1995 FORD THUNDERBIRD Exterior Lighting Problems

THE CUSTOMIZED HEADLIGHT LENS DETERIORATED AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME AND FOGGED UP. WHEN THIS OCCURRED IT REDUCED THE LIGHT ILLUMINATION AND CAUSED POOR VISIBILITY.*AK *TT *JB

Mileage: 95,000

THE HEAD LIGHT COVER WAS MADE OF CLEAR PLASTIC WHICH DETERIORATED AND WAS NOT CLEAR. *JB

HEAD LENS HAVE GRADUALLY TURNED FROM CLEAR TO MILKY. THIS HAS DIMISHED THE LIGHT BEAM PENETRATION INTO THE DARK ON THE ROADWAY AHEAD NOTICEABLY REDUCING THE VISUAL SAFETY MARGIN ON THE ROAD AHEAD. THIS IS A MAJOR NIGHT TIME DRIVING HAZARD. MR

ON TWO OCCASIONS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC VEHICLE SUDDENLY LURCHED FORWARD. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK ENGINE ROARS, CONSUMER WOULD TAP THE ACCELERATOR AND WOULD GO TO THE FLOOR, FEELS AS IF VEHICLE IS PUT IN NEUTRAL. DEALER REPLACED TRANSMISSION GEAR SHIFT SWITCH ASSEMBLY. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER REPLACE 2 O2 SENSORS AND MAF SENSOR. VEHICLE PULLS TO RIGHT. WHEEL ALIGNMENT PERFORMED. STEERING WHEEL SHIMMY WHEN APPLYING BRAKES. PRFORMED FRONT DISC/ REAR DRUM BRAKE SERVICE. REPLACED FRONT ROTORS AFTER BRAKE JOB DUE TO PULSATION. STEERING COLUMN HAD TO BE REPLACED. AT TIMES, VEHICLE WILL NOT SHUTT OFF. RIGHT DOOR LOCK INOPERATIVE. DEALER CAN NOT DUPLICATE. CUSTOMER STATES FLUID LEAK AT REAR END. RIGHT AXLE SEAL REPLACED. PASSENGER HEAD REST RATTLES OVER BUMPS. DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE. CONSUMER STATES NOISE FROM SEAT WHEN NO ONE IS SITTING THERE, DEALER STATES THIS IS NORMAL. SEAT TRACK COVERS MISING ONE LAYING IN THE REAR FLOOR. SEAT TRACK COVER REINSTALLED. CONSUMER STATS THERE IS A PINGING NOISE UPON ACCELERATION. DEALER SUGGESTED HIGHER FUEL OCTANE. CUSTOMER STATES BRAKE PEDAL SEEMS LOW. BRAKES OK. FRONT END SHIMMIES AT 50 TO 60 MPH. 4 TIRES BALANCED. DOME LIGHT WILL NOT COME ON WHEN DRIVER OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLE PULLED UP. TEMPERATURE AND SPEEDOMOTER LIGHT BURNED WAS INOPERATIVE. DEALER REPLACED INSTRUMENT CLUSTER BULBS. COOLANT LEAK UNDER CAR AND WARNING LIGHT IS ON. DEALER FOUND NO LEAKS AND COOLANT LEVEL LOW. CONSUMER STATES MOTOR WILL ROAR AND SHIFT INTO GEAR. DRIVER SIDE HEADLAMP BURNT OUT. HEADLAMP REPLACED. TRANSMISSION SLIPS WHEN NOT IN OVERDRIVE. DEALER REPLACED TRANSMISSION OIL PAN AND GASKET. *TT

PLASTIC HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES ARE CLOUDY. SOME FORM OF REACTION TO PROLONGED SUNLIGHT. I HAVE TRIED VARIOUS POLISHING COMPOUNDS WITH ABSOLUTELY NO RESULT. THE CLOUDINESS DRASTICALLY REDUCES LIGHT OUTPUT. ALL OF THE THUNDERBIRDS, AS WELL AS OTHER FORD CARS, OF THE SAME MODEL YEAR, OR OLDER, HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM(S ) AS WELL.*AK

PLASTIC HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES ARE CLOUDY. SOME FORM OF REACTION TO PROLONGED SUNLIGHT. I HAVE TRIED VARIOUS POLISHING COMPOUNDS WITH ABSOLUTELY NO RESULT. THE CLOUDINESS DRASTICALLY REDUCES LIGHT OUTPUT. ALL OF THE THUNDERBIRDS, AS WELL AS OTHER FORD CARS, OF THE SAME MODEL YEAR, OR OLDER, HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM(S ) AS WELL.*AK

HEADLIGHT LENS IS FADING AND TURING YELLOW CAUSING HEADLIGHTS NOT TO SHINE PROPERLY.*AK

WAS REPLACING HIGH-MOUNTED STOP LAMP BULBS AND NOTICED THAT THE PLASTIC CASING IN WHICH THE BULB IS PLACED HAD MELTED. PLASTIC WAS "BUBBLING" DUE TO HEAT. *AK

THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH PLASTIC LENS AND HALOGNE LIGHT BULBS, THE PLASTIC LENS CRACKS DEVELOPING A SPIDER WEB EFFECT AND ALLOWS CONDENSATION TO ENTER DRAMATICALLY REDUCING VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. NLM *SLC *JB

THE BRAKE LAMP MOUNTED IN THE REAR VIEW WINDOW WAS NOT DESIGNED TO TOLERATE THE HEAT FROM THE BULBS, THE HEAT FROM THE BULBS CAUSES THE TOP OF THE HOUSING TO OVERHEAT AND MELT, THE MELTINGS CAUSE THE LIGHT BULBS AND SOCKETS TO OVERHEAT, BURN AND MELT. *SLC

TOP MOUNTED BRAKE LIGHT BULBS KEEP BURNING OUT. WOULD MELT HOUSING EACH TIME. HOUSING WAS MADE OUT OF PLASTIC AND EASILY BURNED. BEEN IN CONTACTED WITH DEALER ABOUT HOUSING. HAVE NOT TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER AS OF YET.*AK

RANDOMLY TURN SIGNALS IN REAR MALFUNCTIONED. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK

DEALER'S REP HAS BEEN TALKED TO APPROXIMATELY THREE TIMES. FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAS BEEN CALLED TWICE; ONCE IN FEB AND ONCE IN OCT. I WAS TOLD BY THE CUST SVC CLERK THAT FORD HAD MY FIRST CALL DOCUMENTED. I TOLD HER THIS TIME THAT I WAS GETTING CONCERNED BECAUSE OF THE DECREASE OF VISIBILITY OF THE HEADLIGHTS. SHE SAID THAT SHE WOULD "KICK IT UP THE CHAIN" TO SEE IF MY COMPLAINT WOULD GET ATTENTION. DURING THAT SAME TIME FRAME, I WAS CALLED BY THE DEALER'S REP AND TOLD THAT IF I WOULD AGREE TO PAY $100, THE DEALER WOULD REPLACE THE LENS AND ABSORB THE REMAINDER OF THE $600 COST. I TOLD HIM THAT NEITHER I NOR THE DEALER SHOULD "EAT" THIS REPAIR. I MAINTAIN THAT IT IS A MANUFACTURER'S PROBLEM. BOTTOM LINE, THE LENS ARE A YELLOWISH COLOR, WITH MINOR CRACKS AND WATER/CONDENSATION IN THEM. *AK

HEADLIGHT LENS LEAK WATER INTO THEM, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE THE ROAD AT NIGHT. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE. *AK

NO SUMMARY

VEHICLE HEADLIGHT LENS EXPERIENCED DISCOLORATION, RESULTING IN POOR VISIBILITY AT NIGHT. REPORTED INCIDENT TO DEALER AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT PART WAS NOT UNDER RECALL AND COST OF LENS REPLACMENT WOULD BE AT CONSUMER COST. ASKING NHTSA FOR HELP IN THIS MATTER. *AK

CONSUMER EXPERIENCING PROBLEM WITH BRAKE/TAIL LIGHTS HOUSING AND THIRD BRAKE LIGHTOVERHEATED/MELTED DUE TO HEATS FROM BULB. DEALER REPLACED PLASTIC HOUSING ON THREE OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM STILL MAY OCCUR. DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THIS WOULD BE THE LAST TIME FOR REPLACEMENT/REPAIR WITHOUT COST TO CONSUMER. MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED. IN ADDITION, ON THIRD OCCASION, THE GROUND CABLE ITSELF WA STESTED AND FOUND DEFECTIVE DUE T AHIGH RESISTANCE IN THE CABLE. *AK

CONSUMER EXPERIENCING PROBLEM WITH BRAKE/TAIL LIGHTS HOUSING AND THIRD BRAKE LIGHTOVERHEATED/MELTED DUE TO HEATS FROM BULB. DEALER REPLACED PLASTIC HOUSING ON THREE OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM STILL MAY OCCUR. DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THIS WOULD BE THE LAST TIME FOR REPLACEMENT/REPAIR WITHOUT COST TO CONSUMER. MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED. IN ADDITION, ON THIRD OCCASION, THE GROUND CABLE ITSELF WA STESTED AND FOUND DEFECTIVE DUE T AHIGH RESISTANCE IN THE CABLE. *AK

CONSUMER EXPERIENCING PROBLEM WITH BRAKE/TAIL LIGHTS HOUSING AND THIRD BRAKE LIGHTOVERHEATED/MELTED DUE TO HEATS FROM BULB. DEALER REPLACED PLASTIC HOUSING ON THREE OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM STILL MAY OCCUR. DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THIS WOULD BE THE LAST TIME FOR REPLACEMENT/REPAIR WITHOUT COST TO CONSUMER. MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED. IN ADDITION, ON THIRD OCCASION, THE GROUND CABLE ITSELF WA STESTED AND FOUND DEFECTIVE DUE T AHIGH RESISTANCE IN THE CABLE. *AK

TAIL LIGHT INOPERATIVE. *SD