2014 Lincoln Mkx

This automobile has a 3.7-liter engine manufactured by Ford Motor Company. We are the second owner of the vehicle. A dealer representative informed us the motor has an inherent defect while inspecting pinch weld failures. This engine, transversely mounted, was created whereby the chain driven water pump is located behind the front casing placing access on the passenger side of the vehicle. Water pumps have planned obsolescence and when these water pumps fail, the antifreeze drains into the engine crankcase mixing with the engine oil causing catastrophic failure of the engine within minutes of the water pump failure. This is a significant safety hazard causing the engine to seize and when at expressway driving could cause a serious accident due to the sudden loss of power and being stranded on the side of the road. There are approximately four (4) million vehicles manufactured by Ford and Mazda with the 3.5 and 3.7 liter transversely mounted engines. As the vehicles age, the water pump failure can occur between 120-150,000 miles rendering the vehicle incapacitated wherever the failure occurs. From my research, there is no prior warning of the failure. The cost to replace the pump is 2-3,000 USD and the engine is approximately 7,000 USD. Contacting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration would be our only recourse in a remedy for this defect. The 2014 Lincoln MKX FWD/AWD remains a beautiful and a functional vehicle, the type you would want to retain for many years beyond its initial service interval. We would therefore request the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigate this matter and mandate the manufacturer implement a cost effective retrofit to replace the water pump prior to failure or issue a full recall of the vehicles, compelling the manufacturer to provide a fair market value buy back to the current owners of the vehicles. We have factual data to support this claim and the severity of the encounter when the pump fails.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 LINCOLN MKX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS ENGAGED IN PARK, THE LETTER "P" WAS HIGHLIGHTED IN THE SHIFTER DISPLAY. ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, THE MESSAGE "TRANSMISSION NOT IN PARK AS INDICATED" WAS DISPLAYED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE HAD BEEN OCCURRING FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE WEEK. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE LOST ACCELERATION AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. A FEW SECONDS LATER, THE VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE NORMALLY. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,000.

ON MONDAY (LABOR DAY), I WAS DRIVING AND STARTED TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN WHEN THE CAR STALLED. I WAS BESIDE A GAS STATIONED SO I MANAGED TO PULL IN (VERY HARD TO STEER) AND I NOTICED THE LOW OIL PRESSURE ICON ON. I CAME TO A STOP AND PUSHED THE START BUTTON AND THE CAR STARTED AND DROVE WITHOUT ANY MORE PROBLEMS. MY HUSBAND CHECKED THE OIL WHEN I GOT HOME AND IT IS FULL. WHILE AT LONG LEWIS FORD IN HOOVER, THIS MORNING TO HAVE IT CHECKED WE HEARD A WOMAN DESCRIBE THE SAME SCENARIO WITH HER FORD. SHE STATED IT STALLED ABOUT 3 OR 4 TIMES ON HER WHILE DRIVING. I FEEL THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE AND SOUNDS SIMILAR TO THE ISSUE ONE OF THE OTHER AUTOMOBILE MODELS HAD CAUSING DEATH AND INJURY.