1999 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR Suspension Problems

WHILE DRIVING ....... WITHOUT WARNING THE AIR SUSPENSION LINE EXPLODED AND THE VEHICLE BECAME UNMANAGEABLE ... CAUSING ME TO GO OFF THE ROAD AND STRIKE VARIOUS STATIONARY OBJECTS ...... *TR

Mileage: 140,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPARKS PLUGS WERE BECOMING OVERHEATED AND POPPING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD, AND WERE ALSO BURNING THE ATTACHED COIL. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SUSPENSION WOULD INTERMITTENTLY FAIL AND WOULD NOT INFLATE. THE CONTACT WOULD SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE FOR A FEW MOMENTS TO ALLOW THE SUSPENSION TO RESET ITSELF. THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER INSPECTED FOR THE FAILURE NOR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 220,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 240,000.

Mileage: 220,000

HEARD CLICKING NOISE WHEN TURNING CORNERS. TOOK 1999 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR IN FOR INSPECTIONS AND FOUND THAT THE FOLLOWING PARTS NEEDED REPLACING: BALL JOINTS (FRONT-LEFT), REMOVE AND REPLACE CONTROL ARM, LOWER, ONE SIDE, SWAY BAR LINK-REMOVE AND REPLACE STABILIZER BAR CONTROL, ALIGNMENT CAMS/WEDGES (FRONT-LEFT INCLUDING ALIGNMENT ADJUSTMENT. VERY COSTLY AND TIME CONSUMING REPAIRS. SINCE I TRAVEL A LOT I FEEL MORE THAN BLESSED THAT THERE WAS NOT A BREAK DOWN IN ROUTE OF A TRIP. WAS TOLD THAT THIS INDEED COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS IF NOT REPAIRED IMMEDIATELY. *NM

Mileage: 89,163

I WAS DRIVING MY 1999 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR AND SUDDENLY MY REAR SUSPENSION FAILED RESULTING IN A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF BOUNCING UP AND DOWN CAUSE A VERY SERIOUS CONTROL PROBLEM. LUCKILY THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES AROUND TO CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE HOME BY DRIVING SLOWLY AND SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY LOCAL MECHANIC. HE DISCOVERED THAT THE COMPRESSOR RELAY AND CONNECTOR PLUG WAS MELTED/BURNED AND FOUND THE MAIN AIR LINE ALSO MELTED CAUSING THE SUDDEN LOSS OF AIR PRESSURE. THERE WERE ALSO NUMEROUS MELTED AND BURNT WIRING. HE WAS ABLE TO INSTALL A TEMPORARY AIR LINE TO GET THE SUSPENSION TEMPORARILY WORKING AND RECOMMENDED THAT I TAKE IT TO A LINCOLN GARAGE FOR FURTHER WORK. I SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE LOCAL LINCOLN GARAGE AND HE ADVISED ME THAT THE RELAY, CONNECTOR AND WIRING HARNESS NEEDED REPLACED/REPAIRED. AFTER A WAIT OF 2 WEEKS HE WAS ABLE TO GET THE PARTS AND DO THE REPAIR WORK. THE PARTS REPLACED WERE: RELAY,P/N 2C013/A, CABLE CONNECTOR, P/N 14488/A, CABLE CONNECTOR P/N 14488/B, AND WIRE ASSY P/N 14S11/HA. I AM VERY SHOCKED THAT THERE WAS NO FUSING MECHANISM TO KEEP THIS FROM HAPPENING AND THE FACT THAT THE AIR LINE WAS ROUTED OVER THE RELAY ALLOWING IT TO MELT AND GET A HOLE IN IT. I HAVE THE DEFECTIVE PARTS AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW TO CONTACT SOMEONE IN THE LINCOLN ORGANIZATION FOR REIMBURSEMENT FOR A SITUATION THAT SHOULD NEVER HAD HAPPENED. I CAN SEE THE RELAY FAILING BUT I CANNOT SEE WHY THERE WASN'T A FUSIBLE LINK TO PREVENT THE FIRE OR A RE-ROUTING OF THE AIR LINE TO KEEP IT FROM GETTING DAMAGED.*JB

Mileage: 34,000

SEVERAL MONTHS TO A YEAR AGO, I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FROM FORD/LINCOLN TELLING ME TO HAVE MY TIRE RODS INSPECTED. I DID SO THE LAST TIME THE CARE WAS IN FOR SERVICE AND WAS TOLD ALL WAS OK AND THEY DIDN'T NEED TO BE REPLACED. LAST NIGHT, WHILE DRIVING NEAR RFK STADIUM IN WASHINGTON, DC, THE TIRE ROD ON MY 99 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR SEVERED FROM THE VEHICLE CAUSING ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND STEERING. SHORTLY BEFORE INCIDENT I HAD BEEN ON THE BELTWAY GOING 55 MPH. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, I WAS ONLY TRAVELING 25-30 MPH. BY LUCK, THE CAR VEERED INTO A EXXON GAS STATION. IN TALKING WITH THE LINCOLN SERVICE DEALER THIS MORNING, THEY SEEM TO BE WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND INFORMED ME THAT THERE REALLY IS NO WAY TO TELL IF THE TIRE ROD JOINT IS WORN BY INSPECTION. THEY SEEM TO IMPLY THAT THE PROBLEM IS WELL KNOWN BUT THAT OTHER THAN THE LETTER, THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL. THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY 80,000 MILES'MOST OF WHICH ARE TRAVELED ON THE HIGHWAY (BETWEEN OCEAN CITY AND BETHESDA MD. THE PART IN QUESTION WAS REPLACED AT THE EXXON STATION LAST NIGHT AND I TOOK THE VEHICLE AND PART THIS MORNING TO MANHATTAN LINCOLN IN ROCKVILLE, MD. THEY SUGGESTED REPLACING THE OTHER TIRE ROD (AT COST TO ME) AND THEN INFORMED ME LATER IN THE DAY THAT THE SWAY BAR LINKS ALSO NEEDED REPLACING AT A COST OF $275 FOR BOTH. APPARENTLY ONE OF THEM WAS LOOSE OR HAD ALREADY COME OFF. NOT SURE IF THE INCIDENT LAST EVENING CAUSE THIS. I REQUEST THAT NHTSA LOOK INTO THIS MATTER ASAP. I TRAVEL BACK AND FORTH TO OCEAN CITY, MD ALMOST EVERY WEEKEND AND AM CONVINCED THAT HAD THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED AT 55 MPH OR WHILE TRAVELING OVER THE CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGE, YOU'D PROBABLY HAVE FOUR FATALITIES TO INVESTIGATE (MY WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN). THE VIN NUMBER IS [XXX]. PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO CALL IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. SINCERELY, [XXX]. *NM UPDATED 07/19/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Mileage: 80,000

SUSPENSION FAILED. AS A RESULT , VEHICLE ROSE OFF THE GROUND HIGHER THAN NORMAL. IF A PASSENGER LEFT THE VEHICLE HE COULD HAVE FALL TO THE GROUND. *AK

AIR SUSPENSION COMPRESSOR FAILURE. I WAS DRIVING ALONG IN THE VEHICLE WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE DROPPED & STARTED BOUNCING UP AND DOWN WHICH CAUSED ME TO SWERVE..LUCKILY THERE WASN'T ANYTHING IN MY PATH. WHEN I HAD THE VEHICLE SERVICED I WAS TOLD THAT THIS PARTICULAR COMPONENT FAILS IN OVER 80% OF LINCOLN NAVIGATORS AND NOW THE DEALER IS SELLING AN "UPGRADED PART" BECAUSE THEY'RE AWARE THAT THE ONE INSTALLED IN THE VEHICLES WAS DEFECTIVE AND I'M WONDERING WHY A RECALL HASN'T BEEN DONE ALREADY. *AK

AIR SUSPENSION COMPRESSOR FAILURE @ 40,000 MILES.*AK

Mileage: 40,000

NO SUMMARY. DT

ON FLAT SURFACE AT 25MPH REAR SUSPENSION SNAPPED, CAUSING CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH HEARD A LOUD BANG, THEN, REAR OF THE VEHICLE DROPPED ON THE TIRES. REAR BUMPER WAS ONLY 6-8 INCHES OFF THE GROUND. NO ACCIDENT. VEHICLE NOT AT DEALER YET.*AK

ON JUNE 20, 2001 I TURNED ON MY LINCOLN NAVIGATOR AND THE ENTIRE CAR BEGAN SHAKING OUT OF CONTROL AND I HEARD A VERY LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR. I CALLED FORD AND INFORMED THEM OF THE PROBLEM AND THEY ASKED ME TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP. I TOLD FORD THAT I WAS NOT ABLE TO DRIVE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE ENTIRE VEHICLE WAS SHAKING OUT OF CONTROL. I THEN ARRANGED A FLAT BED TO PICK UP THE CAR THE NEXT MORNING. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO COURTESY FORD IN THE BRONX, NEW YORK. I TOLD THE SERVICE PERSONNEL OF THE THREE PROBLEMS I WAS HAVING WITH THE VEHICLE. THE ENGINE, THE DRIVER SIDE POWERED WINDOW WAS NOT FUNCTIONING AND THE WINSHIELD WIPER RECALL NEEDED SERVICE. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE COORDINATOR THAT SOMEONE WOULD CALL ME THE NEXT DAY. NO OE CALLED AND I WAS FORCED TO CONSISTENTLY CALL THE DEALER ALL DAY TO GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO SOMEONE. I FINALLY SPOKE TO THE ASST. SERVICE MANAGER(DAVE) AND HE TOLD ME THAT THE ENGINE HAD FAILED AND FORD INSTRUCTED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE WITH A BRAND NEW ONE. I ASKED HIM WHAT EXACTLY HAD GONE WRONG WITH THE ENGINE AND HE TOLD ME THAT "THINGS LIKE THIS HAPPEN ALL THE TIMES, AND THE ONLY WAY TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM WAS TO REPLACE THE ENGINE" I ASKED HIM AGAIN WHAT HAPPEN TO THE ENGINE AND HE RESPONDED MY TELLING ME THAT A SPARK PLUG FELL INTO THE ENGINE, AND THE ENGINE FAILED. THIRTY FOUR DAYS LATER I WAS ASKED TO PICK UP THE CAR. I DID NOT RECEIVE AND PAPERWORK, THE WINSHIELD WIPER RECALL SERVICE WAS NEVER DONE AND THE POWERED WINDOW PROBLEM STILL EXISTED, AND I CONTINE HEARING SQUEAKY SOUNDS COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR. I'VE CALLED FORD SEVERAL TIMES AND I'VE REQUESTED A NEW CAR AND I'VE ALSO ASKED THEM TO LOG ALL MY COMPLAINTS(FORDREF#612921390). FORD HAS TOLD ME THAT FORD ONLY REPLACES A CAR IN EXTREME CASES AND AT THIS POINT WE DID NOT QUALIFIED FOR A BRAND NEW REPLACEMENT. I TOLD THEM THAT REPLACEMENT AN ENGINE IS PRETTY EXTREME.*AK