE OVERHEATED. *JB

ON 3/20/04, I NOTICED AN UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF AN ENGINE FLUID DRIPPING FROM MY 1996 TOWN CAR AS I BACKED OUT OF MY GARAGE, SO I TOOK IT TO THE REPAIR SHOP THAT HAS DONE THE MAJORITY OF THE MAINTENANCE ON THE VEHICLE. THEY DIAGNOSED THAT THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED AND LEAKING AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THEY TOLD ME THAT "THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM" WITH THIS ENGINE AND THAT THEY HAD REPAIRED QUITE A LOT OF THEM. *JB

I WOULD LIKE TO INFORM YOU ABOUT A SAFETY PROBLEM WITH CERTAIN LINCOLN TOWN CAR MODELS. I AM THE OWNER OF A 1996 LINCOLN TOWN CAR (SIGNATURE SERIES). ON JUNE 16, 2006, WHILE DRIVING IN TOWN WITH THE AIR CONDITIONING ON, I SAW SMOKE POURING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND ANTIFREEZE LEAKING FROM UNDER THE CAR. AFTER OPENING THE HOOD I SAW ANTIFREEZE ALL OVER THE ENGINE BLOCK. I MANAGED TO DRIVE THE CAR TO A NEARBY JIFFY LUBE. THE TECHNICIAN THERE COULD NOT FIND ANY LEAKS IN THE HOSES OR THE RADIATOR. AFTER ALLOWING THE CAR TO COOL FOR ABOUT THIRTY MINUTES, THE TECHNICIAN FILLED THE RADIATOR WITH A 50-50 ANTIFREEZE-WATER MIXTURE. I STARTED DRIVING HOME, ABOUT FIVE MILES AWAY. BEFORE I ARRIVED, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE REACHED THE MAXIMUM POINT, AND THE HIGH-TEMPERATURE ALARM SOUNDED. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE CAR AND OPENED THE HOOD. AGAIN, I SAW ANTIFREEZE ALL OVER THE ENGINE. WHEN THE CAR HAD COOLED, I CHECKED THE COOLANT LEVEL: IT WAS COMPLETELY DRY! I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A LOCAL GARAGE, WHERE THE MECHANIC FOUND A TWO-INCH CRACK AT THE REAR OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD! THIS MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT A LARGE NUMBER OF FORD VEHICLES HAD EXPERIENCED A SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH INTAKE MANIFOLDS, WHICH WERE FABRICATED FROM PLASTIC, RATHER THAN METAL. HE SAID THAT DOZENS OF NORTH CAROLINA HIGHWAY PATROL CARS (CROWN VICTORIAS EQUIPPED WITH THE SAME 4.6-LITER ENGINE THAT'S IN MY LINCOLN) HAD BEEN RECALLED BECAUSE OF DEFECTIVE INTAKE MANIFOLDS. THIS KIND OF PROBLEM WARRANTS A SAFETY RECALL. IMAGINE WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF A CAR BEING DRIVEN ON AN INTERSTATE WERE TO SUDDENLY LOSE ALL OF ITS COOLANT FROM A LEAKING INTAKE MANIFOLD! IN VIEW OF THE SAFETY HAZARDS A LEAKING INTAKE MANIFOLD CAN (AND DOES) CREATE, I BELIEVE THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY SHOULD REIMBURSE ME FOR THE COSTS I INCURRED FOR A NEW MANIFOLD AND THE LABOR TO INSTALL IT. (I KEPT THE DEFECTIVE MANIFOLD, IN CASE YOU WANT TO INSPECT IT.) *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED AT 60 MPH STEAM CAME FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED, WAS PULLED OVER, AND TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. THE REPAIR SHOP DETERMINED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE RIGHT LOWER BALL JOINT FELL OUT WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH CAUSING THE STEERING TO FAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP. THE CONTACT REPORTS HAVING NO PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THERE IS AN NHTSA RECALL, # 98V322000, REGARDING THE SUSPENSION: FRONT: CONTROL ARM: LOWER BALL JOINT. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.