1998 Lincoln Continental

VEHICLE ACCELERATES BY ITSELF. I HAVE HAD THE CAR IN THE SHOP APPROX. EVERY YEAR FOR THIS SINCE 2005 AND AS RECENT AS JUNE OF 08. THE DEALERSHIP USUALLY REPLACES THE IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE BUT THIS PROBLEM WILL AGAIN SERVICE AFTER ABOUT ONE YEAR. I HAVE PAID FOR A COMPLETE FUEL INDUCTION CLEANING (10-05-07). THE ONLY THING THAT WORKS IS REPLACING THE IDLE CONTROL VALVE BUT LIKE I SAID THE PROBLEM RESURFACES. THE CAR WILL IDLE AT 500 RPM FOR NORMAL BUT IDLE AT 1000 RPM IN DRIVE WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURS, IF I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL IT WILL TAKE OFF AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED AND I HAVE TO TURN IT OFF IN ORDER FOR IT TO RESET ITSELF. DURING NORMAL OPERATION THE CAR WILL WANT TO TAKE OFF BY ITSELF AT A STOPLIGHT AND JERK WHEN I RELEASE THE BRAKE. I PARTICULARLY NOTICE THIS TO OCCUR WHEN I COME OFF THE FREEWAY BUT IT ALSO OCCURS DURING NORMAL OPERATION. I TOOK MY CAR IN JUNE OF THIS MONTH FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT THEY COULD NOT GET IT TO ACCELERATE ON IT'S OWN. IT IS NOW OCT. 2008 AND THE PROBLEM IS GETTING WORSE MEANING THIS HAPPENS NOW ABOUT 4 TO 6 TIMES A DAY. THE DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF MY SITUATION AND THEY HAVE THE HISTORY ON MY CAR BUT I'M THE ONE STUCK WITH THE BILL OF GETTING IT FIXED. THE DEALERSHIP HAS THE LAST COUPLE OF TIMES WORKED OUT A DISCOUNT BECAUSE THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM BUT I STILL HAVE TO PAY BECAUSE THE WARRANTY HAS USUALLY RUN OUT. THEY DO SHOW ME TAKING IT IN BEFORE THE WARRANTY RUNS OUT BUT THEY CAN NEVER SEEM TO FIND THE PROBLEM UNTIL IT IS SO BAD TO THE POINT OF DANGEROUS AND THE CAR IS DOING IT ALL THE TIME, USUALLY AFTER THE WARRANTY. *TR

SECURITY FLASHES RAPIDLY WHICH PREVENTS THE IGNITION FROM STARTING. IT ROLLS OK BUT WILL NOT CRANK UP TO RUN. THIS PROBLEM STARTED ALMOST A YEAR AGO, BUT AFTER A LITTLE WAIT IT WOULD FINALLY CRANK. IN THE PAST TWO MONTHS WE HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR ABOUT 4 TIMES BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. ON MAR , 2008 WE WERE LEFT STRANDED IN BILOXI, MS REQUIRING A TOW TO THE EASTERBROOK DEALERSHIP FROM WHERE THE AUTOMOBILE WAS PURCHASED IN 2004. AT TIMES THE SECURITY LIGHT WOULD FLASH NORMALLY, AND ON THOSE TIMES WE COULD DRIVE ANYWHERE WE LIKED WITHOUT WORRY. FROM OUR PROGRESSIVE DRIVE INSURANCE WEBPAGE I RAN ACROSS A NHTA ITEM # 619266 COVERING THIS COMPLAINT IN 1998 LINCOLN CONTINENTALS WHICH WAS A TECHNICAL BULLETIN. WE HAD NEVER EVEN HEARD OF OR RECEIVED A NOTICE OF THIS. I FEEL THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE $369.00 REPAIR OF THIS VEHICLE NOT EVEN SPEAKING OF THE PAIN AND WORRY IT HAS CAUSED AND MISSED DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS AND SUCH. OUR FIRST INCIDENT WAS IN 2006 WHEN, AT OUR EXPENSE, WE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION, WHEN IT FAILED ON INTERSTATE 63, LEAVING US STRANDED, HAVING TO BE TOWED, AND WITHOUT A VEHICLE FOR OVER A WEEK. *TR

MICHELIN IS AWARE THAT OLD, UNSAFE MICHELIN TIRES OUTSIDE MANUFACTURER'S SAFETY GUIDELINES ARE BEING PLACED ON VEHICLES BY THEIR AUTHORIZED TIRE DEALERSHIPS YET CLAIMS THAT THEY ARE NOT "LEGALLY CULPABLE" AND CAN DO NOTHING ABOUT THIS PRACTICE OR THE RESULTANT DEATHS AND INJURIES SUSTAINED BY END USERS. MY SITUATION IS AS FOLLOWS: WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH MY RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT ALMOST SLAMMING ME INTO ANOTHER CAR AND GUARD RAIL. SUBSEQUENTLY I LEARNED THAT THE "NEW" MICHELIN SYMMETRY TIRES I HAD PURCHASED AT AN AUTHORIZED MICHELIN DEALERSHIP 2-1/2 YEARS AGO WERE FIVE YEARS OLD WHEN THEY WERE PLACED ON MY CAR ACCORDING TO THE D.O.T. DATE ON THEM. MOREOVER THE OLD MICHELIN SYMMETRY TIRES THAT WERE PLACED ON MY VEHICLE WERE NOT "H" OR "V" RATED FOR SAFETY AS FORD/LINCOLN MANUFACTURER SPECIFIES. I CALLED MICHELIN AND TALKED WITH MULTIPLE INDIVIDUALS INCLUDING THEIR U.S. MANAGER OF CONSUMER RELATIONS. SHE ADMITTED THAT MICHELIN IS AWARE THAT UNSCRUPULOUS MICHELIN DEALERSHIPS SELL OLD, OUTDATED TIRES AND TIRES NOT PROPERLY SAFETY RATED FOR VEHICLES BUT CLAIMS THAT THERE IS "ABSOLUTELY NOTHING" THAT MICHELIN CAN DO ABOUT THIS PRACTICE. APPARENTLY MICHELIN BELIEVES THERE IS AN "ACCEPTABLE" NUMBER OF CONSUMER DEATHS AND INJURIES THAT WILL OCCUR YEARLY FROM FAULTY, DEFECTIVE MICHELIN TIRES. MICHELIN DISCLAIMS ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR SAFETY BREACHES AT THEIR DEALERSHIPS, PREFERRING TO MEET SALES GOALS AND NET PROFIT MARGINS, LOOKING THE OTHER WAY AND WINKING AT FRAUD AND DANGEROUS PRACTICES BY THEIR DEALERSHIPS, AND HIDING BEHIND "LEGALITIES" TO SHIELD THEM FROM ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY. I BELIEVE THAT THE RICO STATUTE CLEARLY APPLIES TO THEM AND SHOULD VIGOROUSLY BE PURSUED. MICHELIN KNOWS THAT UNSAFE PRACTICES ARE CONSTANTLY OCCURRING, BUT CHOOSES TO DO NOTHING TO STOP THE INJURIES OR THE DEATHS OR TO SANCTION OR POLICE THEIR DEALERSHIPS. HOW MANY MORE DEATHS AND INJURIES WILL OCCUR IF NOTHING IS DONE?????*JB

DT: THE CONSUMER STATES THAT 1998 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL HAD ONE HEADLIGHT THAT BECAME UNALIGNED AND WAS SHINING THE BEAM STRAIGHTENED UP IN THE AIR. THIS WAS THE DRIVER'S SIDE LEFT HEADLIGHT. WAS HAVING WATER LEAKAGE AND AROUND THE LIGHT WAS TURNING BLACK. THE WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASH BOARD WAS SAYING CHECK BRAKE LAMP, BUT THE BRAKE LAMPS WERE BOTH WORKING. THE OWNER THOUGHT THAT THE HEADLIGHT SHORTED OUT, CAUSING THAT INSIDE LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD TO COME ON. THIS STARTED IN THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. THE OWNER HAS NOT HAD THE CAR CHECKED YET, BUT WAS GOING TO TAKE IT TO DEALER. THE OWNER COULD NOT AFFORD TO PAY $400.00 FOR A HEADLIGHT. THE OWNER HAS NOT CONTACTED FORD. *AK

#1-WHILE LEAVING WORK THE LEFT FRONT COIL SPRING FRACTURED IN HALF PUNTURING (TEARING) THE TIRE CAUSING IMMEDIATE DEFLATION OF LEFT FRONT TIRE AFFECTING STEERING CONTROL AND BRAKING.(I HAD NO ADVANCE NOTICE -NOISE OR BOUNCE-BEFORE FAILURE). #2-FAILURE OCCURED IN A PARKING LOT AT LOW SPEED - THANKFULLY. #3-THE LEFT FRONT STRUT/SPRING ASSEMBLY #1F3Z*5W311*AA WAS REPLACED AS WELL AS THE RIGHT STRUT/SPRING #1F3Z*5W310*AA ASSEMBLY DUE TO INSPECTION REVIELED A CRACK IN THE RIGHT FRONT SPRING.THE LEFT FRONT TIRE WAS REPLACED. THIS COULD EASILY HAVE CAUSED MAJOR DAMAGE OR A FATALITY AT DRIVING SPEEDS. I HAVE OLD PARTS FOR INSPECTION - THEY REMIND ME HOW LUCKY I WAS IN A PARKING LOT AT TIME OF FAILURE.

THE 1998 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN, THE SLANTED WINDSHIELD ABOVE A GREY DASHBOARD, CAUSING A REFLECTION IN THE BRIGHT SUNLIGHT THAT MAKES SOME OBJECTS INVISIBLE TO THE DRIVER. TOO MANY CAR DESIGNS HAVE THIS FAULT AND SHOULD BE OUTLAWED FOR SAFETY REASONS. ALSO THE CONTINENTAL INSTRUMENT PANEL CANNOT BE READ IN CERTAIN ANGLES OF SUN ON THE PANEL. YOU CANNOT SEED THE NEEDLE ON THE SPEEDOMETER AND I WONDER HOW MANY SPEEDING TICKETS RESULT FROM THIS DEFECT. I HAVE ADDED A BLACK COVER TO MY DASHBOARD AT MY COST TO TRY TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. IF AUTOS ARE MADE LIKE THIS THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD STAND THE COST OF BLACK OUT MATERIAL. *AK

WHILE PARKED ON A SLIGHT INCLINE, WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED OUT OF PARK INTO REVERSE. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ENTER THE VEHICLE TO STOP IT FROM HITTING A CHILD, THE CONSUMER GRABBED THE STEERING WHEEL, THE VEHICLE PICKED UP SPEED AND ROLLED OVER HER RIGHT LEG. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE A INSURANCE SPECIALIST INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THERE WAS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSION. *JB

THE MIDDLE AND REAR SEAT BELT ARE NOT RETRACTING. THE DEALER WILL NOT FIX THIS SINCE IT ISN'T UNDER WARRANTLY. THE DEALER SAID THAT THE RETRACTORS ARE DEFECTED. SINCE SEAT BELTS ARE A SAFETY ISSUE, IT SHOULD BE FIXED BY THE MANUFACTURER. I HAVE OWNED MANY CARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH A SEAT BELT. THE DEALER WILL CHARGE $650 TO FIX THIS AND WHO KNOWS WHEN THIS HAPPEN AGAIN.