2001 Lincoln Continental

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, SMOKE STARTED EMITTING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN AND NEAR THE WIPER SWITCH. ALSO, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE LOW WASHER FLUID SENSOR ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY AND THAT UNDER THE HOOD THERE WAS A DISCONNECTED PIECE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN REPLENISHED THE WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID AND FIXED THE DETACHED PIECE. WAS NOT ABLE TO REPLICATE OR DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. HOWEVER, THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000.

WHILE BACKING THE CAR OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AFTER IT HAD BEEN SITTING OVERNIGHT, THERE WAS A LOUD POP AND THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE WENT FLAT. AFTER REMOVING THE WHEEL, I SAW THAT THE LARGE COIL SUSPENSION SPRING HAD BROKEN AND THAT THE SHARP END OF THE BROKEN SPRING HAD SLICED OPEN THE INSIDE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE. THE CAR IS SITTING THE DRIVEWAY WAITING FOR PART I ORDERED. I CAN NOT BELIEVE IT COST $690.00 EACH FOR COIL SPRINGS THAT'S' CRAZY . AND THAT THERE IS NO RECALL SINCE I HAVE BEEN READING A LOT OF THIS SAME COMPLAINT. THIS IS A 2001 AND THE MILEAGE IS STILL LOW ONLY 50,000 MILES. *TR

WHILE BACKING THE CAR OUT OF THE GARAGE AFTER IT HAD BEEN SITTING OVERNIGHT, THERE WAS A LOUD POP AND THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE WENT FLAT. AFTER REMOVING THE WHEEL, I SAW THAT THE LARGE COIL SUSPENSION SPRING HAD BROKEN AND THAT THE SHARP END OF THE BROKEN SPRING HAD SLICED OPEN THE INSIDE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE. THE CAR IS NOW IN THE SHOP, SO THE VIN AND EXACT MILEAGE ARE NOT AVAILABLE. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED AT HIGHWAY SPEED, A SERIOUS ACCIDENT COULD HAVE OCCURRED. MY MECHANIC TELLS ME THAT HE HAS SEEN THIS PROBLEM WITH FORD PRODUCTS BEFORE. IF THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE, WHY HASN'T THERE BEEN A RECALL FOR THIS SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM? *TR

2001 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL / 115,000 MILES WHILE DRIVING ON THE 10 FWY IN JULY 2008, AND WITHOUT ACTIVATING CRUISE CONTROL, OR PRESSING SHARPLY ON THE GAS PEDAL, MY CAR BEGAN TO SUDDENLY ACCELERATE AT TOP SPEED. THE ENGINE ROARED WITH A LOUD SOUND AND IMMEDIATELY WENT INTO FULL OPERATING POWER. THE SOUND OF THE ENGINE AT FULL THROTTLE WAS UNMISTAKABLE AND AS I LOOKED AT THE DASH BOARD GAUGES, I SAW MY SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE QUICKLY REACH 90 MPH AND KEPT MOVING HIGHER. REALIZING I WAS IN DANGER, I APPLIED THE BRAKE TO SLOW THE VEHICLE, BUT THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS NOT SLOWING MY CAR DOWN IN THE NORMAL FASHION. IT ONLY DEPRESSED ABOUT - OF THE NORMAL RANGE. CONFUSED, I QUICKLY GLANCED DOWN AT MY FEET TO CHECK FOR AN OBJECT OR FLOOR MAT THAT WOULD CAUSE MY GAS PEDAL TO BE STUCK OR LODGED. THERE WERE NO OBJECTS TO BE FOUND. WITH MY CAR CONTINUING AT A SPEED OF AT LEAST 90 MPH, AND MY LEFT FOOT ON THE BRAKE, I THEN FELT THE GAS PEDAL BENEATH MY RIGHT FOOT MOVE AWAY AND DOWN TOWARD THE FLOOR BOARD ON ITS OWN. I LIFTED THE GAS PEDAL WITH MY FOOT IN AN ATTEMPT TO REVERSE THE ACCELERATION, BUT IT DIDN'T WORK. REALIZING I HAD NO CONTROL OF MY CAR, I REPEATEDLY PRESSED MY BRAKE PEDAL, BUT THIS ONLY SLOWED THE CAR FROM 90 MPH TO 70 MPH; IT WAS NOT BRINGING MY CAR TO A COMPLETE STOP. WITH MANY CARS SURROUNDING ME, A CRASH BECAME IMMINENT ? SO I MOVED 2 LANES OVER INTO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. I WAS TRAVELING AT APPROX 60MPH AT THIS POINT & KEPT BRAKING TO TRY TO REGAIN CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE. THE BRAKES WERE NOT STOPPING MY VEHICLE SO I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, WHICH SLOWED THE VEHICLE TO APPROX 40 MPH. STILL MOVING FORWARD, WITH BOTH FEET ON MY BRAKE PEDAL PUSHING AS HARD AS I COULD, I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO ENGAGE THE E-BRAKE AS A LAST OPTION. THIS SLOWED MY CAR TO ABOUT 15 MPH, AFTER WHICH I PUT THE CAR IN PARK. THE CAR CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. I REMOVED THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. *TR

COIL SPRING ON LEFT FRONT STRUT BROKE, RUBBED THROUGH SIDEWALL OF TIRE CAUSING BLOWOUT. WIFE WAS REAL LUCKY THIS WAS IN TOWN AT LOW SPEED. COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC ON FREEWAY. PARTS ARE REAL EXPENSIVE $450 EACH SIDE PLUS ONE NEW TIRE, I'M GOING TO GET BOTH SIDES DONE BECAUSE I DON'T TRUST THE OTHER ONE NOW. I HAVE THE PARTS ORDERED. I WILL SAVE FAILED PART. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL. WHILE BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AND ACCELERATING FORWARD, THE CONTACT HEARD A RUBBING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. HE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND NOTICED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WAS LEANING ON THE TIRE. HE ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE THE TIRE AND DISCOVERED THAT THE COIL SPRING FAILED AND PUNCTURED THE TIRE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,052 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,755. UPDATED 02-12-08 BF * UPDATED 02/12/08 *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL. WHILE BACKING OUT OF THE GARAGE, THE VEHICLE JERKED. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO BACK UP THE VEHICLE AND THE TIRE BLEW OUT. HE EXITED THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT COIL SPRING FAILED AND PUNCTURED THE TIRE. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 113,371 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 113,350. UPDATED 01-29-08. *KB