1999 LINCOLN TOWN CAR Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 LINCOLN TOWN CAR. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THE INTERIOR FRONT DRIVERS AND PASSENGER SIDE FLOORS DRENCHED WITH WATER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE FLOOR WAS SO SATURATED THAT TOWELS MUST BE USED TO ABSORB THE WATER. THE VEHICLE WAS GARAGE KEPT AND HAND WASHED ONLY BY THE CONTACT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE 68654.*AK

1. I ENTERED THE VEHICLE WHICH HAD BEEN PARKED FOR APPROXIMATELY 90 MINUTES. I TURNED THE IGNITION KEY TO START THE VEHICLE AND AT THE MOMENT I TURNED THE KEY THE DRIVER SIDE, SEAT/WINDOW SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT IN MOTION, NOT IN DRIVE GEAR AND WAS NOT STRUCK BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. ALSO, THERE HAD BEEN NO WARNING LIGHTS STAYING ON INDICATING A POSSIBLE PROBLEM WITH THE AIR BAG SYSTEM. 2. THE SIDE AIR BAG STRUCK MY LEFT SHOULDER AND UPPER BACK. IT WAS PAINFUL, BUT DID NOT INJURE ME. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, I STARTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTHING ELSE HAPPENED SO I DROVE A SHORT DISTANCE TO MY HOME WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. 3. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL LINCOLN MERCURY DEALER AND THEY DETERMINED THAT FOUR WIRES IN THE MAIN WARNING HARNESS UNDER THE DRIVER'S SEAT WERE DAMAGED, HAD SHORTED OUT AND CAUSED THE AIR BAG TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE IS A 1999 LINCOLN TOWN CAR WITH 74,000 MILES ON IT. THEY SAID ALL WARRANTIES WERE EXPIRED AND THERE WERE NO EXTENDED WARRANTIES ON THE VEHICLE AND IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. ADDITIONALLY, THE WARNING HARNESS( PART # XW1Z14A005AA) IS NO LONGER MADE AND NOT IN STOCK AND MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE. THE ESTIMATE FOR REPAIR IS $3,500.00 PARTS AND LABOR. IF THEY REPAIRED THE WIRING HARNESS, I WOULD HAVE TO SIGN A RELEASE OF LIABILITY STATING IF THE REPAIRED AIR BAG SYSTEM FAILED TO DEPLOY OR DEPLOYED WHEN IT SHOULD NOT BECAUSE THE WIRING HARNESS WAS NOT REPLACED THE DEALER WOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE. I CONTACTED THE FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS CENTER AND THEY SAID THEY HAD NO HISTORY OF THIS PROBLEM OR RECALLS OF THIS NATURE FOR THIS VEHICLE AND THAT REPAIR WOULD BY AT MY EXPENSE. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 2MPH THROUGH A PARKING LOT, THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING. UPON DEPLOYMENT OF THE SIDE AIR BAG, THE CONTACT, WHO WAS NOT WEARING A SEAT BELT, WAS PUSHED ASIDE INTO THE CENTER CONSOLE, AND LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE ROLLED OVER A PARKING LOT DIVIDER, AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. DUE TO THE LOW SPEED OF THE CRASH, THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER AND AN INSURANCE ADJUSTOR WHO WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO ALERTED. UPDATED 10/31/2006 -*NM

I HAVE A 1999 LINCOLN TOWN CAR. THE WINDSHIELD ADHESIVE HAS FAILED APPARENTLY FROM HAVING BEEN PARKED OUTDOORS FOR 25 DAYS. THE WINDSHIELD HAS SLIPPED DOWN ABOUT ONE HALF INCH AND IT IS LEAKING. IT IS LOOSE ENOUGH THAT IT VIBRATES WHEN THE DOOR IS CLOSED. I SEARCHED FOR A RECALL AND ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NONE FOR THE LINCOLN WINDSHIELD, I DID SEE THAT THE FORD WINDSTAR MINI VAN HAD A RECALL FOR USING THE INCORRECT URETHANE ADHESIVE(CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V020000). MY LINCOLN TOWNCAR WAS BUILT AT FORD'S WIXOM PLANT WHERE THE WINDSTAR VANS WERE BUILT AND NEAR THE SAME TIME. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE STARTING THE ENGINE WITH THE VEHICLE IN PARK, THE LEFT FRONT LOWER BALL JOINT FRACTURED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 98V322000, REGARDING THE SUSPENSION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE STOPPED AT AN INTERSECTION, THE DRIVER SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED AN ACCIDENT DID NOT HAPPENED SO THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE.

WITHIN LESS THAN 500 MILES 3 OF THE COOPER LIFELINER STE TOURING EDITION TIRES 225/60R16 WENT BAD. ALL THESE TIRES HAD THE MAJORITY OF THEIR TREAD REMAI NING. THE FIRST TIRE WAS REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS CAUSING A THUMP AND SHIMMY. THE SECOND TIRE WAS SIMILAR. THE LAST TIRE LOST THE TREAD AT 60 MILES AN HOUR AND CAUSED THE CAR TO GO SIDEWAYS AND OUT OF CONTROL. THE TIRES CAME WITH THE CAR ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO. THE CAR, A LINCOLN TOWN CAR, HAD ABOUT 38000 MILES BUT THESE TIRES DID NOT COME STANDARD WITH THE VEHICLE, SO IT IS SUSPECTED THAT THEY WERE NEW. THE CAR IS NOT DRIVEN MUCH AND THERE MAY BE ABOUT 20,000 DRIVING MILES ON THE TIRE. THERE HAVE BEEN NO ACCIDENTS OR INCIDENTS INVOLVING THE VEHICLE SINCE I HAVE OWNED IT.

I NOTICED A TIRE GOING DOWN ON MY WIFE'S 1999 LINCOLN TOWN CAR. WHEN SHE TOOK IT IN FOR REPAIR, THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE TIRE. HOWEVER, THE WHEEL HAD A CRACK ACROSS THE BEAD ( NOT DUE TO DAMAGE ). I HAD TO ORDER A REMANUFACTURED WHEEL AT A COST OF $155. I HAD TO TRADE THE OLD WHEEL IN. OBVIOUSLY, IT COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS. NOT SURE OF THE EXACT DATE, APP. 1 YR. AGO. ("VEHICLE TYPE" BOX BELOW WOULD ONLY OFFER "INCOMPLETE VEHICLE" AS AN OPTION. THIS IS NOT AN INCOMPLETE VEHICLE. THE ONLY WAY I COULD PROCEED WAS TO CHOOSE "INCOMPLETE"). *JB

WE WERE HIT BY TWO VEHICLES BROADSIDE /PASSENGER DOOR THE FRONT AIRBAGS DEPLOYED BUT THE SIDE AIRBAGS DID NOT RESPOND. *JB

AS THE CAR NEARED THE END OF ITS WARRANTY, I HAD SEVERAL FAILURES. THE AIR CONDITIONING FAILED AT 45000 MI., TWO COIL PACKS FAILED UNDER WARRANTY. I WAS DRIVING THE CAR ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE THE FINAL FAILURE AND IT JUST LOST ALL POWER. I BARELY GOT IT TO PULL BY HOLDING IT IN LOW GEAR. IT WOULD BARELY MOVE BUT I GOT IT TO A PARKING LOT AND LEFT IT FOR ABOUT AN HOUR. WHEN I RETURNED IT STARTED UP AND DROVE JUST FINE. I TOOK IT TO THE LINCOLN MERCURY DEALER AND THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. ABOUT A WEEK LATER MY WIFE STARTED TO DRIVE THE CAR (COLD) AND ALMOST GOT RUN OVER TRYING TO LEAVE THE DRIVEWAY. I WAS WALKING ONE BLOCK UP THE STREET AND SHE PULLED IN AND ASKED ME TO LOOK AT THE CAR. IT WAS RUNNING VERY ROUGH JUST AS BEFORE SO I TOLD HER TO TAKE IT BACK HOME AND PARK IT AND TAKE THE OTHER CAR. SHE DID THIS, LOCKED IT AND LEFT. IT HAD ONLY RUN ABOUT 4 OR 5 MINUTES. AS I WALKED AROUND THE BLOCK I HEARD A CAR ALARM GOING OFF AND AS I APPROACHED MY HOUSE I SAW THE CAR ON FIRE SITTING JUST OUTSIDE THE GARAGE, LUCKILY I CALLED THE FIRE DEPT AND THEY CAME AND PUT IT OUT BUT IT WAS DESTROYED. THE CAR WAS MAYBE ONE MONTH OUT OF WARRANTY SO I CALLED THE DEALER, THE REGIONAL FORD REP AND A RETIRED FORD REP I KNOW. AND NONE OF THEM WOULD TALK TO ME, RETURN PHONE CALLS( IN THE CASE OF THE REGIONAL FORD REP) I CALLED DETROIT TO THE EXECUTIVE OFFICES OF FORD AND A LAWYER TOLD ME IT WAS NOT THEIR PROBLEM AND TO FILE A CLAIM WITH MY INSURANCE COMPANY. HE WOULD NOT EVEN SEND SOMEONE TO INSPECT IT. THE INSURANCE COMPANY PAID OFF AND I TRIED TO GET THEM TO INVESTIGATE TO FIND THE PROBLEM BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY DID. THE FIRE WAS OBVIOUSLY ELECTRICAL BUT I DON'T KNOW MORE. THE CAR WAS A 1999 LINCOLN TOWN CAR SO THE PRESENT RECALL DOESN'T COVER ENOUGH CARS. *JB