1997 LINCOLN TOWN CAR Steering Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 LINCOLN TOWN CAR. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE STEERING ABILITY BECAME LOOSE AND THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DETERMINED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN FAILED AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 300,000.

Mileage: 300,000

BEGINNING ON A COLD MORNING THE STEERING FELT OFF, LIKE IT NEEDED MORE EFFORT TO TURN AT TIMES. THE STEERING ALSO FAILED TO RETURN TO CENTER ON ITS OWN, INDICATING A POSSIBLE SEIZED UP UNIVERSAL JOINT IN THE STEERING SHAFT. I REMOVED THE STEERING SHAFT AND FOUND THE UNIVERSAL JOINT SEIZED AND VERY DIFFICULT TO MOVE WHICH CAUSED MY DIFFICULT STEERING. THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS SAME ISSUE ON NEWER TOWN CARS, WHY DOES THIS NOT COVER MINE? *TR

Mileage: 145,000

WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH THE VEHICLE SWERVED TO THE LEFT WITHOUT WARNING . THE CONSUMER COULD NOT CONTROL THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE WENT THROUGH A GUARD RAIL. THE VEHICLE FLIPPED OVER THREE TIMES DOWN AN EMBANKMENT. THE CONSUMER SUFFERED INJURIES TO THE SPINE AND SEVERAL LIMBS. THE INSURANCE COMPANY CLAIMS THAT THE STEERING COLUMN MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *NM *LA

Mileage: 47,000

EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE UPPER AND LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINTS LED TO VAGUE STEERING AND A WANDERING CAR PATH. THE CONTROL ARM BALL JOINTS THAT WERE REPLACED WERE RUBBER ON METAL WITHOUT ZERK LUBE FITTINGS. THEY WERE DESIGNED TO FAIL. THE REPLACEMENT CONTROL ARM BALL JOINTS ARE METAL-ON-METAL WITH ZERK LUBE FITTINGS. IN 1999 THERE WAS A RECALL ON LINCOLN TOWN CARS FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINTS. THE RECALL NUMBERS ARE NHTSA RECALL NO. 98V322/FORD RECALL NO. 98S37. HOWEVER, WE HAD TO PAY THE FULL AMOUNT OF THE REPAIR. DEVELOPED A CRACK IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD COOLANT CROSSOVER PIPE AND LOST ALL ENGINE COOLANT. WE HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED 80 MILES FOR REPAIR. SEVERAL FORD RECALLS WERE ISSUED ON THE 4.6L V8 ENGINE FOR REPLACEMENT OF THIS DEFECTIVE PART; BUT THEY WERE FOR POLICE CARS, LIMO FLEETS, ETC. I WAS TOLD I AM NOT COVERED. THE LITTLE GUY IS LEFT PAYING A THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR FORD'S ENGINEERING DEFECT. WITHIN A TIME PERIOD OF 4 MONTHS, WE HAVE HAD TO SPEND ALMOST TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS TO CORRECT FORD'S DESIGN DEFECTS.

Mileage: 82,500

CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO START THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED, THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT FOR THE CONSUMER TO UNLOCK. *TT *JB

THE CONSUMER WAS NOT ABLE TO RESTART THE PARKED VEHICLE DUE TO THE LOCKED STEERING COLUMN. THE STEERING COLUMN HAD BEEN EXCESSIVELY DIFFICULT TO UNLOCK. THE CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED ABOUT BEING STRANDED WHEN THE SITUATION OCCURS. MR THE INCIDENT HAPPENED IN THE SUMMER OF 1998 AS WELL-POSSIBLY THE FIRST INCIDENT. SCC

Mileage: 13,500

THE CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE PULLING OUT THE GARAGE THE OUTER TIE ROD FELL OFF, UNABLE TO STEER VEHICLE. WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT IF VEHICLE WAS ON THE HIGHWAY. TS THE FRONT END WAS ALIGNED. THE CONSUMER FEELS THAT THERE IS AN ERROR WITH THE TYPE OF TIE RODS BEING USED ON THIS VEHICLE. SCC

Mileage: 77,000

CENTER LINKAGE (DRAG LINK) METALURGICAL FAILURE OF BREAK. *AK

STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY LOOSE. STEERING WHEEL WAS FREE TO TURN IN BOTH DIRECTIONS WITH OUT STOPPING. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY STATED THAT STEERING COLUMN ROD CAME OUT. DEALER REPLACED STEERING PARTS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

TOTAL LOSS OF STEERING AND BRAKES. *AK

AN EXTREMELY STRONG MILDEW ODOR IS COMING FROM THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT, CAUSING PASSENGERS TO BECOME ILL. DEALER STATES ODOR IS DUE TO COIL WHICH IS TOO TIGHT AROUND AIR CONDITIONER, PREVENTING WATER TO ESCAPE, AND CAUSING MILDEW ODOR. *AK EMERGENCY BRAKE SHOES WERE REPLACED. BRAKES SQUEAL, DEALER HAS REPLACED FRONT BRAKE PADS, RESURFACED ROTORS, LUBED CALIPER SLIDES, REPLACED REAR BRAKE PADS, MACHINED REAR ROTORS, HOWEVER BRAKES STILL SQUEAL. BOTH REAR WHEELS WERE COVERED WITH GEAR LUBE. DRIVERS SHOULDER BELT WOULD NOT RETRACT AT TIMES, DEALER REPLACED SEAT BELT. NOISE AND THIMPING FELT IN STEERING WHEN MAKING TURNS, DEALER LUBED STOPS. LEFT FRONT WINDOW INOPERABLE, DEALER REPLACED WINDOW REGULATER. FRONT ROOF WELT LOOSE AND BROKEN, DEALER REPLACED. FRONT DOOR PULL TRIM MISSING. BLEND DOORS INOPERABLE, WILL NOT BLOW AIR THROUGH DEFROST VENT. ASH TRAY WILL NOT CLOSE. AC/HEATER EMITS A MUSTY/MOLDY ODOR, THE ODOR NOT ONLY PERMEATES THE PASSENGER, BUT IS ALSO IN THE TRUNK,THERE IS NO CONDENSATION BEING RELEASED BY THE AC, MANY THINGS ALONG WITH THE MOISTURE PURGE MODULE HAVE BEEN REPLACED AND PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS, SYSTEM HAS BEEN SANITIZED SEVERAL TIMES, AC MAX BUTTON DOES NOT WORK. MOTOR GOES ON 45 MINUTES AFTER VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF, THIS BLOWS THROUGH THE FRONT DEFROSTER AND STEAMS UP THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. DOOR HANDLE IS INOPERABLE. VINYL TRIM AT TOP OF CONSOLE IS LOOSE. ENGINE STALLED AT STOPS WHEN COLD, DEALER REPLACED MAF AND FUEL PUMP. *SLC

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED OUT AT LEAST 3-4 TIMES A WEEK. HAS TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP & MECHANIC PLACED VEHICLE ON DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE. NO CODE CAME UP. MECHANIC DID REPLACE FUEL FILTER/ IDLER/ NECK IN FUEL TANK & A CANISTER. BUT, PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK

WOULD BE DRIVING & THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD HAVE TOO MUCH PLAY. FEELS LIKE LOSING CONTROL OF VEHICLE. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER. STEERING PRESSURE SENSOR HAS BEEN RPLACED OR CHANGED & AFFECTS THE STEERING OF THE VEHICLE. ROCKER ARM WAS CRACKED & NEEDED REPLACING. HAD AN ACCIDENT DUE TO LACK OF CONTROL OF STEERING WHEEL. HIT A TELEPHONE POLE & THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. SUFFERED INJURIES.*AK

FRONT END SHIMMIED, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO STEER AND HANDLE VEHICLE WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, AND ON ROUGH ROADS. DEALER HAS REPLACED IDLER ARM . ALSO, CONSUMER REPLACED TIRES AND SHOCKS, BUT DEFECT STILL OCCURS. CAUSE IS STILL UNKNOWN. *AK

ANTI THEFT - SYSTEM WOULD GO OFF ON ITS OWN; LOCKED GARAGE, ETC. AFTER 3 TRIES, DEALER REPLACED STERRING COLUMN TAMPER SWITCH. (3/15/00). NO PROBLEM SINCE THEN. SOON ROOF ROCKER SWITCH HAS BROKEN TWICE. YOU STILL MUST BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL WHEN OPENING AND CLOSING THE SUN ROOF.*AK

VEHICLE STALLED AFTER LEAVING HOME DRIVEWAY, AND ON FREEWAY FOR NO APPARENT REASON. FORD COULD NOT FIND A SOLUTION. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT INTERSTATE SPEED AND OVER BUMPS VEHICLE MOVED TO RIGHT AND LEFT WHICH COULD CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL AND CRASH. BEEN TO DEALER SEVERAL TIMES. A NEW STEERING DESIGN FOR 1997. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

ANT-THEFT DEVICE GOES OFF FOR NO APPARENT REASON, CAUSING HORN TO BLOW AND LIGHTS TO FLASH. CONSUMER HAS EXPEIREINCED THIS PROBLEM OVER 100 TIMES SINCE APRIL OF 1998. THE DEALER IS NOT ABLE TO FIND OUT WHAT CAUSES THIS PROBLEM. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK

STEERING IS POOR, VIBRATION AND LOSS OF CONTROL.

WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED AT ABOUT 60MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO WONDER ALL OVER THE ROAD, IT ALSO DOES THIS IN WINDY CONDITIONS. ON TWO OCCASIONS LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE, VEHICLE WENT INTO OTHER LANE. *AK

VEHICLE SHAKES AND SHIMMIES. DEALER REPLACED ALL FOUR SHOCK ABSORBERS AND CONTROL ARMS/POWER STEERING HOSES AND FRONT BRAKE ROTORS.