1998 Lincoln Continental

I AM ONE PERSON AMONG MANY THAT HAVE BEEN HAVING MANY PROBLEMS WITH THE FORD FRONT WHEEL DRIVE TRANSMISSION. BOUGHT MY 98 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL WITH 97000 MILES ON IT, AT 109000 MILES HAD TO PAY 2400 TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION PULLED AND REBUILT. I'M 65 YEARS OLD AND HAVE NEVER EVEN HIT THE PASSING GEAR. AT 155000 MILES IT HAD TO GET PULLED AGAIN. 1500 DOLLARS AT THST TIME. NOW WITH 175000 MILES ON IT THE CHECK TRANSMISSION SIGNAL IS ON AGAIN. I DID NOT UNTIL NOW DO ANY CODE CHECKS OR INTERNET SEARCH, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT FORD KNOWS THEY BUILT A BAD UNIT. LOOKING TO FIND OUT IF THERE HAVE BEEN ANY SILENT RECALLS OR IF YOUR DEPARTMENT HAS ANY INFORMATION THAT COULD HELP ME. MY CAR IS IN MINT CONDITION AND RUNS GREAT EXCEPT FOR THE TRANSMISSION. I REMEMBER READING THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS INVESTIGATED OR GOING TO BE LOOKED AT. CURRENTLY I GET A P1744 CODE OFF THE COMPUTER. I HOPE THERE IS A SILENT RECALL OR SOME INFO YOU MAY HAVE THAT COULD HELP ME.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REARVIEW MIRROR WAS DEFECTIVE. THE MIRROR HAD A DAY NIGHT AUTOMATIC TINTING FEATURE. THE SEALS ON THE MIRROR FAILED AND THE FLUIDS LEAKED AND COVERED THE MIRROR. THE MIRROR COULD NOT LONGER BE USED AND WAS NOT FUNCTIONAL. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE MIRROR HIMSELF AND THE ORIGINAL MIRROR WAS TAKEN TO DEALER. THE DEALER WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE FAILURE AND WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE HOWEVER NO ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED TO THE CONTACT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 104,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR VIEW AND DRIVER SIDE MIRRORS WERE TINTED WITH AN ANTI-REFLECTION CHEMICAL WHICH MELTED THE PLASTIC INSIDE CAUSING THE MIRRORS TO LOOK FOGGY OR DARKER THAN THEY WERE. HE BELIEVED IT WAS A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE HIS VISIBILITY WAS MINIMAL AT NIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 122,000.

AS I WAS BACKING THE CAR UP THE TIE ROD/STEERING ASSEMBLY DISENGAGED (UNSCREWED) FROM THE RACK&PINYON (PASSENGER SIDE) CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING. THE TIE ROD I STRESS AGAIN UNSCREWED FROM THE RACK. I WAS FORTUNATE THIS TOOK PLACE AT A SLOW SPEED. I FEEL THAT IF THIS OCCURRED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A SERIOUS OR FATAL CRASH. MY MECHANIC REPLACED THE TIE RODS ON BOTH SIDES WITH NEW ONES AND I HAVE THE OLD PART ON HAND. LOOKS LIKE THE SAFETY PIN THAT HOLDS THE TIE ROD TO THE RACK WORE AND ALLOWED THE TIE ROD TO UNSCREW ITS SELF FROM THE RACK. *TR

SPONTANEOUS FIRE IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT. VEHICLE LAST DRIVEN ABOUT 12 HOURS BEFORE, AND HAD BEEN OFF SINCE THAT TIME. DURING A DOWNPOUR, AND WHILE PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY, THE VEHICLE IGNITED SHORTLY AFTER 6AM - 02/06/10. EVENTS AND REMAINING EVIDENCE CLOSELY MATCH THOSE DESCRIBED IN THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH FIRES FOR OTHER FORD MODELS (INCLUDING SAME MODEL-YEAR TOWN CARS). *TR

I KEEP GETTING THIS MESSAGE. FROM: NHTSAHOTLINE@TELESISHQ.COMNHTSAHOTLINETELESISHQ.COM DATE: 3/18/2009 4:02:15 PM TO: SUBJECT: UNKNOWN FOOTPRINTS INCOMING MAIL ERROR FOOTPRINTS ENCOUNTERED AN ERROR PROCESSING AN INCOMING MAIL MESSAGE. THE ERROR CODE IS BELOW. IF THE ERROR IS UNCLEAR OR IF YOU NEED HELP, PLEASE CONTACT SUPPORT. FOOTPRINTS ERROR: 201 [MICROSOFT][ODBC SQL SERVER DRIVER][TCP/IP SOCKETS]SQL SERVER DOES NOT EXIST OR ACCESS DENIED. (SQL-08001) [MICROSOFT][ODBC SQL SERVER DRIVER][TCP/IP SOCKETS]CONNECTIONOPEN (CONNECT()). (SQL-01000)(DBD: DB_LOGIN/SQLCONNECT ERR=-1) CONNECTION STRING: DBI:ODBC:FOOTPRINTS\ THIS IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO SEND TO:NHTSA.WEBMASTER@DOT.GOV FROM: SUBJECT:AUTOMATIC HEADLIGHT MODUALE COMMENTS: I GOT A NOTICE OF AN ERROR ON SENDING YOU MY MESSAGE. HOPE YOU DO NOT GET TWO. MY 98 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL HAS NO TURNSIGNAL LIGHTS,NO EMERGENCY LIGHTS ETC. IT CAN NOT BE DRIVEN SAFELY. WE HAVE CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD WE NEED AN AUTOMATIC HEADLIGHT MODULE. HOWEVER IT HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND THERE IS NONE AVAILABLE IN THE UNITED STATES. I CALLED FORD MOTOR COMPANY(CASE ID#1556870779) AND WAS TOLD TO CONTACT YOU. WAS THERE NO RECALL ON THIS PART? I AM CERTAIN THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS A PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. I WAS TOLD TO GET A PART FROM A JUNK YARD ALTHOUGH THAT TOO WOULD BE EXPENSIVE SINCE THEY TOO KNOW THIS PART IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE.. BEING FEMALE I DO NOT THINK THAT IS POSSIBLE. I ALSO THINK THAT A COMPANY LIKE FORD SHOULD BE RESPONSILBE FOR PROVIDING PARTS FOR THEIR CARS. MANY CARS ARE ON THE ROAD A LOT LONGER THAN TEN YEARS. I COULD GO ON BUT FOR NOW --WHAT AM I TO DO?? FROM NHTSA WEB SITE. 98 LINCOLN HAS NO TURNSIGNAL NO EMERGENCY LIGHTS ETC.IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE THE DEALERSHIP SAID IT NEEDED AN AUTOMATIC HEADLIGHT MODULE BUT NO PART EXISTS IN THE US. WHAT NOW??? *TR