NHTSA Complaint #10875756 — 2003 LINCOLN TOWN CAR

47,000 MILES ON 2003 LINCOLN TOWN CAR STEERING SUDDENLY BECAME DIFFICULT AND 'BINDS' INTERMITTENTLY AT A CONSTANT TURNING RADIUS WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL BOTH CLOCK-WISE AND COUNTER-CLOCKWISE. THIS OCCURRED WHILE IN MOTION AT LOW SPEEDS, ~25 MPH, IMMEDIATELY AFTER COMING DOWN A HILL, AS IF THE SUDDEN COMPRESSION OF THE CAR CAUSE THE SHAFT TO WARP AT THE JOINT. AFTER FURTHER INSPECTION THE LOWER AND INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFTS APPEAR HEAVILY CORRODED AT THE U-JOINTS AND THROUGHOUT BOTH SHAFTS. BASED ON THE INFLUX OF STEERING SHAFT COMPLAINTS OVER THE PAST YEAR OR SO FOR THE SAME YEAR AND MODEL CAR, THIS IS UNDENIABLY A MECHANICAL FAILURE ON THE MANUFACTURERS PART, I.E., ENGINEERED TO FAIL. ADDITIONALLY, BASED ON THE LEVEL OF CORROSION, THIS ISSUE MAY HAVE BEEN MORE APPARENT AND/OR SEVERE IF THERE WAS MORE MILEAGE PUT ON THE CAR BUT LUCKILY THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS AT THE TIME OF FAILURE. IMAGES ARE ATTACHED BELOW.