NHTSA Complaint #765125 — 1997 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL

ANTI THEFT ALARM WOULD ACTIVATE ON ITS OWN - WHILE PARKED IN GARAGE AT SHOPPING CENTERS, IN THE DRIVEWAY. THIS WAS REPORTED TO DEALER IN JUNE 2000 AND WAS TOLD IF WE CAN NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM WE CAN NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. DURING 2001 AND 2002 THE PROBLEM WORSENED OFTEN GOING OFF 5 TO 6 TIMES PER DAY. HATFIELD IS NO LONGER IN BUSINESS SO CAR WAS TAKEN TO KRIEGER FORD ON SAWMILL BLVD. IN COLUMBUS, OHIO. THEY HAD THE CAR FOR 4 DAYS AND THE ALARM DID NOT ACTIVATE SO "CAN'T DUPLICATE SO CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT." WE PICKED THE CAR UP AND 4 TIMES THAT DAY THE ALARM ACTIVATED ON ITS OWN. SO, I CALLED RON RUSH MOTORS ON MORSE ROAD AND THEY HAD HEARD OF THE PROBLEM SO TOOK THE CAR THERE THE FIRST PART OF JULY. THEY HAD THE CAR FOR 2 WEEKS AND FINALLY FOUND THE PROBLEM IN THE STEERING COLUMN TO THE TUNE OF $270. I FEEL THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF A FORD DEALER WHILE THE CAR WAS COVERED WITH WARRANTY AND I SHOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CHARGE. I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE LINCOLN CUSTOMER RELATIONS DEPARTMENT TO NO AVAIL. I WAS TOLD "THE DISTRICT MANAGER MADE THE DECISION NOT TO PAY AND I HAVE NO RECOURSE." I TRIED REPEATEDLY TO TALK TO THE DISTRICT MANAGER AND I CANNOT GET THIS NUMBER. NOW TO THE QUESTION OF MIRRORS: THE RIGHT EXTERIOR MIRROR WILL NOT MOVE UP AND DOWN AND THE INTERIOR REAR VIEW MIRROR IS DARK GRAY AT THE TOP. THIS HAPPENED IN JULY 2002. I PARKED THE CAR IN THE GARAGE AND THE NEXT MORNING THE MIRROR WAS THE DARK GRAY AND FULL OF BUBBLES. I FEEL THIS CREATES A DANGEROUS DRIVING SITUATION. THE PRICE QUOTED TO FIX THIS MIRROR IS $570. ONCE AGAIN I CONTACTED CUSTOMER RELATIONS TO NO AVAIL. I DO NOT FEEL A CAR WITH ONLY 36,000 MILES SHOULD BE HAVING ALL THESE PROBLEMS. ALSO, IT HAS TAKEN ME A YEAR TO GET THE AC WORKING AND WE HAVE HAD THE CAR BACK ONLY ONE AND HALF MONTHS SINCE REPAIR AND ONCE AGAIN IT IS THROWING WARM AIR.*AK