NHTSA Complaint #10088975 — 1991 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL

AS I STARTED OFF FROM A STOP SIGN ON 7/21/04. I HEARD A LOUD SOUND FROM UNDER MY CAR. I GOT AND LOOKED UNDER THE CAR BUT COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING WRONG, SINCE IT WAS DARK, SO I GOT BACK IN AND STARTED OUT AGAIN BUT I DIDN'T HAVE ANY POWER STEERING. I REASONED SOMETHING HAD BROKEN IN THE POWER STEERING UNIT. SINCE I WAS ONLY TWO BLOCKS FROM HOME I DECIDED TO TRY TO LIMP THE CAR HOME. I GOT A FLASH LIGHT AND LOOKED UNDER THE CAR. I FOUND THE REAR OF THE SUB FRAME HAD BROKEN AWAY FROM THE BODY, AND WAS ONLY A COUPLE OF INCHES OFF THE GROUND. THE FRAME APPEARED TO BE HELD UP BY THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. I CALLED THE LINCOLN DEALER AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE SUBFRAME OF MY CAR BUT IT WAS ONLY GOOD IN 25 STATES AND UTAH WAS NOT INCLUDED. I TALKED TO TWO PEOPLE AT FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND SAID THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING FOR ME EITHER. THE RECALL WAS 98S36. I FEEL THAT THE FACT THAT MY SUBFRAME BROKE LOOSE AND I LOST MY STEERING SHOULD BE ENOUGH EVIDENCE OF A SAFETY ISSUE REGARDLESS OF WHEN OR WHERE IT OCCURRED. *AK THE LEFT MOUNTING BOLT PULLED THROUGH THE LOWER WASHER. *SC *JB