1991 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL Steering Problems

STEERING WHEEL CONTINUED TURNING LEFT, UNASSISTED, INSTEAD OF RETURNING TO TDC WHEN GRIP PRESSURE ON THE STEERING WHEEL IS RELAXED. EXAMINATION DETERMINED CORROSION HAD CREATED A HOLE IN THE LEFT REAR CORNER COWEL PANEL IN SPIT OF RUST UNDERCOATING. ADDITIONAL RUST COVERED AN AREA OF THE UNDERBODY. ADVISE THAT THE REASON THE LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL WAS ATTRIBUTED TO THE CORROSION DAMAGED LEFT REAR CORNER COWELL PANEL CAUSING THE ENGINE TO LURCH TO THE LEFT WHEN MAKING A 90 DEGREE LEFT TURN.

WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND COULD NOT BE MANEUVERED TO THE LEFT, CAUSING A COLLISION. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

FAILURE OF POWER STEERING HOSE WHICH COULD CAUSE POWER STEERING FLUID TO FLOW ONTO EXHAUST PIPE. CONSUMER WAS AWARE OF TSB ISSUED BY MANUFACTURER, AND A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT ISSUED FOR THE SAME DEFECT.*AK

SHORTLY AFTER COMPLETE TRANSMISSION, MOTOR MOUNTS, AND POWER STEERING REPLACED,THE ENGINE HEAD GASKETS FAILED, ONCE AGAIN CONTRBUTING TO A POTENTIAL ACCIDENT. WHILE RTURNING HOME FROM BABTSITTING MY GRANDDAUGHTER I WAS ALARMED BY DRIVERS GOING THE OPPOSITE WAY BEEPING AT ME. ONE FINALLY ROLLED DOWN HIS WINDOW AND YELLED THAT I WAS SMOKING SO BADLY I WAS BLOCKING EVERYONES VIEW. I LOOKED BACK TO SEE A DENSE CLOUD OF STEAM COVERING BOTH LANES OF TRAFFIC BEHIND ME. CARS WERE AT A STANDSTILL UNTIL THE STEAM DISSIPATED. I PULLED OVER AND SHUT DOWN. WATER WAS POURING OUT OF ONE OF THE DUAL EXHAUST PIPES. A MOTORIST STOPPED AND OFFERED A LIFT BUT I WAS ONLY A FEW BLOCKS FROM HOME. HE WENT ON TO TELL ME HIS SISTER HAD THE SAME THING HAPPEN TO HER WINDSTAR MINIVAN ON A TRIP TO MAINE AND THE CAR WAS ONLY 45 THOUSAND MILES OLD. HE SAID IT WAS DEFINITELY MY HEAD GASKET, WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE CORRECT. HE ALSO SAID THAT THE FORD 3.8 LITER ENGINE IS A DEFECTIVE DISASTER ESPECIALLY WHEN USED WITH FRONT WHEEL DRIVE. WITH RESPECT TO THE UNDERDASH ELECTRICAL PROBLEM IT WAS A DISTRACTING WARNING CHIME AND OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR WHICH WOULD BEEP WITHOUT PROPER CAUSE ON AN INTERMITTANT BASIS. OIL PRESSURE WAS INDEED OKAY AND THE SENDING UNIT WAS REPLACED TO NO AVAIL. ONLY WHEN AN ENTIRE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WAS REPLACED DID THIS LONGSTANDING DISTRACTION GO AWAY. MY SON-IN-LAW IN OCTOBER OF '99 TOOK OUT THE ORIGINAL CLUSTER WHICH HAD THE ODOMETER READING OF 64740 ORIGINAL MILES AND REPLACED IT WITH ONE FROM AN AUTO WRECKING YARD WHICH WAS POSSIBLY FROM AN EARLIER YEAR CAR. THE REPLACEMENT MODULE READ 131200 MILES. IN FEBRUARY OF 2000 I GAVE THE CAR TO MY DAUGTER AND SON-IN-LAW. THE TITLE HAS BEEN ANOTATED WITH THE NEW ODOMETER READING AS "NOT THE ACTUAL MILEAGE". THIS FAULTY CHIME / GAUGE IS ALSO A COMMON DEFECT IN THESE CARS I AM TOLD. IT CAN BE A DANGEROUS THING WHEN IT OCCURS WITHOUT WARNING (NO PUN INTENDED) .

RACK AND PINION STEERING WENT OUT, CAUSING THE FRONT TIRES TO GO IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS. DEALER HAS TO REPLACED RACK AND PINION STEERING. *AK

POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKS. THE DEALER HAS REPAIRED THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND LINES TWICE, HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK

POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKS. THE DEALER HAS REPAIRED THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND LINES TWICE, HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK

MOTOR MOUNTS REPLACED FOUR TIMES ,AND CURRENTLY MOTOR MOUNTS WENT OUT AGAIN, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SMOKE. ALSO,POWER STEERING FLUID IS LEAKING, AND VEHICLE IS JERKING. DEALER HAS REPAIRED THE VEHICLE FOUR TIMES. *AK

TIE RODS BROKE.

THE CONSUMER HAS EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH POWER STEERING. WHILE DRIVING HEARD A POP, POWER STEERING WENT OUT, AND VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD TO PUT THE FIRE OUT. THE MANUFACTURER HAS YET TO BE CONTACTED. *AK

INNER TIE ROD FAILED, CAUSING MISALIGNMENT AND EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR.

END TIRE ROD FAILED.

POWER STEERING LEAKING INSIDE VEHICLE DUE TO FAILED LINES/PUMP.

POWER STEERING LEAKING INSIDE VEHICLE DUE TO FAILED LINES/PUMP.

POWER STEERING BELT FAILED.

TIGHTNESS IN STEERING DUE TO FAULTY STEERING RACK.

HEARD LOUD CLUNKING NOISE WHILE MAKING LEFT TURN, DIFFICULT STEERING VEHICLE, ACORDING TO DEALER, RACK/PINION NEEDED REPLACING, REAR SUBFRAME MOUNTS RUSTED/CORROSION, NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL #93V106002.*AK CONSUMER STATED REAR SWAY BAR BROKE, AND AIR BAG SENSOR WAS REPLACED.*JB

WHILE PARKING SHAFT IN STEERING RACK BROKE, VEHICLE LOST CONTROL, RIGHT WHEEL POPPED OUT, RACK AND PINION REPLACED. *AK

POWER STEERING LEAKS.

STEERING WHEEL MISALIGNED.

TIE ROD FAILED, PREVENTING FURTHER OPERATION OF VEHICLE.

STEERING WHEEL VIBRATION, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. *SD

POWER STEERING FAILED 3 TIMES. *SD

VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN, SERV. NO 94-16-2, POWER STEEERING HOSE REPTURED, LEAKING ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND CAUSING A FIRE. *AK

FRONT RIGHT TIE ROD FAILED DUE TO METAL FATIQUE WHICH RESULTED IN TIE ROD/TIRE TO SEPARATE. TT

TIE ROD END FAILED, CAUSING A CLINKING NOISEON SLOW TURNING ON ROUGH GROUNDS. *AK

POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKED ONTO EXHAUST, CAUSING FIRE. *SKD