2006 Lincoln Town Car

OUR 2006 LINCOLN TOWN CAR, WITH 3,500 MILES, HAS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY DEFECT. WHEN ON AN INCLINE, FACING DOWNHILL, THE CAR WILL ROLL FORWARD WHILE IN REVERSE. IN ADDITION, IF THE CAR IS FACING UPHILL IN DRIVE, IT WILL ROLL BACKWARDS. THE CAR WILL REACH SPEEDS OF 6 MPH ROLLING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF WHAT GEAR THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IS IN. WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL NEAR ACCIDENTS TRYING TO EXIT PARKING LOTS. FORD STATES THEY SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED THIS INTO THE VEHICLE IN ORDER TO HAVE IT PASS EMISSIONS TESTING (THEY REDUCED THE IDLE SPEED AND ALTERED THE PERFORMANCE OF THE TORQUE CONVERTER). THEY HAVE PUT THEIR CUSTOMERS (SENIORS) AT RISK. *TR

THIS WAS A CONTINUOUS COMPLAINING THAT THE INTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATION DURING THE DAYLIGHTWAS NOT BRIGHT ENOUGH. THIS GOT WORSE WHEN A HIGHWAY SUCH AS IN ARIZONA OR CALIFORNIAWAS DESIGNATED A SAFETY SECTION AND REQIUIRED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS MUST BE ON. THEN THE PANEL WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE. THISWAS DANGEROUS AS IT TOOK ATTENTION AWAY FROM THE ROAD MANY TIMES. THE DEALER STATED THAT WAS THE WAY ITWAS BUILT, BUT CANNOT LINCOLN COME UP WITH A RETROFIT FIX? THEIR ENGINEERS SHOULD TAKE A RIDE IN A LATE MODEL HONDA ACCORD TO SEE WHAT THE PANEL SHOULD LOOK LIKE IN THE DAYLIGHT.*AK

2006 LINCOLN TOWN CAR WITH BRAKE FAILURE**CC 03/01/07 CUSTOMER SEND IN ADDITIONAL INFO**CC THE CONSUMER RENTED THE 2006 LINCOLN TOWN CAR. THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED TWO BRAKE FAILURES WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. WHEN THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE DIDN'T STOP IMMEDIATELY IN A CONTROLLED MANNER. THE SECOND OCCURRENCE, THE CONSUMER HAD TO USE THE PARKING BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. *JB SEE ALSO 10177497. *DSY

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED BOTH REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOORS DID NOT HAVE A MANUAL DOOR LOCK, AND COULD ONLY BE OPENED OR CLOSED BY USING THE MANUAL OR POWER CONTROL WHICH WAS LOCATED ON THE LEFT FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THIS WAS THE WAY THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE POWER FAILED AND THE ENGINE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS STEERED ONTO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND EVENTUALLY RESTARTED. THE FAILURE HAD OCCURRED AT LEAST 50 TIMES AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, SOMETIMES RESTARTING RIGHT AWAY AND SOME TIMES AN HOUR WAS NEEDED BEFORE THE ENGINE WOULD RESTART. THE SERVICE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. THE SERVICE DEALER HAD WORKED ON THE VEHICLE 4 TIMES. THE FIRST TIME THE RELAY (PART#4F1Z-14N089-AA) WAS REPLACED. THE SECOND TIME, THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND GASKET WERE REPLACED. THE THIRD TIME THE SAME RELAY WAS REPLACED AS WELL AS THE WIRING HARNESS. THE FOURTH TIME, THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER ASSEMBLY AND GASKET WERE REPLACED AGAIN. UPDATED 11/03/06.*JB

FALSE CLAIM OF GOVERNMENT 5-STAR CRASH TEST RATING FOR REAR CRASHES. IN LINCOLN'S TOWN CAR WEB SITE: HTTP://WWW.LINCOLN.COM/TOWNCAR/SAFETYANDSECURITY.ASP?FEATURE=FIVE-STAR_SAFETY_RATING A CLAIM IS MADE OF THE VEHICLE BEING AWARDED A STAR FOR REAR CRASH SAFETY, BUT THE NHTSA DOESN'T EVEN PERFORM REAR CRASH TESTS FOR THIS VEHICLE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH ILLUMINATION TO CLEARLY SEE THE READINGS IN DAYLIGHT HOURS. THE LACK OF ILLUMINATION IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL DEFERS CONCENTRATION FROM THE ROAD, WHEN VIEWING DISPLAYED INFORMATION. THE DEALER WAS INFORMED OF THE PROBLEM WHO DETERMINED THE ONLY SOLUTION WAS TO TURN UP THE BRIGHTNESS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL TO FULL, WHICH HAD ALREADY DONE. THE DEALER OFFERED NO OTHER SOLUTION. UPDATED 08/01/06. *JB

I BELIEVE THAT THE CAR IS SO DANGEROUS. I AM NOT WILLING TO LET ANYONE ELSE DRIVE IT. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR PROXIMATELY 54 YEARS. THIS HAS INCLUDED ALL KINDS OF CARS INCLUDING RACING SPORTS CARS AND BIG LUXURY CARS AND ALL TYPES OF EMERGENCY VEHICLES (INCLUDING FIRE TRUCKS AND AMBULANCES). I BELIEVE THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE PLACEMENT OF THE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THIS NEW CAR HAS ADJUSTABLE PEDALS. I DO DRIVE WITH MY HEAL ON THE FLOOR BOARDS AND ROCK MY FOOT BACK AND FORTH FROM THE GAS TO BRAKE TO STOP. I HAD JUST A FEW HUNDRED MILES ON MY NEW CAR AND AT A STOP LIGHT FOUND I COULD NOT STOP THE CAR. I ALMOST RAN INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. FORTUNATELY, I SHIFTED THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR BUT NOTICED THE ENGINE WAS RACING WHEN I CAME HOME I ALMOST RAN A STOP SIGN SINCE I COULD NOT STOP THE CAR WITHOUT SHIFTING IT INTO NEUTRAL. AND AFTER FINDING NOTHING WRONG THEY INSTALLED A COMPUTER WITH A BUTTON BY MY SEAT SO THAT IF THAT HAPPENED AGAIN I WOULD PUSH THE BUTTON AND THE COMPUTER WOULD REMEMBER THE LAST TWENTY SECONDS OF WHAT HAPPENED. BUT BY NOW I WAS USED TO THE PROBLEM AND WOULD PUSH THE BUTTON SLOWLY LIFT MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE AND I NOTICED THAT I WAS PROBABLY PUSHING ON THE ACCELERATORS AT THE SAME TIME I WAS PUSHING ON THE BRAKE. BASICALLY IF I PUSHED REAL HARD ON THE BRAKE MY FOOT WOULD GO DOWN AND PUSH ON THE ACCELERATOR. THIS WAS CONFIRMED BY THE DEALERSHIP WHEN THEY LOOKED AT THE COMPUTER. A CALL TO THE LINCOLN HEADQUARTERS TOOK DOWN ALL THIS INFORMATION FOR FUTURE REFERENCE AND TOLD ME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO WORK THROUGH THE DEALERSHIP. I HAVE NOTED THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED WITH OTHER DRIVERS OF 2005 TOWN CARS. I HAVE NOTICED IN THE NEWS MORE AND MORE FOLKS WHO HAVE DRIVEN INTO WALLS AND STATED THE CAUSE IS THAT THEY STEPPED ON THE GAS INSTEAD OF THE BRAKE. *JB

I WAS STOPPING AT A STOP SIGN, WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED TO 2,500 RPMS. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR WITH THE BRAKE AND AVOID HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME, BUT EVEN AFTER STOPPING THE CAR IT WAS STILL RUNNING AT 2,500 RPMS FOR ANOTHER COUPLE OF SECONDS BEFORE THEN RETURNING TO IDLE AT 500RPM. THIS HAPPENED TWO MORE TIMES THAT DAY AND IT'S VERY SCARY TO SAY THE LEAST. EACH TIME IT HAPPENED I WAS BRAKING THE CAR (LUCKILY) AND WAS ABLE TO BRAKE HARDER AND STOP THE CAR. AFTER STOPPING THE CAR THE ENGINE WAS STILL RACING FOR A FEW SECONDS. *JB