2003 Lincoln Town Car Engine Problems

The contact owns a 2003 Lincoln Town Car. The contact stated that he noticed fuel on the pavement in the driveway at his residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the intake manifold was faulty. The mechanic also confirmed that the manifold was leaking and needed to be replaced. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 85,800.

THE SPARK PLUGS EJECT OUT OF THE ENGINE AND THE CAR STALLS WHILE DRIVING I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE SEVERAL OF THEM AND THIS CONTINUE TO HAPPEN I DONT THINK THEY GO OR ARE DEAP ENOUGH AND IT COST 80.00 PER TO REPLACE

MY LINCOLN HAS BLOWN #3 SPARK PLUG-WHEN I WAS TRAVELING 70 MPH-TWICE WITHIN 18,000 MILES BETWEEN INCIDENTS-TOTAL REPAIR COST-OVER $1600-TOTAL AGGRAVATION COST-PRICELESS !! EACH TIME THE PLUG BLOWS-THE MECHANIC "FIXES" IT-AND WE ARE TOLD-THERE IS NO PERMANENT FIX-AND IT WILL PROBABLY BLOW AGAIN. WE HAVE BEEN STRANDED BY THIS PROBLEM-IN A LITTLE ONE-HORSE TOWN-WITH NO MECHANIC ON DUTY FOR 2 DAYS-SO, YOU CAN ADD THE HOTEL BILL AS WELL AS THE TOW CHARGE TO THAT ABOVE STATED AMOUNT. UPON RESEARCH-WE HAVE FOUND OUT THAT FORD PRODUCTS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM SINCE 1996-NOT ONLY LINCOLNS-BUT, MERCURYS-TRUCKS-ETC. WHAT THE HECK-CAN'T SOMEONE ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS NUTS. THIS IS MY LAST FORD-CAN YOU EVEN IMAGINE OUR FRUSTRATION-WE LOVE OUR LINCOLN-IT WAS MY HUSBANDS' RETIREMENT PRESENT-WHAT A TOTAL OUTRAGE-THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE-YOU KNOW WHAT-THREE STRIKES-YOU'RE OUT !! SOMEONE NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING-. *TR

MY VEHICLE BROKE DOWN AND THUS HAD IT TOWED TO A FORD DEALERSHIP TO BE FIXED. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS A CRACKED ENGINE MANIFOLD THAT LEAKED COOLANT ALL OVER THE TOP OF THE ENGINE RUINING THE CYLINDERS, SPARK PLUGS, IGNITION COILS, OIL, OIL FILTER AND FUSE BOX. THE DEALERSHIP EXPLAINED TO ME THAT BECAUSE THESE MANIFOLDS ARE NOW PLASTIC AND NO LONGER METAL, THEY ARE PRONE TO BREAKING. THE TOTAL OF THE REPAIRS CAME TO OVER $2000. UPON SOME RESEARCH, I DISCOVERED THAT I WAS NOT ALONE IN THIS FIASCO. THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION SUIT FILED BACK IN 2004-05 AGAINST FORD MOTOR COMPANY. HOWEVER, I WAS TOLD THAT I DID "NOT QUALIFY BECAUSE MY LINCOLN WAS NOT A FLEET VEHICLE" SEEMS TO BE FORD'S GO TO EXCUSE WHEN MASS AMOUNTS OF THEIR CARS (TOWN CAR, CROWN VICTORIA, GRAND MARQUIS) ARE RECALLED. RECEIVED NO COMPENSATION HELP FROM FORD OR THE LAWSUIT. *TR

I WAS DRIVING FROM FLORIDA TO SOUTH DAKOTA AND STARTED UP THE FIRST FOOTHILL OF THE OZARK MOUNTAINS ABOUT 35 MILES WEST OF JONESBORO, ARKANSAS ON US 63. THE CRUISE CONTROL HAD JUST STARTED TO INCREASE THE ENGINE RPMS WHEN I HEARD A BANG FOLLOWED BY WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A BELT OR SOMETHING THUMPING ON THE INSIDE OF THE HOOD. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS THE 2ND ENTRANCE TO A REST STOP ON US 63 IMMEDIATELY TO MY LEFT AND I PULLED INTO THE PARKING LOT. US 63 IS A 2 LANE HIGHWAY WITH AN OCCASIONAL PASSING LANE ON SOME HILLS. IT WAS ALSO FORTUNATE IT HAPPENED AT THAT POINT OR I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN A DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS POSITION WITH LITTLE ROOM TO GET SAFELY OFF THE HIGHWAY WITH THE NARROW SHOULDERS AND ROCK CUTS RIGHT UP TO THE ROAD. I OPENED THE HOOD AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE IN THE PARKING LOT. IT WAS THEN I FOUND SOMETHING EXPLODING ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE ENGINE. I COULD SMELL A LOT OF GAS AND SHUT THE ENGINE OFF IMMEDIATELY. I CALLED AAA AND WAS CARRIED BACK TO JONESBORO ON A FLATBED ABOUT 3 HOURS LATER. I WENT TO CAVENAUGH FORD THE NEXT MORNING AND THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS A SPARK PLUG BLOWN OUT OF THE #3 CYLINDER. THE REPAIR WITH A FULL SET OF NEW PLUGS INSTALLED IN ADDITION TO THE BAD CYLINDER COST $629 PLUS AN ADDITIONAL $190 FOR TOWING. ONE ADDITIONAL PLUG ON THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE ENGINE WAS ALSO LOOSE AND A POTENTIAL BLOWOUT. THESE PLUGS WERE FACTORY ORIGINAL AND HAVE NOT BEEN CHANGED SINCE THE CAR WAS NEW. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THE PLUGS WERE NOT PROPERLY TORQUED IN AT THE FACTORY WHICH RESULTS IN LOOSENING OF THE THREADS IN THE HEAD OVER TIME FROM THE PERCUSSION IN EACH CYLINDER. THIS APPEARS TO HAPPEN QUITE OFTEN ON THE 4.6 AND 5.4 LITER ENGINES. I WAS LUCKY SINCE MANY FIRES HAVE ALSO OCCURRED BECAUSE OF THESE PLUGS BLOWING OUT OF THE ENGINE. *TR

MOLD OR MUSTY SMELL COMING FROM ALL VENTS WHEN A/C, HEAT OR FAN IS USED. DEALER STATES THAT IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH ALL 2003 CARS AND UP AND CAN BE ELIMINATED BY SPRAYING LYSOL DIRECTLY INTO VENTS. I TRIED IT AND IT DOESN'T WORK. CLOSE FRIEND JUST GOT RID OF HIS LINCOLN AT A SUBSTANTIAL LOSS BECAUSE PROBLEM WAS NEVER RESOLVED BY LINCOLN. LINCOLN SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO REMEDY THIS PROBLEM SINCE IT IS MOST CERTAINLY A HEALTH ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE CORRECTED. THE PROBLEM IS COMMON AND DOCUMENTED ALL OVER THE INTERNET BY TROUBLED CONSUMERS. *TT

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 LINCOLN TOWN CAR. THE CONTACT HAD TO REPLACE THE SPARK PLUGS IN THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. THE FIRST REPAIR WAS PERFORMED UNDER WARRANTY IN 2004 AT 26,000 MILES. A DIFFERENT FRONT COIL SPRING HAD TO BE REPLACED ON OCTOBER 31, 2007. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AND COULD NOT BE REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 98V322000 (SUSPENSION:FRONT: CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT). THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 45,350 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,750. UPDATED 01/14/08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED OWNS A 2003 LINCOLN TOWNCAR ON WHICH TWO SPARK PLUG COIL FAILURES HAVE BEEN INCURRED TO DATE. THE FIRST ONE WAS ON 6/9/04 WHILE UNDER WARRANTY(20 MONTHS, 26610 MILES) AND THE SECOND WAS ON 10/31/07 AT THE COST OF $320.18 AND WAS STILL UNDER PARTIAL WARRANTY(61 MONTHS, 45350). THE CONSUMER STATED FEELS AS IF THIS IS ENGINEERING DEFECT AND HOPES THAT THE ADDITIONAL SPARK PLUG COILS WILL NOT HAVE TO BE REPAIRED. UPDATED 01/14/08 *TR

WHILR SITTING BEHIND ANOYJER VEHICLE IN A PARKING LOT WITH FOOT ON BRAKE ENGINE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE AND CAR TO MOVE FORWARD. AS ENGINE INCREASED IN ACCELERATION I PUT TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL, ENGINE THEN WENT TO REDLEINE RPM. I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND WAITED A MOMENT AND RESTARTED CAR WHICH THEN PERFORMEND NORMALLY. I HAVE HAD VEHICLE IN DEALERSHIP FOR ACTION ON PROBLEM, BUT BECAUSE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE PROBLEM THEY WERE UNABLE TO RESOLVE SAME.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 30-60 MPH THE VEHICLE WOULD SURGE CONTINUOUSLY WHEN THE ENGINE WAS UNDER LOAD. AS A RESULT THE VEHICLE DID NOT RIDE SMOOTHLY. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK THE DEALER CHANGER THE ERG VALVE, FUEL PUMP, FUEL SENSORS, SPARK PLUGS AND COIL BUT THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURRED. *NM

INTERMITTENT VIBRATION/NOISE/RUMBLE, MOSTLY AT LOW SPEEDS - 0 TO 40 MPH FROM EITHER ENGINE COMPARTMENT OR UNDERNEATH.