2004 Lincoln Aviator Visibility & Wipers Problems

THE PLASTIC BRACKET THAT ATTACHES THE SUN VISORS TO THE CEILING IN MY 2004 LINCOLN AVIATOR HAVE DEGRADED AND SHATTERED WITH THE VISOR FALLING OUT OF THE CEILING INTO MY FACE AS I WAS DRIVING. THE SAME CRACKS ARE APPARENT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE VISOR BRACKET BUT ARE HOLDING AT THIS TIME. THIS FAILURE OCCURRED IN AUGUST '09 WHILE ON A TRIP TO VIRGINIA. WHEN I WENT TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP FOR ASSISTANCE I WAS ADVISED THAT THEY HAD THE SAME FAILURE IN ANOTHER AVIATOR A FEW DAYS EARLIER. THEY DID NOT HAVE THE PART OR A NEW VISOR. THE BRACKET IS ATTACHED DIRECTLY TO THE VISOR ARM AND CANNOT BE PURCHASED SEPARATELY. WORKING WITH A LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP THEY TRIED TO LOCATE A REPLACEMENT AT A LOCAL JUNK YARD, BUT WHEN IT WAS RECEIVED THE BRACKET EXHIBITED THE SAME CRACKING. I FEEL THIS IS DEFINITELY A DEFECTIVE PART SINCE IT IS PROTECTED FROM SUNLIGHT THAT MIGHT DETERIORATE IT. SINCE IT IS LOCATED IN THE CEILING OF THE VEHICLE IT COULD CERTAINLY BE AFFECTED BY THE EXTREME HEAT THAT DEVELOPS FROM THE SUN. THE FAILURE IS ALSO A SAFETY CONCERN AS THE VISOR CAN FALL IN YOU FACE AS MINE DID BLOCKING YOUR VIEW AS YOU DRIVE. NOW WITH THE MISSING VISOR YOUR VIEW IS IMPAIRED WHEN DRIVING INTO THE SUN AS YOU HAVE NOTHING TO BLOCK THE SUN. I BELIEVE THE FAILURE WOULD BE RECORDED AT LINCOLN AS SUN VISOR FAILURES RATHER THAN BRACKET FAILURES SINCE IT IS ATTACHED TO THE VISOR ARM AND HAS TO BE PURCHASED AS A WHOLE VISOR. I HAVE TRIED TO RESOLVE THIS MATTER WITH LINCOLN/FORD AS A PRODUCT DEFECT BY CONTACTING THE MAIN OFFICE IN DETROIT , BUT THEY HAVE DISALLOWED THE CLAIM. *TR

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE DRIVER HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR. THE DRIVER NOTICED THAT THE REAR WINDOW WAS BROKEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE REAR WINDOW GLASS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB

THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH ALL LINCOLN AVIATORS, AND IT ONLY MANIFESTS IN COLD CLIMATES. IN "HEAT" MODE, COLD (AMBIENT) AIR IS BLOWN ON THE SIDE WINDOWS AND WINDSHIELD. THE COLDER IT IS OUTSIDE, THE COLDER THIS AMBIENT AIR BLOWING INTO THE VEHICLE IS. THIS RESULTS IN VERY WARM AIR BLOWING AT YOUR FEET AND COLD AIR BLOWING AT YOUR FACE. THIS RESULTS IN A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. IN ADDITION, IN ORDER TO KEEP WINDOWS FROM FOGGING, ONE HAS TO MANUALLY CHANGE THE TEMPERATURE UP TO 90 DEGREES UNTIL THEY ARE DEFROSTED AND THEN TO TRY TO ACHIEVE SOME DEGREE OF COMFORT, ONE HAS TO THEN CHANGE THE TEMPERATURE BACK DOWN. THIS HAS TO BE DONE CONTINUOUSLY, AND ON LONGER TRIPS (ESPECIALLY IN POOR DRIVING CONDITIONS), THIS IS POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS. FORD SAYS THIS IS "NORMAL" FOR THIS VEHICLE AND IT FUNCTIONS "WITHIN SPEC". WHY DO ALL VEHICLES WITH CLIMATE CONTROL NOT BLOW FRIGID OUTSIDE AIR INTO YOUR VEHICLE THEN???

THIS VEHICLE WAS MADE FOR TOWING AND WAS EQUIPPED WITH ALL THE TOWING SOCKETS AND EQUIPMENT FOR TOWING. CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO TOW THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE MANUFACTURER DIDN'T MAKE A REAR MIRROR EXTENDER FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK

THE CLIMATE CONTROL DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY IN THE AUTO MODE DURING WINTER DRIVING, CAUSING COLD AIR TO BLAST OUT OF THE DEMISTER AND DEFROSTER VENTS. THE WINDOWS CANNOT BE CLEARED OF MINOR ICING AND THE DRIVER IS THERMALLY VERY UNCOMFORTABLE. THE TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE FROM THE FLOOR VENTS VS. THE DEMISTERS IS AS MUCH AS 70 DEGREES COLDER. THE DEMISTER VENTS HAVE MEASURED TEMPERATURES OF 40 DEGREES WHEN THE FLOOR VENT READS 110 DEGREES. MANUAL MANIPULATION OF THE SYSTEM HAS LITTLE EFFECT AND IS HIGHLY UNSAFE.*AK

AUTOMATIC HEAT CLIMATE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONED. AS A RESULT COLD AIR BLOWS OUT, FOGGING THE WINDOWS. *AK