2000 Lincoln Continental problems

“DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 3 MPH IN A DRIVEWAY THE PASSENGER SIDE SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE ARM. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED.”

“A NEIGHBOR POINTED OUT THAT THE AUTOMOBILE WAS SITTING SEVERAL INCHES LOWER THAN NORMAL CLOSER TO GROUND WHILE PARKED IN DRIVEWAY. I BEGAN TO CHECK ON THIS EVERY TIME I WENT TO USE THE CAR. SOMETIMES VEHICLE WAS NORMAL HEIGHT, SOMETIMES LOWER. I NOTICED THAT, SOMETIMES, WHEN I TURNED THE IGNITION KEY THERE WAS SOUND HEARD LIKE A FAN OPERATING. I ASKED QUESTIONS OF PEOPLE WHO HAD OWNED SIMILAR MODELS AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM IN THIS MODEL SHOWING UP 4 TO 8 YEARS AFTER MANUFACTURE. THIS MODEL HAS A RIDE CONTROL WHICH INVOLVES THREE "RIDE CONTROL" SETTINGS. AS CARS AGE THERE ARE AIR BAGS UNDER THE CAR WHICH CONTROL THE FEEL OF CAR (PLUSH, NORMAL, FIRM) AND THEY ADJUST ACCORDINGLY. BEFORE I START THE CAR, IF IT SITS LOW, TURNING THE IGNITION KEY CAUSES THE RIDE MECHANISM TO RAISE THE CAR FRAME A FEW INCHES ABOVE THE TIRES. SOMETIMES IN COLD WEATHER THIS DOES NOT SEEM TO OPERATE AND A MESSAGE SHOWS "CHECK RIDE CONTROL". THE STORE THAT DOES ROUTINE SERVICE REGULARLY TELLS ME THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM IN LINCOLN/FORDS AND THAT REPAIRS OFTEN COST $2000 OR MORE. THE CAR NOW HAS ABOUT 114,000 MILES ON IT AND THIS PROBLEM OCCURS MORE OFTEN. I BELIEVE THIS HAS…”

“WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE CAR STARTED TO ACCELERATE ON IT,S OWN AND WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES THEY WOULDN'T WORK. I HAD TO GET OFF THE NEXT EXIT BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT ANYONE TO GET IN FRONT OF ME BECAUSE IT WENT ALL THE WAY UP TO 90 MPH.ONCE I GOT OFF IT STILL WAS ACCELERATING SO I DROVE UP ON THE SIDEWALK TO KEEP FROM HITTING TRAFFIC AT THE LIGHT AND GOT INTO THE GRASS AND IT STILL WAS GOING FAST AND THE BRAKES STILL NOT WORKING I PRAYED AND PUT IT INTO NEUTRAL OR I WOULD HAVE WENT RIGHT BACK INTO THE TRAFFIC. ONCE I PUT IT IN NEUTRAL IT STOPPED AND THEN I PUT IT IN PARK AND TURNED IT OFF. I THEN TURNED IT BACK ON AND IT WAS IDLING SO HIGH AND LOUD I TURNED IT BACK OFF AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK. ONCE THEY ARRIVED HE STATED THAT THE LINKAGE TO THE ACCELERATOR WAS STUCK AND THAT'S IS WHY THE BRAKES WEREN'T RESPONDING. HE THEN CALLED THE DEALERSHIP WHO STATED HE WASN'T SURE IF THE COULD LOOK AT THE CAR OR IF HE DID WHEN HE WOULD BE ABLE TO WORK ON IT. SINCE THEN IT HAS BEEN SITTING AND I FOUND OUT ABOUT ALL THESE OTHER RECALLS AND COMPLAINTS FOR THE VERY OTHER THINGS WE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH ON THIS CAR. THE TOWER ALSO STATED THAT HE THOUGHT THERE WAS A…”

“The contact owns a 1979 Lincoln Continental. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked and turned off, there was smoke coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the rear end near the driver's side of the vehicle had caught on fire. The vehicle was extinguished by the Fire Department. A fire report was filed, and a fire report number was provided; however, the cause for the failure was not yet determined. A Police report was not filed. No injuries were sustained. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 137,070. The VIN was invalid.”

“RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS CAR(2000 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL) USED, ME AND A FRIEND DECIDED TO GO TO THE BEACH, ON THE WAY, ON THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 45-65 MPH WHILE THE ACCELERATOR WAS CONSTANT THE GEAR SHIFTING BECAME SPORADIC/SHUDDERING BETWEEN THE GEARS, ALMOST EVERY SINGLE TIME AFTER THE SHUDDER STOPPED THE RPM ON THE TACHOMETER WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY DROP AND SPEED WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY DROP AS WELL AND EVEN WHEN APPLYING FULL ACCELERATION TO THE PEDAL THE CAR ACTED AS IF IT WERE IN NEUTRAL BUT THE ENGINE WAS NOT REVVING UP EITHER, IF THIS HAPPENED WHILE TRYING TO SWITCH LANES ON THE HIGHWAY IN TRAFFIC WITH A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN SPEED AND CONTROL OVER THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE AN ACCIDENT COULD HAVE OCCURRED. SEVERAL SERVICE BULLETINS ON THE NHTSA WEB SITE INDICATE THIS SIMILAR DEFECTS IN THE TRANSMISSION FOR THIS VEHICLE. *JB”

“2 TIRE VALVE FAILURE, BOTH AT HIGHWAY SPEED. TIRES MOUNTED 02/08 AT A GOODYEAR SHOP IN MARYSVILLE, OHIO 1ST FAILURE 06/12/09, AND THE 2ND 06/28/09. I WENT BACK TO THE SHOP, AND WAS TOLD THAT SINCE "I DROVE ON THE FLAT TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD" I RUINED THE TIRE. I WAS NOT INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A BUNCH OF BAD CHINESE MADE VALVES. *TR”