1996 LINCOLN TOWN CAR Service Brakes, Hydraulic Problems

I OWN A 1996 LINCOLN TOWNCAR VIN [XXX]. ON SATURDAY 7/9/2011 MY BRAKE LINES BROKE AND MY BRAKES FAILED IN ROCKWOOD, TN. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY DRIVE THE CAR TO A SAFE PLACE WHERE I HAD A FRIEND PATCH THE LINES WITH RUBBER HOSES AND WAS ABLE TO AGAIN USE MY BRAKES. I DISCOVERED THAT FORD HAS ISSUED A RECALL FOR CERTAIN TOWNCARS #79493 4/7/1998 FOR BRAKE LINE REPLACEMENT. I WENT TO 2 FORD DEALERSHIPS AND WAS TOLD THIS RECALL DIDN'T COVER MY CAR. I FEEL THIS RECALL SHOULD COVER MY CAR BECAUSE THE SAME DEFECTS ON THE TOWNCARS COVERED ARE PRESENT ON MY TOWNCAR AND CAUSED THE BRAKE LINES TO BREAK. I AM ASKING FORD TO AUTHORIZE ME TO RECEIVE THE SAME PROTECTION AFFORDED THE OWNERS OF THE COVERED TOWNCARS AND COVER MY REPAIRS AT ONE OF MY LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIPS. I CALLED THE CUSTOMER RELATIONS CENTER ON 7/12/2011 AND WAS GIVEN A CASE NUMBER [XXX]. I CALLED AGAIN ON 7/13/2011 AND WAS TOLD THE RECALL DIDN'T COVER MY CAR. I AM ONLY ASKING FOR THE SAME TREATMENT AFFORDED MANY OTHER COVERED 1996 TOWNCAR OWNERS UNDER THIS RECALL! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) *KB

Mileage: 309,000

I OWN A 1996 LINCOLN TOWNCAR VIN [XXX]. ON SATURDAY 7/9/2011 MY BRAKE LINES BROKE AND MY BRAKES FAILED IN ROCKWOOD, TN. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY DRIVE THE CAR TO A SAFE PLACE WHERE I HAD A FRIEND PATCH THE LINES WITH RUBBER HOSES AND WAS ABLE TO AGAIN USE MY BRAKES. I DISCOVERED THAT FORD HAS ISSUED A RECALL FOR CERTAIN TOWNCARS #79493 4/7/1998 FOR BRAKE LINE REPLACEMENT. I WENT TO 2 FORD DEALERSHIPS AND WAS TOLD THIS RECALL DIDN'T COVER MY CAR. I FEEL THIS RECALL SHOULD COVER MY CAR BECAUSE THE SAME DEFECTS ON THE TOWNCARS COVERED ARE PRESENT ON MY TOWNCAR AND CAUSED THE BRAKE LINES TO BREAK. I AM ASKING FORD TO AUTHORIZE ME TO RECEIVE THE SAME PROTECTION AFFORDED THE OWNERS OF THE COVERED TOWNCARS AND COVER MY REPAIRS AT ONE OF MY LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIPS. I CALLED THE CUSTOMER RELATIONS CENTER ON 7/12/2011 AND WAS GIVEN A CASE NUMBER [XXX]. I CALLED AGAIN ON 7/13/2011 AND WAS TOLD THE RECALL DIDN'T COVER MY CAR. I AM ONLY ASKING FOR THE SAME TREATMENT AFFORDED MANY OTHER COVERED 1996 TOWNCAR OWNERS UNDER THIS RECALL! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) *KB

Mileage: 309,000

BRAKES FAILED - DUE TO SEVERE CORROSION ON BRAKE LINES (RIGHT FRONT). SECOND OCCURRENCE DIFFERENT BRAKE LINE(REAR). ALSO OCCURRED ON MY NEIGHBORS 1996 LINCOLN TOWN CAR (REAR BRAKE LINE) BOTH CARS ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. SERIOUS ACCIDENT AVOIDED BY USING EMERGENCY BRAKE. *TR

Mileage: 101,242

BRAKE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR WHILE DRIVING IN MALL PARKING LOT. BRAKE FLUID FLOWING FROM LEAK IN RUSTED BRAKE LINE UNDER BODY OF VEHICLE AT LOCATION WHERE ATTACHED TO FRAME. FOUND METAL BRAKE LINES RUSTY FROM DISTRIBUTION BLOCK IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT TO ALL 4 WHEELS. FORTUNATELY THIS HAPPENED AT SLOW SPEED, WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THIS VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP AT A BUSY INTERSECTION?VEHICLE CURRENTLY AWAITING PARTS TO REPAIR. OLD PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. *JB UPDATED 10/10/07 *TR

Mileage: 130,591

TOTAL SUDDEN BRAKE FAILURE ON LINCOLN TOWN CAR DUE TO RUST/CORROSION OF BRAKE LINES. OWN TWO OTHER LINCOLN TOWN CARS WHOSE BRAKE LINES ARE ALSO SEVERELY RUSTED. FORTUNATELY, FAILURE OCCURRED ON MY DRIVEWAY AND WRECK WAS AVOIDED. PERSONALLY REPLACED WORST SECTIONS OF REAR BRAKE LINES VIA BYPASSING FACTORY INSTALLED LINES LEAVING ORIGINAL LINES IN PLACE. *JB

Mileage: 104,000

BRAKE LINE FAILURE DUE TO CORRODED BRAKE LINE.

Mileage: 146,400

ON FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF BRAKING DUE TO FOUR DIFFERENT SECTIONS OF THE METAL BRAKE LINE DUE TO EXTERIOR CORROSION. EACH TIME THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP TO HAVE THE BRAKE LINE REPLACED. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK THE VEHICLE STRUCK THE REAR OF A UTILITY TRUCK DUE TO THE BRAKE FAILURE. THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED IN 2001. THE BRAKE PEDAL HAD GONE TO THE FLOOR UPON APPLICATION WITH NO BRAKING EFFECT ON EITHER AXLE. EACH FAILURE OCCURRED BY RUPTURED STEEL BRAKE LINE DUE TO EXTERNAL RUST. *SC *JB

Mileage: 81,000

A CELL PHONE USING DRIVER CUT INTO MY LANE AND I HAD TO HIT THE BRAKES HARD. THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOSS OF BRAKING POWER BUT I WAS ABLE TO STEER AROUND THE SUV. MY REAR STEEL BRAKE LINE FAILED IN THE AREA LOCATED JUST IN FRONT OF THE LEFT REAR TIRE. THESE BRAKE LINES ARE A PROBLEM! LAST SUMMER THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO MY WIFE'S 95 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE ALL STEEL LINES AS ALL ARE RUSTED. WHEN WILL FOMOCO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THESE FAILURES? HOW MANY PEOPLE MUST GET HURT OR DIE? *JB

Mileage: 87,110

I AM REPORTING A CATASTROPHIC BRAKE LINE SAFETY FAILURE THAT OCCURRED WITH MY 1996 LINCOLN TOWN CAR DUE TO CORROSION OF A FLEXIBLE SPAN OF THE BRAKE LINE TO THE ABS. FORTUNATELY NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE OCCURRED AS I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 10 MPH AND STOPPED USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THIS LOOKS LIKE A RECALL SAFETY ISSUE. ALSO, ACCORDING THE SHEEHY FORD DEALER, THE ONLY REPLACEMENT INCLUDES OTHER LINES AND COMPONENTS AT AN EXPENSE OF NEARLY $500.*AK

Mileage: 160,000

WHILE DRIVING AT 10 MPH THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, BRAKES FAILED COMPLETELY. THIS RESULTED IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. CONSUMER HAD TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP. DEALER INDICATED THE HOSE CONNECTED TO THE MASTER CYLINDER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

Mileage: 160,000

VEHICLE LOST BRAKE POWER WHILE DRIVING 5 TO 10 MPH. THE BRAKE LINE WAS CORRODED. DEALER RECOMMENDED REPLACING ALL LINES. *AK *JB *NLM

Mileage: 56,000

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN BRAKE FAILURE DUE TO SIGNIFICANT CORROSION OF THE BRAKE LINE ACROSS THE REAR. THE CONSUMER STILL HAS THE CORRODED LINE IN HIS POSSESSION. *PH *NLM *JB

Mileage: 69,196

LTR FM EDWARD F. HARRIGAN (NJ) ASKING NHTSA TO LOOK INTO A BRAKE LINE CORROSION PROBLEM ON HIS 1996 LINCOLN TOWN CAR. *MR REFER TO RECALL #02V101000. THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN BRAKE FAILURE WHILE ENTERING A MAJOR INTERSTATE. BRAKE FLUID WAS FOUND OVER THE REAR HOUSING AS A RESULT OF PIN HOLES THAT WERE IN THE CROSSOVER LINE FROM THE LEFT TO THE RIGHT WHEEL CYLINDERS. THE BRAKE PEDAL HAD GONE TO THE FLOOR VERY SUDDENLY. (THE MANUFACTURER MAY USE A LOW-CARBON STEEL WHICH WAS CHEAPER OR ALLOY OR COATINGS WHICH WERE READILY AVAILABLE BUT ARE CORROSION PROOF.) *SCC *JB

Mileage: 61,920

1996 LINCOLN TOWN CAR BRAKE LINE FAILURE. *MR THE CONSUMER FOUND BRAKING FLUID ALL OVER THE REAR HOUSING AS A RESULT OF PIN HOLES THAT WERE IN THE CROSSOVER LINE FROM THE LEFT TO THE RIGHT WHEEL CYLINDERS. THE BRAKE PEDAL HAD GONE TO THE FLOOR VERY SUDDENLY. REFER TO #02V1001000. *SCC *JB REFERENCED IN RQ03-004

SUDDEN LOSS OF BRAKES, PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. I PULLED INTO A MIDAS BRAKE SHOP AND THEY PUT THE CAR IN THE LIFT AND FOUND THAT HE ENTIRE BRAKE LINE FROM THE LEFT REARWHEEL CROSSING OVER TO THE RT.REAR WHEEL WAS CORRODED AND FULL OF PIN HOLES.THISCAR WAS WELL MAINTAINED BUT THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT WOULD NOT APPEAR REFERENCED IN RQ03-004

Mileage: 69,000

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AND WAS COMING TOWARDS AND INTERSECTION, WENT TO APPLY BRAKES AND THERE WERE NO BRAKES. ALSO, THERE WAS NO STEERING, FORCING HIM INTO A GUARDRAIL. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. *AK

THE BRAKE LINES RUSTED TRHOUGH, CAUSING BRAKE FAILURE. DEALER HAS INSPECTED AND REPAIRED VEHICLE. *AK REFERENCED IN RQ03-004

ANTILOCK BRAKES FAILED.

BRAKES FAILED.

ANTI-LOCK BRAKES MALFUNCTION AT LOW SPEEDS UNDER 15 PMH, CAUSING LEFT BRAKE/RIGHT BRAKE TO ALTERNATE.

EQUIPPED W/ABS BRAKES; WHEEL SENSORS CHANGED (6) TIMES AND ENTIRE BRAKE MODULE REPLACED. DEALERSHIP UNABLE TO DUPLICATE FAILURE AND REMEDY THE CONDITION. VEHICLE FAILS TO STOP WITH POTENTIAL TO PEDAL APPLICATION. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

ANTI LOCK BRAKES FAIL CONTINUALLY.

WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES THE ABS BRAKES KICK IN, AND THE VEHICLE WILL NOT COME TO A STOP. IT SEEMS LIKE THE HARDER DRIVER PRESSES ON THE BRAKE, THE PEDAL COMES BACK UP, PREVENTING THE VEIHCLE TO COME TO A STOP. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN ALL THE TIMES. *AK

ABS BRAKES DO NOT WORK PROPERLY, WHEN STOPPING BRAKES GO TO THE FLOOR.

THE BRAKES ARE VERY NOISY.

REAR BRAKES FAILED.

THE BRAKES DRAG/ PULL/ SQUEAK/STICK AND THEY ARE JUST LIKE RUBBER WHEN STEPPING ON THEM, THIS IS ON NORMAL ROAD CONDTIONS. THE SYSTEM HAS ABS. CONSUMER STATESS THE ENGINE WILL STOP RUNNING FREQUENTLY, DEALER STATES THERE IS NOT A PROBLEM. *SLC