NHTSA Complaint #10924525 — 2008 LINCOLN MKX

YESTERDAY (11/05/2016), I WAS GOING TO GO TO THE STORE. THE CAR STARTED FINE AND RAN FINE AS I BACKED IT OUT OF OUR DRIVEWAY, BUT WHEN I WENT DOWN THE STREET IN FRONT OF OUR NEIGHBORS HOUSE, IT SUDDENLY FELT LIKE IT SHIFTED INTO A LOWER GEAR. I TURNED THE CORNER NEXT TO MY NEIGHBORS HOUSE AND PROCEEDED DOWN A HILL THAT'S THERE, BUT THE CAR STILL WOULD ONLY GO VERY SLOWLY. WHEN I GOT DOWN THE HILL, I STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN AND WHEN I STEPPED ON THE GAS IT SUDDENLY STARTED TO RUN FINE. I DROVE ANOTHER 7 OR 8 BLOCKS UNTIL STOPPING FOR A RED LIGHT, THAT'S WHEN I NOTICED THE WARNING LIGHTS SHOWING A WRENCH AND AN AIRBAG COME ON. THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND WHEN I STEPPED ON THE GAS TO MAKE IT GO, IT AGAIN WOULD ONLY GO AT A VERY SLOW SPEED. BY THE TIME I CROSSED THE STREET, THE LIGHT HAD SWITCHED BACK TO RED. TERRIFIED, I PULLED INTO THE PARKING LOT ACROSS THE STREET AND NOTICED THE ODOMETER WAS SHOWING ALL ZEROS. I SHUT THE CAR OFF AND WENT INTO THE STORE, SHAKING AND VERY SCARED. I CAME BACK OUT PRAYING IT WOULD START UP AND RUN FINE. IT MADE A GRINDING NOISE AND SOUNDED LOUDER, BUT THEN IT STARTED RUNNING FINE AND DID SO ALL THE WAY HOME. I HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR TWICE SINCE THEN FOR SHORT DISTANCES BUT HAVEN'T HAD IT HAPPEN AGAIN. WE BOUGHT THIS 2008 LINCOLN MKX USED WITH 92,474 MILES ON IT JUST 3 WEEKS PRIOR TO THIS HAPPENING. WHEN THIS OCCURRED, THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY 92,808 MILES ON IT. THAT'S A WHOPPING 334 MILES PUT ON IT BY US AS WELL AS OTHERS WHO TEST DROVE THE CAR SINCE THIS DEALER LISTED IT FOR SALE. SINCE THE WRENCH WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, MY HUSBAND SUSPECTS THE POWERTRAIN MALFUNCTIONED OR A AWD FAULT OCCURRED, AS IT SHOWS IN THE OWNERS MANUAL, BUT SAID HE WOULDN'T RULE OUT OTHER POSSIBLE CAUSES. SINCE WE BOUGHT THIS FROM A USED CAR DEALER, THOUGH WE DID TAKE OUT AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THROUGH OUR CREDIT UNION, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT RIGHTS EXIST PROTECTING US.