1995 Dabryan Lincoln Towncar Recalls & Complaints

Incident: September 3, 2012 · Filed: September 6, 2013

I HAD MADE A LEFT TURN AND COMING OUT OF THE TURN I HEARD A LOUD BANG. I LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR AND RAN INTO A RETAINING WALL. MY NECK HURT IMMEDIATELY, POSSIBLY FROM THROWING MY HEAD TO LOOK AT WHAT I THOUGHT WOULD BE ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT HAD STRUCK ME. UPON EXAMINATION I SAW THAT THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL WAS LYING FLAT ON THE GROUND AND THE CAR WAS RESTING ON TOP. BY FLAT I DON'T MEAN THAT THE TIRE WAS FLAT; I MEAN THAT THE WHEEL HAD GONE FROM PERPENDICULAR TO THE ROADWAY TO PARALLEL TO THE ROADWAY AND THE CAR WAS RESTING ON TOP OF THE WHEEL. THE CAR BEING UNDRIVEABLE, I HAD IT TOWED TO MY MECHANIC. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER COULD NOT SIMPLY DROP OFF THE CAR BECAUSE THE ONLY THING THAT WOULD HAVE HELD UP THE CAR ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WAS THE CONTROL ARM. MY MECHANIC EXAMINED THE CAR AND DETERMINED THAT THE ONE-PIECE BEARING WITHIN THE RIGHT LOWER CONTROL ARM HAD CRACKED AND THAT THE BALL AND CAP OF THE JOINT HAD TOTALLY SEPARATED. THIS HAD CAUSED THE CAR TO LAND ON THE CONTROL ARM AND COME TO GRINDING HALT. MY MECHANIC SAID AT THE TIME THAT THIS SHOULD BE A SUBJECT FOR A RECALL. ONLY RECENTLY, AFTER OBTAIN PAPERWORK FROM THE NHTSA DID I DISCOVER THAT THE 1995 LINCOLN TOWN CAR HAD BEEN RECALLED BUT THAT ONLY A RELATIVE FEW CARS HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY. AFTER LEARNING THIS, AN ONLINE SEARCH REVEALED MANY DOZENS OF REPORTS OF INSTANCES OF THIS HAPPENING WITH NEARLY ALL THAT MENTIONED IT SAYING THAT THERE HAD BEEN NO RECALL FOR THIS DEFECT. SEVERAL MECHANICS EXPRESSED THE VIEW THAT THEY HAD SEEN SO MANY THAT IT WAS HARD FOR THEM TO BELIEVE THAT FEWER THAN 200,000 VEHICLES HAD BEEN DESIGNATED FOR RECALL. I WORRY CONSTANTLY ABOUT THE LEFT BALL JOINT SIMILARLY CRACKING BUT CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE IT REPLACED. MANY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF THESE 1995 TOWN CARS REMAIN ON THE ROAD DUE TO CULT FOLLOWING OF 1994-1997 MODELS. I WAS LUCKY I WAS NOT AT HIGHWAY SPD