NHTSA Complaint #10247821 — 2001 LINCOLN TOWN CAR

VEHICLE: 2001 LINCOLN TOWN CAR CARTIER WITH 45,000 ORIGINAL MILES. DATE PROBLEM REVEALED: 05/08/2008 AT 38,000 MILES. COMPONENT: POWERTRAIN: DRIVELINE; SUSPENSION: (REAR); SUSPENSION: (FRONT); STEERING. DEFECT SUMMARY: CERTAIN POLICE, COMMERCIAL, AND PASSENGER VEHICLES SOLD INPUT HIGHER LOADS INTO THE VEHICLE CHASSIS OVERLOADING THE WHEEL BEARINGS AND AXLES. FOUR WHEEL ALIGNMENT CHECK WAS PERFORMED. REAR WHEELS WAS NOT ALIGNED TO MANUFACTURE SPECIFICATIONS, FOR WHICH, THIS VEHICLE HAS A NON-ADJUSTABLE REAR END. FRONT-END ALIGNMENT WAS NOT IN MANUFACTURE SPECIFICATIONS AND COULD NOT BE CORRECTED DUE TO FAULTY REAR END COMPONENTS. CONSEQUENCE SUMMARY: THIS COULD LEAD TO EARLY BEARING FAILURE AND ULTIMATELY TO AXLE SHAFT FRACTURE. IN THE EVENT OF AXLE SHAFT FRACTURE, THE VEHICLE WOULD LOSE DRIVE FUNCTION AND WOULD COAST TO A STOP. LOSS OF DRIVE FUNCTION COULD LEAD TO A CRASH. SEVERELY UNSTABLE STEERING AT SPEED ABOVE 40 MPH AND WILL LEAD TO A CRASH AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. *TR