1997 LINCOLN TOWN CAR Complaints

CONSUMER WAS NOT SENT A RECALL NOTICE FOR HIS VEHICLE . RECALL EXPIRED APRIL 2006. *TS THE CONSUMER WAS INQUIRING ABOUT A RECALL RELATED TO THE ENGINE MANIFOLD. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN INTO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR SERVICE. A LETTER WAS RECEIVED BY THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING REIMBURSEMENT FOR THOSE WHO HAD TO REPLACE THE MANIFOLD IN THEIR VEHICLE. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE REIMBURSEMENT HAD EXPIRED. THE CONTACT NEVER RECEIVED REIMBURSEMENT. UPDATED 12/15/06. *JB

MICHELIN TIRE SIDEWALLS AND TREAD WALLS CRACKED. *TS THE TIRES WERE INSPECTED AND THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THEY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED THAT MICHELIN EITHER PROVIDE HIM WITH FOUR NEW TIRES OR THE MONEY TO REPLACE THEM. *NM THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER INFORMED HIM THIS WAS A DANGEROUS DEFECT. THE CONSUMER STATED WOULD LIKE TO BE REIMBURSED 50% OF THE COST TO REPLACE THE TIRES. UPDATED 11/1/07 *TR

I AM THE OWNER OF A 1997 LINCOLN TOWN CAR. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE CAR TODAY WITH HER MOTHER AND 2 CHILDREN, AGES 2 1/2 YRS & 4 WKS. THE ENGINE SUDDENLY BEGAN TO LOOSE COOLANT FLUID RAPIDLY AND OVERHEATED. THIS LEFT ALL OF THEM STRANDED. AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE TOWED INTO A REPAIR SHOP, WE WERE NOTIFIED IT HAD A CRACKED INTAKE MANIFOLD. IT ONLY HAS 99K MILES. THEN I WAS INFORMED THAT THIS WAS NORMAL CONSIDERING IT HAD A PLASTIC MANIFOLD. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE, I HAVE FOUND THOUSANDS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT OF COURSE FORD IS WILLING TO HANDLE THE BIG GUYS (I.E.; GOVERNMENT FLEETS AND TAXIS SERVICES) AND GET THEIR PROBLEMS FIXED. OF COURSE US LITTLE GUYS MUST SPEND THE MONEY TO REPLACE SOME GUYS PROJECT WITH PLASTIC. THEY WOULD LOOSE MONEY IF THEY DIDN'T TAKE CARE OF THEIR MONEY BAG, THE BIG GUYS. SO TELL ME WHY I HAVE TO PAY $1000 TO FIX THEIR SCREW UP. I THINK THEIR NEEDS TO BE ANOTHER CLASS ACTION TO MAKE FORD PAY FOR THEIR MISTAKE. I AM PAYING FOR MINE, BUYING A FORD. *NM

ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN VERY ROUGH TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER DEALER REPLACED INTAKE MANIFOLD AND SPARK PLUG WIRES. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE BRAKING THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THIS INCIDENT RESULTED IN ACCIDENTS ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS. ONE ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN JUNE OF 2005 WHILE IN TRAFFIC. THE OTHER ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN AUGUST OF 2006 RESULTING IN THE VEHILCLE DRIVING THROUGH THE GARAGE. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN AT THE SCENE OF THE FIRST INCIDENT. THE SERVICE DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. DURING EACH ACCIDENT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WAS ALSO NO AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO EACH INCIDENT.*AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED CONSTANTLY. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, WHITE SMOKE WAS OBSERVED COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, ACCOMPANIED BY A SMELL OF BRAKE FLUID. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE REPAIR SHOP, WHERE THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE STAINLESS STEEL BRAKE PIPING WAS SEVERELY RUSTED AND CRACKED. THIS CAUSED BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK FROM BETWEEN THE MASTER CYLINDER AND THE ABS SYSTEM. THE BRAKE FLUID WAS LEAKING ON TO THE ENGINE CAUSING THE SMOKE. THE REPAIR SHOP REPLACED PART OF THE PIPING, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. UPDATED 10/04/06.*JB

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 1997 LINCOLN TOWN CAR IN JUNE 2006. A FEW WEEKS AGO, I LEARNED OF THE CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST FORD AUTOMOBILES REGARDING FAULTY PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLDS USED IN SEVERAL OF THEIR CARS. I ALSO LEARNED THAT MY CAR MODEL AND YEAR FALL UNDER THE CLASS OF CARS THAT ARE MENTIONED IN THE SUIT, BUT THE SETTLEMENT PERIOD HAS SINCE EXPIRED. WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR, I WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAULTY INTAKE MANIFOLDS NOR DID I HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF A PAST LAWSUIT THAT WAS SETTLED. MY CAR STILL HAS THE OLD INTAKE MANIFOLD THAT IS PRONE TO CRACKING AND THERE APPEARS THAT THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT EXCEPT HOPE IT DOESN'T CRACK. EVEN THOUGH IT HASN'T CRACKED YET, I AM UPSET THAT I WAS NOT WARNED OR NOTIFIED ABOUT THIS. I ALSO FEEL IT IS UNFAIR TO RECALL FLEET VERSIONS OF MY VEHICLE BUT NOT CIVILIAN VEHICLES LIKE MINE. IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO? IS FORD GOING TO RECALL VEHICLES WITH THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD ANYTIME SOON? *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE ARE NHTSA RECALLS, # 98I001000 AND 01V318000, REGARDING THE SERVICE BRAKES: HYDRAULIC :FOUNDATION COMPONENTS: HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS AND THE AIRBAGS: FRONTAL: DRIVER SIDE INFLATOR MODULE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE SERVICE BRAKES AND THE BRAKE LINES WERE REPLACED. ALSO, THE HORN IS INOPERABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED ABOUT BOTH RECALLS WHO DETERMINED THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALLS.

1997 LINCOLN TOWN CAR FRONT CONTROL ARM LOWER BALL JOINT FAILED, PUNCTURING TIRE AND DRIVING LOWER CONTROL ARM INTO ASPHALT. SPEED OF ACCIDENT 15 MPH. NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON LOWER CONTROL ARM FAILURES FOR LINCOLN, CROWN VICTORIA ETC. MANUFACTURER CLAIMS THE SPECIFIC VIN IS NOT UNDER RECALL CRITERIA. I SUSPECT THIS IS AN OVERSIGHT BY THE MANUFACTURER. I AM THANKFUL THAT I WAS NOT TAKING MY CHILD ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THIS OCCURRED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THERE WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY BEEN A WRECK AND THE WAY THE FAILURE OCCURRED, I AM NOT SURE HOW THE CAR COULD NOT HAVE SPUN AND ROLLED IF THE FAILURE WOULD HAVE OCCURRED AT A HIGHER SPEED. THE CONTROL ARM LEFT A GROOVE IN THE ASPHALT AND HALTED THE CAR INSTANTLY THROWING EVERYONE FORWARD WHEN IT OCCURRED. IT WOULD BE ADVISABLE TO HAVE THESE RECALLED TO AVOID POTENTIAL LITIGATION AND LAW SUITS. I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL INSTANCES OF THIS IN THIS COMPLAINT DATABASE AS WELL AS ON THE WEB. I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY CLASS ACTION SUIT AND CAN ONLY FIND THE RECALL ON THE LOWER CONTROL ARM THAT APPARENTLY DOES NOT INCLUDE MY SPECIFIC VIN NUMBER (AND A LOT OF OTHERS APPARENTLY AS WELL). I HAVE ASKED SEVERAL MECHANICS AND THEY ARE AWARE OF THIS AND SUSPECT A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND THEY ALSO SAY THAT IT IS PRETTY RIDICULOUS TO HAVE A CONTROL ARM GO OUT SO SOON IN A VEHICLES LIFE. THERE ARE CARS THAT STILL HAVE THEIR ORIGINAL CONTROL ARMS AND TWICE THE MILEAGE OF OTHER MANUFACTURERS. THE REPAIRS ARE EXPENSIVE, THE FAILURE IS DANGEROUS, AND I HONESTLY HAVE PROBLEMS TRUSTING WHETHER THE DEALER WILL USE PARTS THAT HAVE BEEN RE-ENGINEERED TO OVERCOME THIS FAILURE. ESPECIALLY SINCE WE ARE SEEING THAT SOME OF THE REPLACEMENT CONTROL ARMS APPEAR TO HAVE THE SAME FAILURES OR SAME DEFECT. HOW CAN I BE ASSURED THAT THIS WILL NOT OCCUR AGAIN? AND WILL I BE JUST AS LUCKY AS I WAS THIS TIME IN THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT EXTREMELY LOW SPEED? *JB