NHTSA Complaint #11112354 — 2011 LINCOLN MKX

MY 2011 LINCOLN MKX HAS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. ONE WEEK PRIOR TO THIS DIAGNOSIS, MY CAR WAS EVALUATED AND DIAGNOSED BY THE LINCOLN DEALERSHIP BECAUSE OF AN ENGINE LIGHT BEING ON. THERE WERE NO SYMPTOMS--ONLY THE LIGHT WAS ON WHEN THE CAR WAS ON. I HAD THE OIL CHANGED BY THE DEALERSHIP AT THIS TIME AS WELL. THE DIAGNOSIS STATED THAT NO PROBLEM COULD BE FOUND, BUT THAT THE LIGHT MAY COME BACK ON, AND I WOULD NEED TO BRING IT BACK FOR (AND PAY FOR) ANOTHER DIAGNOSTIC CHECK. THE NEXT DAY, THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON, STILL WITH NO SYMPTOMS OTHER THAN THE LIGHT BEING ON. I WASN'T ABLE TO GET THE LINCOLN TO THE DEALERSHIP RIGHT AWAY. EXACTLY ONE WEEK LATER, STILL WITH NO SYMPTOMS OTHER THAN THE LIGHT BEING ON, I DROVE THE LINCOLN ON A HIGHWAY CLOSE TO MY HOME FOR 5 MINUTES AND IT BEGAN STRUGGLING LIKE IT WAS GOING TO STALL. IMMEDIATELY THE LIGHT "LOW ENGINE OIL PRESSURE" CAME ON. THEN IMMEDIATELY THE CAR STALLED, AND I COASTED ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. THERE WERE NO OTHER SYMPTOMS OTHER THAN THE STRUGGLING ENGINE IMMEDIATELY BEFORE STALLING AND THE "LOW ENGINE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT". I HAD IT TOWED TO THE NEAREST 5-STAR RATED AUTO REPAIR PLACE, AND WITHIN A FEW HOURS, THEY CALLED ME AND DIAGNOSED THE LINCOLN WITH A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. THE LEAD MECHANIC STATED THAT THIS WAS DETERMINED BY VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE OIL AS IT HAD ENGINE COOLANT MIXED WITH OIL. HE CALLED IT THE "CLASSIC MILKSHAKE LOOK" THAT IS APPARENT WHEN THERE IS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET.