NHTSA Complaint #10721144 — 2003 LINCOLN TOWN CAR

I STARTED HEARING A METAL RUBBING NOISE REALIZED THAT IT WAS COMING FROM THE L-REAR WHEEL I REPLACED THE WHEEL BEARING & SEAL FIGURING IT WAS JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS SINCE THIS DOESN'T TYPICALLY HAPPEN IN TODAY'S LATER MODEL VEHICLES.ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER THE NOISE RETURNED SO I RESEARCHED IT AND DISCOVERED A RECALL NOT NOTICING IT WAS JUST FOR FLEET MODELS. I CALLED FORD AND WAS TOLD IT DIDN'T INCLUDE MY VIN # I DID SOME FURTHER RESEARCH AND FOUND OUT THAT THESE AXLES WERE MANUFACTURED WITH A DEFECT CAUSING THE METAL TO BECOME SOFT THEREBY CAUSING THE WHEEL BEARING TO WEAR AN INDENTATION INTO THE METAL RESULTING IN THE WHEEL BEARING HAVING TO MUCH PLAY ON THE AXLE (TO MUCH MOVEMENT). THE END RESULT IS THE BEARING DESTROYS ITSELF AND HOPEFULLY YOU REPLACE IT BEFORE IT BREAKS APART CAUSING THE WHEEL TO POSSIBLY FALL OFF AND DEFINITE DESTRUCTION OF THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL! IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT YOU REPLACE THE BEARING WITH WHATS CALLED A REPAIRING WHICH IS WIDER AND HEAVIER DUTY THAN THE OEM BEARING THEREBY IT COVERS A WIDER PORTION OF THE AXLE AND DOES NOT SIT IN THE SPACE WHERE THE OEM BEARING WORE DOWN THE METAL.AFTER REPLACING IT A SECOND TIME IT LASTED ABOUT 3 YEARS 2011) AND THEN THE SEAL BLEW OUT ON THIS WHEEL WHICH IS THE SAME PROCEDURE AS REPLACING THE BEARING. IN 2013 THE R-REAR BEARING HAD TO BE REPLACED. AS OF FEBRUARY 2015 DUE TO THE L-REAR BEARING MAKING NOISE & LEAKING DIFFERENTIAL FLUID ( I CAN HEAR THE BEARING DESTROYING ITSELF) AND THE R-REAR AXLE LEAKING DIFFERENTIAL FLUID I GOT FED UP PARKED THE CAR AND BOUGHT ANOTHER CAR. IRONICALLY I BOUGHT ANOTHER 2003 TOWN CAR WITH 65,000 MILES IT WAS MANUFACTURED IN 5/2003 UNLIKE THE SUBJECT CAR THAT WAS MANUFACTURED IN 10/2003 I HAVE MY FINGERS CROSSED.FORDS BEEN MAKING CARS FOR 100 YEARS I SHOULD NOT BE HAVING THIS PROBLEM WITH AXLES.THIS PROBLEM IS NOT JUST A FLEET VEHICLE PROBLEM, I WANT MY AXLES REPLACED.