2005 Lincoln Town Car

I TOOK DELIVERY OF MY NEW TOWN CAR AND ON THE SHORT DRIVE HOME, I REAR ENDED A CAR STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. I SAW THE LIGHT WAS RED AND BEGAN BY STOP NORMALLY AND THEN REALIZED THAT THE CAR WAS NOT STOPPING. I PRESSED HARDER ON THE BRAKES AND THE ENGINE REVVED FASTER, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES WOULD GRAB AND RELEASE AND THEN I STRUCK THE STOPPED CAR. THE IMPACT DID NOT SET OFF THE AIR BAGS BUT DID CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO THE BUMPERS OF BOTH CARS. I THOUGHT PERHAPS THE ACCELERATOR HAD STUCK AND TOOK MY CAR IN TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. APPARENTLY MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE AND THE ACCELERATOR WHEN I TRIED TO STOP. A FRIEND WHO HAS THE SAME MODEL TOWN CAR AS I HAVE SAID THAT THIS HAPPENED TO HIM 4 TIMES WHEN HIS CAR WAS NEW. MY SON'S WIFE HAS A 2004 EXPEDITION AND HE SAYS THAT HE HATES TO DRIVE IT BECAUSE THE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR ARE TOO CLOSE TOGETHER. ANOTHER FRIEND EXPRESSED THE SAME CONCERN. MY NEPHEW HAS A 2005 FORD DIESEL PICKUP AND I AM TOLD THAT HE WAS BACKING UP TO A DOCK AND HIT THE ACCELERATOR ALONG WITH THE BRAKE AND SLAMMED INTO THE DOCK BREAKING HIS TAIL LIGHT. THIS VEHICLE AND THE OTHERS I HAVE MENTIONED HAVE PEDALS THAT ADJUST IN AND OUT TOGETHER AND IN ALL POSITIONS THE HEIGHT IS THE SAME ON BOTH, AFTER THE SLACK IS TAKEN UP ON THE BRAKE. I HAD A 1997 TOWN CAR AND THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR IS ALMOST TWICE AS WIDE ON THE '97 I REPORTED THIS TO FORD AND I DO NOT LIKE THEIR RESPONSE. I WILL QUOTE ONE SENTENCE THAT SUMS UP THE SHORT LETTER - - "WE SUGGEST THAT YOU FOLLOW THE DIRECTION OF YOUR INSURANCE CARRIER, WHICH HAS THE RIGHT TO FILE A SUBROGATION CLAIM AGAINST FORD MOTOR COMPANY IF IT CHOOSES TO PURSUE THE MATTER". I SINCERELY HOPE THAT SOMETHING CAN BE DONE TO FORCE FORD TO CORRECT THIS ENGINEERING ERROR. *JB *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE BRAKES FAILED ON THREE OCCASIONS. ON ALL THREE OCCASIONS THE BRAKE PEDAL DID NOT GO TO THE FLOOR. THE BRAKES FADED; THEY FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. ON THE THIRD OCCASION, TO AVOID HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE, THE CONTACT RAN UP ON A CURB AND DESTROYED THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP ON ALL THREE OCCASIONS. THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. A REPRESENTATIVE FROM FORD INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.

2005 LINCOLN TOWN CAR SIGNATURE. BRAND NEW, ONLY 200 MILES ON CAR. INTERMITTENTLY, THE ENGINE ACCELERATES WHEN I PLACE MY FOOT AND DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL. INSTEAD OF STOPPING, IT LURCHES FORWARD. IT HAS HAPPENED 6 TIMES AND LUCKILY NO OTHER CAR WAS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME. THE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PEDALS CAN BE ADJUSTED UP AND DOWN AND NO WAY IS BETTER, IT HAPPENS IN BOTH POSITIONS. I HAVE SPOKEN TO ANOTHER PERSON WITH THE IDENTICAL CAR AND HE ALSO HAS THIS PROBLEM. BOTH HE AND HIS WIFE HAVE EXPERIENCED IT. I ALSO SAW THE EXACT SAME COMMENT ON THIS WEB SITE FROM A 3RD INDIVIDUAL: HTTP://WWW.MYCARSTATS.COM/CONSOLE.ASP THIS PERSON SAID THAT THE AUTO DEALER TOLD HIM THAT THE CAR'S COMPUTER DID NOT LIST AN ERROR CODE FOR THIS SO THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPAIR IT. ALSO, I BELIEVE THAT THE 2 PEDALS ARE TOO CLOSE TO EACH OTHER. MY PREVIOUS TOWN CAR'S PEDALS WERE FURTHER APART. I HAVE NOT BEEN BACK TO THE AUTO DEALER YET BUT WILL GO SHORTLYTO REPORT THIS DANGEROUS OCCURRENCE BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THEY WILL DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I LOVE THE CAR BUT THINK IT IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE.*JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED BRAKES FAILED AND VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD INTERMITTENTLY. WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR THE MOTOR REVVED, AND THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP BUT IT KEPT LURCHING FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. HOWEVER, THE DEALER SUGGESTED THAT THE CONTACT INSTALL A DATA RECORDER IN THE VEHICLE TO RECORD THESE INSTANCES. THE CONTACT DECLINED, AND NO REPAIRS WERE MADE.*AK UPDATED 1/19/2006 - NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH INDICATING THERE WAS A PROBLEM. *NM

THE VEHICLE ENGINE ACCELERATES FOR NO REASON WHEN I APPLY THE BRAKES TO STOP AND TRIES TO MOVE FOWARD REQUIRING ME TO REAPPLY MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH FORCE AND PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN NUTRUAL TO STOP THE FORWARD OR REVERSE MOTION OF THE VEHICLE. I HAD TAKEN DELIVERY OF THIS VEHICLE ON DECEMBER 16, 2004 AND HAVE AS OF THIS DATE HAVE DRIVEN IT LESS THEN 2800 MILES DUE TO A MAJOR SAFETY DEFECT. I HAVE TAKEN THIS VEHICLE TO THE DEALER SERVICE CENTER TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM 3 TIMES, I HAVE ALSO ADVISED THEM IN WRITING THAT, THIS PROBLEM MAKES THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE ON THE ROAD, AND THEY ADVISEDD ME THAT, SINCE THIS PROBLEM DOES NOT APPEAR AS AN ERROR CODE IN THE COMPUTER SYSTEM THEY ARE UNABLE TO FIND OR REPAIR THIS. IN ESSENCE THEY ARE UNWILLING TO INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM BEYOND ATTACHING IT TO A COMPUTER TO SEE IF IT SHOWS ANY ERROR CODE. THE PROBLEM MAY BE MECHINCAL WHICH WOULD NOT SHOW UP IN ANY COMPUTER OR THE PROBLEM MAY BE IN THE TRANSMISSION, OR THE FUEL FEED BUT THEY JUST HAVE NO INTENTION TO MAKE THIS VEHICLE SAFE. I BELIVE THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCEDENT BUT MAY BE INHERENT IN ALL VEHICLES BUILT BY FORD IN THIS CLASS.