NHTSA Complaint #11104321 — 2001 LINCOLN TOWN CAR

ON JULY 16, 2017, I WAS TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE 70 EAST, NEAR WASHINGTON, PA. ALL OF A SUDDEN MY 2001 LINCOLN STARTED SHAKING VERY VIOLENTLY. I MANAGED TO PULL INTO A REST STOP A FEW MILES AWAY, AND NOTICED THAT THE REAR PORTION OF MY LINCOLN WAS VERY LOW TO THE GROUND. I MANAGED TO DRIVE INTO WASHINGTON, PA, AND A LOCAL MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT HE SUSPECTED THAT THE AIR SUSPENSION COMPRESSOR, WHICH CONTROLS THE REAR AIR SUSPENSION BAGS, WAS DEFECTIVE. A FEW WEEKS EARLIER, THE "AIR BAGS" WARNING LIGHT RELATING TO THE REAR AIR SUSPENSION BAGS HAD COME ON; MY MECHANIC CHECKED THEM OUT AND STATED THAT THEY WERE FINE, AS HE HAD REPLACED BOTH OF THEM, IN 2013. HOWEVER, IN RETROSPECT, THE COMPUTER WAS REFERRING TO THE AIR SUSPENSION COMPRESSOR AND PROBABLY TO THE AIR SUSPENSION HEIGHT SENSOR. I HAD MY MECHANIC REPLACE BOTH OF THOSE PARTS. IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THE LINCOLN PERSONNEL SHOULD HAVE WARNED THE LINCOLN TOWN CAR OWNERS THAT THE AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM, WHICH IS USED ON THE LINCOLN TOWN CARS, IS PRONE TO FAILURE; AND, THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A WARNING BUILT INTO THE COMPUTER TO WARN DRIVERS OF AN IMPENDING LOSS TO THAT SYSTEM. A LIGHT COMING ON JUST STATING "AIR BAGS" IS NOT SUFFICIENT. PRIOR TO THAT PROBLEM, I HAD NO IDEA THAT THERE WAS AN AIR SUSPENSION COMPRESSOR, OR AN AIR SUSPENSION HEIGHT SENSOR TO CONTROL THE REAR AIR SUSPENSION BAGS. SINCE THERE ARE STILL THOUSANDS OF LINCOLN TOWN CARS ON THE ROAD, THE NHTSA SHOULD AT LEAST WARN OWNERS OF THOSE CARS, ABOUT THE POTENTIAL SUSPENSION PROBLEM, WHICH CAN CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WHILE DRIVING.