2001 Lincoln Ls

I WAS TOLD TODAY WHILE I WAS GETTING THE OIL CHANGED ON MY VEHICLE THAT THE FRONT LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE VERY LOOSE, AND THAT I WAS LUCKY THAT MY FRONT TIRED HADN'T FALLEN OFF YET. AFTER SPEAKING WITH THE MANAGER HE REFERRED ME TO FORD BECAUSE OF THE RECALL ON THE SUSPENSION THAT HE KNEW ABOUT. HE THOUGH THAT MY CAR SHOULD QUALIFY CONSIDERING THE SEVERITY OF THE CONDITION THAT THEY WERE IN. AFTER SPEAKING WITH SEVERAL PEOPLE AT FORD I WAS INFORMED THAT EVEN THOUGH I WAS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL THAT MY CAR 'S VIN NUMBER DID NOT QUALIFY. I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT AT ALL. MY CAR IS THE SAME YEAR, MAKE , AND MODEL, WITH THE SAME DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR

WE OWN A 2001 LINCOLN L.S.. WHILE MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN IN A CURVE LAST NIGHT I HEARD A LOUD CRACKING SOUND COME FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT SUSPENSION. INSTANTLY THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT END DROPPED CAUSING ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE STEERING. SNATCHED THE STEERING WHEEL HARD TO THE LEFT OUT OF MY HANDS CAUSING ME TO CROSS OPPOSING TRAFFIC INTO A DITCH SLIDING INTO THE FRONT OF A CONCRETE PIPE LEADING UNDER THE STREET. WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES IN THE GRASS CAR SMASHED INTO THE EDGE OF THE CONCRETE PIPE. HAD CAR BROUGHT TO OUR HOME. JACKED UP DRIVERS SIDE FRONT THIS MORNING AND FOUND THE LOWER BALL JOINT HAD CAME OUT OF THE LOWER CONTROL ARM IT IS BUSTED AS WELL AS THE TIRE, RIM, FRONT STEEL CROSS MEMBER THAT MOUNTS THE LOWER CONTROL ARM IS BENT. WIPED OUT THE OIL PAN CAUSING ALL THE OIL TO LEAK OUT ALSO DAMAGING THE REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM MOUNT WHICH IS ALUMINUM. PLUS BUSTING THE FRONT BUMPER COVER/ LOWER AIR DAM. DRIVING LIGHTS. CANNOT FIND IF OUR CAR WAS RECALLED AND FIXED PER YOUR RECALL CONCERNING IMPROPERLY TIGHTENED LOWER BALL JOINTS. UNABLE TO FIND ANY INFORMATION FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY NORTH AMERICA. NOW WE ARE WITHOUT A CAR TO GET TO WORK. NOW WE HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO PROCEED. LUCKILY THERE WERE NO ON COMING CARS AVOIDING A HEAD ON CRASH. THIS IS MY WIFE'S CAR WHICH MY CHILDREN RIDE IN. LOOKED AT PASSENGER SIDE LOWER BALL JOINT AND IT LOOKS TO BE COMING OUT OF THE LOWER CONTROL ARM AS WELL. CAR IS IN DRIVE WAY WITH BOTH FRONT TIRES REMOVED SITTING ON JACK STANDS. *LN

I AM A 66 YR OLD WIDOW, OWNER OF A 2001 LS PURCHASED JUNE 2001, A RECALL FIX WAS TO HAVE BEEN DONE BEFORE MY PURCHASE IN MARCH OF 2001 TO CORRECT A PROBLEM WITH BALL JOINTS. I READ ONLINE THAT MANY OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE THE DAMAGE THAT WAS SUPPOSE TO BE CORRECTED FOR WHEN THEY GET TO ABOUT 67000 MILES, I AM AT 67000 MILES, TOOK MY CAR IN FOR INSPECTION AND NEED AN 1800 DOLLAR FIX TO CORRECT THE ISSUE THAT WAS SUPPOSE TO BE AVOIDED BY THE RECALL. FORD SAID, TOO LONG AGO, NO WARRANTY BEYOND THE NORM FOR RECALL FIXES. I CAN NOT BELIEVE WITH THE AMOUNT OF EVIDENCE THAT THESE CARS ALL REQUIRE A FIX AT 67000 MILES THAT FORD ISN'T FORCED TO ADDRESS THIS DANGEROUS CONDITION. I ALSO DON'T KNOW IF IT'S SAFE TO DRIVE A WHILE LONGER, I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW THEY GOT AWAY WITH A RECALL THAT DID NOT PROVIDE THE FIX. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR, AFTER DRIVING HOME FROM WORK (APPROX. 70 MILES ROUND-TRIP). WHILE TURNING I HEARD A LOUD CRUNCH AND THEN FELT A HARD THUD, MY VEHICLE WAS DIFFICULT TO STEER, FELT ANOTHER CRUNCH. I PULLED INTO A PARKING STALL, AFTER PARKING MY VEHICLE, ANOTHER LOUD CRUNCH, THE DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL HAD FALLEN OFF AND WAS WEDGED INTO THE WHEEL WELL. ON MARCH 12TH, 2012 MY REPAIR FACILITY INFORMED ME ABOUT THE ITEMS THAT NEED REPLACED: UPPER AND LOWER LEFT FRONT BALL JOINTS, FRONT OUTER TIER ROD ENDS, NEW FUEL FILTER- DAMAGED IN THE INCIDENT, TWO NEW TIRES & AN ALIGNMENT. I REALIZED HOW LUCKY I WAS THAT THIS DID NOT OCCUR WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. I CONDUCTED GOOGLE SEARCH ON 2001 LINCOLN LS SUSPENSION PROBLEMS, I WAS STUNNED ON THE AMOUNT OF SAFETY RELATED HITS OUT THERE (SUSPENSION RELATED), I REALIZED THAT THIS WAS NOT ISOLATED TO JUST MY VEHICLE, THERE WERE PAGES-OF-PAGES OF PEOPLE THAT EXPERIENCED SIMILAR SUSPENSION PROBLEMS WITH THEIR 2001 LINCOLNS. THERE WAS A SUSPENSION RELATED RECALL: LINCOLN / LS 2000-2001, FORD MOTOR COMPANY, DATE: NOV 01, 2000 NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 00V359001 N/A NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: N/A COMPONENT: SUSPENSION: FRONT: CONTROL ARM: LOWER BALL JOINT, NUMBER OF AFFECTED: 82,300 SUMMARY: VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE NOT TIGHTENED TO SPECIFICATIONS WHEN THEY WERE ATTACHED TO THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS. CONSEQUENCE: IF THE BALL JOINT ATTACHING NUTS ARE NOT ADEQUATELY TIGHTENED, THEY CAN LOOSEN AND, ULTIMATELY, RESULT IN FRACTURE OF THE BALL JOINT STUD. IF THE BALL JOINT FRACTURES, CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE COULD BE AFFECTED, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. REMEDY: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE TORQUE ON THE TWO BALL JOINT ATTACHING NUTS. VEHICLES WITH LOOSE BALL JOINT ATTACHING NUTS WILL EITHER HAVE THE FASTENERS TIGHTENED TO SPECIFICATION, OR IF NECESSARY, THE BALL JOINTS WILL BE REPLACED. *TR

WE PURCHASED A LINCOLN LS ON 2/24/12 AND A I WAS DRIVING THE CAR HOME I HEARD A LOUD NOISE THAT SOUNDED AS IF THE WHEELS WERE GOING TO FALL OFF ESPECIALLY AS I WENT OVER BUMPS. I TOOK THE CAR TO MIDAS AND THEY DIAGNOSED THAT THE BALL JOINTS WERE BAD, ALONG WITH THE STRUTS, AND GASKET COVER. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND I FOUND THAT THE CAR HAD BEEN RECALLED IN 2000 FOR THE BALL JOINTS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 LINCOLN LS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH OVER A ROADBUMP, THE CONTACT LOST SLIGHT CONTROL BECAUSE THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ABNORMALLY SWAY FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. IN ADDITION, THE FOUR WHEEL RIMS INSTALLED ON THE VEHICLE WERE CORRODED NEAR THE HUB. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND THEY INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V359001 (SUSPENSION: FRONT: CONTROL ARM: LOWER BALL). THERE WAS ALSO A MANUFACTURER VOLUNTARY RECALL ON THE WHEEL RIMS BUT THE VIN WAS INELIGIBLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 148,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 LINCOLN LS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH OVER A MANHOLE COVER, HE HEARD A LOUD SCREECHING NOISE COMING FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS A SLIGHT LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL AND THE VEHICLE WAS CAUTIOUSLY MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE LOWER CONTROL ARM COMPLETELY FRACTURED, WHICH CAUSED THE TIRE TO TURN IN ON A 90 DEGREE ANGLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND REPAIRED. MOST RECENTLY, THE IDENTICAL FAILURE OCCURRED WITH THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE LOWER CONTROL ARM. THERE WAS A RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH THE FAILURE UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V359001 (SUSPENSION: FRONT: CONTROL ARM: LOWER BALL JOINT). THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 99,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 LINCOLN LS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE TOOK HIS VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE LOOSE AND NEEDED TO BE TIGHTENED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHSTA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V359001 (SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT), BUT THE VIN WAS NOT A PART OF THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,244 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 103,376.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 LINCOLN LS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE SUDDENLY SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE. HE MANAGED TO GET THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROADWAY IN WHICH THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO HIS HOME. THE VEHICLE HAS YET TO BE INSPECTED OR DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 170,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2001 LINCOLN LS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER REPLACED THE SPARK PLUGS AND THE FAILURE SEEMED TO BE REMEDIED HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE THEN BEGAN TO BACKFIRE AND DRIVE ABNORMALLY ROUGH. IN ADDITION, THE ENGINE WOULD EXHIBIT ABNORMAL NOISES AND AN OVERPOWERING OIL ODOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE HEAD GASKET AND COIL SPRINGS WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 108,000.