NHTSA Complaint #10100461 — 2004 LINCOLN AVIATOR

AT 13,650 MILES THE ENGINE DESTROYED ITSELF DUE TO A DEFECTIVE CRANKSHAFT. I WAS DRIVING HOME AT NIGHT IN THE RAIN WHEN THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND A LOUD BANGING SOUND WAS COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY & CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. I WAITED FOR 3 HOURS FOR A TOW TRUCK AND EVENTUALLY HAD TO CALL CT STATE POLICE WHO SUMMONED A WRECKER. THE LOWER HALF OF THE ENGINE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. MANUFACTURER REPLACED THE ENGINE WITH A NEW ENGINE ASSEMBLY AND ENGINEERS REQUESTED THE OLD ENGINE BE SENT TO THEM FOR INSPECTION AS THEY HAD NEVER SEEN THIS DEFECT BEFORE. I WAS WITHOUT MY VEHICLE FOR 15 DAYS. THE FIRST NIGHT I PICKED IT UP THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AFTER LESS THAN 20 MILES ON MY WAY HOME, AGAIN AT NIGHT. IT WAS NOT A DUMMY LIGHT. ANOTHER DEFECTIVE PART HAD TO BE REPLACED. THIS TIME IT WAS THE EGR MODULE. I AM NOW EXPERIENCING OCCASIONAL SKIPS WHEN THE VEHICLE TRIES TO SHIFT TO UPPER GEARS FROM A DEAD STOP. I AM CONFIDENT THIS PRODUCT IS A LEMON AND HAVE WORKED FRUITLESSLY TO TRY TO GET THE DEALER/MANUFACTURER TO PROVIDE A REPLACEMENT VEHICLE. THIS VEHICLE IS UNSAFE AND UNRELIABLE AND I HAVE RECEIVED NO CONSIDERATION FOR A REPLACEMENT OTHER THAN TO TREAT THE TRANSACTION AS A NEW VEHICLE PURCHASE WITH MINE AS A TRADE. AT THE TIME OF THE FIRST EVENT, I HAD ONLY OWNED THIS CAR FOR 4 MONTHS AND PUT ROUGHLY 6,700 MILES ON IT AS IT WAS A DEALER'S DEMO, DRIVEN BY THE OWNER OF THE DEALERSHIP. IT HAD OVER 6000 MILES AT PURCHASE AND I HAD ONLY MADE 3 CAR PAYMENTS AT THE TIME OF FAILURE. THIS IS RIDICULOUS! *NM