NHTSA Complaint #10157113 — 1997 LINCOLN TOWN CAR

1997 LINCOLN TOWN CAR FRONT CONTROL ARM LOWER BALL JOINT FAILED, PUNCTURING TIRE AND DRIVING LOWER CONTROL ARM INTO ASPHALT. SPEED OF ACCIDENT 15 MPH. NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON LOWER CONTROL ARM FAILURES FOR LINCOLN, CROWN VICTORIA ETC. MANUFACTURER CLAIMS THE SPECIFIC VIN IS NOT UNDER RECALL CRITERIA. I SUSPECT THIS IS AN OVERSIGHT BY THE MANUFACTURER. I AM THANKFUL THAT I WAS NOT TAKING MY CHILD ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THIS OCCURRED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THERE WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY BEEN A WRECK AND THE WAY THE FAILURE OCCURRED, I AM NOT SURE HOW THE CAR COULD NOT HAVE SPUN AND ROLLED IF THE FAILURE WOULD HAVE OCCURRED AT A HIGHER SPEED. THE CONTROL ARM LEFT A GROOVE IN THE ASPHALT AND HALTED THE CAR INSTANTLY THROWING EVERYONE FORWARD WHEN IT OCCURRED. IT WOULD BE ADVISABLE TO HAVE THESE RECALLED TO AVOID POTENTIAL LITIGATION AND LAW SUITS. I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL INSTANCES OF THIS IN THIS COMPLAINT DATABASE AS WELL AS ON THE WEB. I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY CLASS ACTION SUIT AND CAN ONLY FIND THE RECALL ON THE LOWER CONTROL ARM THAT APPARENTLY DOES NOT INCLUDE MY SPECIFIC VIN NUMBER (AND A LOT OF OTHERS APPARENTLY AS WELL). I HAVE ASKED SEVERAL MECHANICS AND THEY ARE AWARE OF THIS AND SUSPECT A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND THEY ALSO SAY THAT IT IS PRETTY RIDICULOUS TO HAVE A CONTROL ARM GO OUT SO SOON IN A VEHICLES LIFE. THERE ARE CARS THAT STILL HAVE THEIR ORIGINAL CONTROL ARMS AND TWICE THE MILEAGE OF OTHER MANUFACTURERS. THE REPAIRS ARE EXPENSIVE, THE FAILURE IS DANGEROUS, AND I HONESTLY HAVE PROBLEMS TRUSTING WHETHER THE DEALER WILL USE PARTS THAT HAVE BEEN RE-ENGINEERED TO OVERCOME THIS FAILURE. ESPECIALLY SINCE WE ARE SEEING THAT SOME OF THE REPLACEMENT CONTROL ARMS APPEAR TO HAVE THE SAME FAILURES OR SAME DEFECT. HOW CAN I BE ASSURED THAT THIS WILL NOT OCCUR AGAIN? AND WILL I BE JUST AS LUCKY AS I WAS THIS TIME IN THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT EXTREMELY LOW SPEED? *JB