1993 Ford Crown Victoria Suspension Problems

I WAS DRIVING AND THE FRONT OF THE CAR FELL TO THE GROUND WITH A SEVERE GRINDING NOISE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10566356

Incident

Feb 27, 2014

Mileage

133,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 1993 FORD CROWN VICTORIA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE BALL JOINT BROKE, CAUSING THE LOWER CONTROL ARM TO COLLAPS. THE DRIVER'S SIDE UPPER CONTROL ARM WAS ALSO DAMAGED AS WELL, CAUSING THE CONTACT TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE STEERING ,WHICH ALMOST CAUSED A CRASH. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO HIS RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT REPAIRED THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE CONTROL ARM. HE REFERENCED THE RECALL FOR THE SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER ARM (95V194000) HOWEVER, HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE CONTACT STATED THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD HONOR THE RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE SINCE THIS IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

NHTSA ID

10355766

Incident

Mar 9, 2007

Mileage

140,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 FORD CROWN VICTORIA. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE SPORADICALLY VEERED TO THE RIGHT. THE DEALER STATED THAT ALTHOUGH HE WAS EXPERIENCING THE SAME FAILURE AS NOTED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 95V194000 (SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER ARM), THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AND THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR HIS VEHICLE FOR FREE. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 172,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 173,000.

NHTSA ID

10219595

Incident

Jan 28, 2008

Mileage

172,000 mi

ON JUNE 6, 2004 WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT END DROPPED DOWN AND SCRAPED THE PAVEMENT, THE STEERING WHEEL JUMPED AROUND AND THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLEW. LOOKING UNDER THE CAR REVEALED THAT THE LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINT HAD SEPARATED AND PULLED FREE FROM THE CONTROL ARM. THE LOWER CONTROL ARM HAD BEEN FORCED INTO THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE AND GOUGED A HUGE HOLE IN IT. HAD THIS HAPPENED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IT COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC WITH LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE EXPOSED BALL JOINT END WAS DRY (NO LUBRICANT) AND I COULD SEE GALLING ON THE UPPER TOP HALF OF THE "BALL". THESE ARE SEALED BALL JOINTS THAT HAVE NO GREASE FITTING AND THUS NO PROVISION FOR LUBRICATION. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED. IT IS SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY AT THIS TIME AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION BY ANYONE. I LOOKED UP RECALLS ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND NHTSA RECALL HISTORY LISTING "1992-99: BEARING WITHIN LOWER BALL JOINT CAN WEAKEN SLOWLY DURING USE AND EVENTUALLY CRACK; COULD RESULT IN SEPARATION, ALLOWING CONTROL ARM TO DROP TO THE GROUND" AND ELSEWHERE RECALL NO. 1998251 REFERS TO CROWN VICTORIA " BEARING LOADS CAN LEAD TO THINNING AND EVENTUAL CRACKING OF THE LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINT" . I ALSO FOUND NHTSA RECORDS OF BALL JOINT FAILURES UNDER THE ODI ID NUMBERS OF: 835503, 713546, 505865, 700771, 714657, 710815. I ALSO FOUND AT ALLDATA.COM UNDER AUTOMOTIVE RECALLS A TSB NO. 98S37 OF DEC. '98 "RECALL - FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINT REPLACEMENT". I CALLED FORD ON JUNE 8, 2004 AND TALKED TO A REP NAMED NORMAN (I.D. NO. 2357) AND CASE REFERENCE NO. [XXX] AND HE TOLD ME THAT MY CAR [XXX] HAD NO RECALL NOTICES AND THEREFORE IT'S NOT A PROBLEM. I TOLD HIM THAT THIS DEFECTIVE VEHICLE SITUATION COULD CAUSE A FATAL VEHICLE ACCIDENT AND ASKED TO TALK TO HIS SUPERVISOR. HE TOLD ME THAT THERE WASN'T A SUPERIOR I COULD TAKE THE MATTER UP WITH. *AK UPDATED 07/25/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

10075024

Incident

Jun 6, 2004

Mileage

170,421 mi

THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE CYLINDER ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND REAR PASSENGER SIDE HAVE BOTH GONE OUT, THE BRAKES ATTEMPT TO LOCK AT TIMES WHEN THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN. *SLC

NHTSA ID

557039

THE PULSE WINDSHIELD WIPER DOES NOT ENGAGE AT CERTAIN SETTINGS. AT OTHER TIMES, THE PULSE WIPER BECOMES INOPERABLE WHEN ENGAGING THE TURN INDICATOR, CAUSING VISUAL PROBLEMS DURING RAIN/SNOW. INSTALLING A NEW BATTERY HELPED FOR A WHILE, BUT THE SAME PROBLEMS EVENTUALLY RETURNED. IT APPEARS TO BE A SHORT-CIRCUIT/GROUNDING PROBLEM OF SOME TYPE. THE INDEPENDENT FRONT-END SUSPENSION PROBLEM CONCERNS A CRACKING SOUND OF METAL ON THE FRONT-PASSENGER SIDE WHEN THE WHEEL IS TURNED SHARPLY TO THE RIGHT. THIS PROBLEM OCCURS INFREQUENTLY, BUT HAS BEEN NOTICED SINCE EARLY PURCHASE DATE. *AK

NHTSA ID

714657

Incident

Jul 23, 1999

I PURCHASED THIS CAR USED 03/97 87,000 MILES. WHEN YOU WOULD TURN TO THE LEFT SHARP, IT ALWAYS MADE A CLUNK AND THE CAR WOULD SHIFT OVER. THE CLUNK CONTINUED, SO I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALER, RUDIG-JENSEN IN NEW LISBON, THEY FOUND THAT THE BOLTS THAT ATTACH THE UPPER CONTROL ARMS TO THE FRAME WERE LOOSE. THE LOOSE BOLTS HAD WORN OUT THE BOLTS AND THE UPPER CONTROL ARM. THEY FOUND THAT WHILE REPLACING THE PARTS, THAT THE BOLT HOLES IN THE FRAME MOUNTING BRACKET HAD WORN AND HAD FRACTURED. THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPAIR THE CAR, AND CALLED GARY'S AUTOBODY OF NEW LISBON TO LOOK AT THE FRAME MOUNTING BRACKET . GARY'S HAVE REPAIRED THE BRACKET BY WELDING IT , AS THE FORD DEALER TOLD MYSELF, THAT THEY COULD NOT REPAIR IT. I WOULD HAVE TO BUY A NEW CAR. I CALLED THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR HAD BEEN IN FOR THE RECALL 95V194000 NHTSA AT NORRIS VERNIER FORD IN TOMAH, WI. AND THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY WOULD NOT PAY FOR THE REPAIRS, BECAUSE THE VEHICLE HAD ALREADY BEEN IN FOR THE RECALL. THE DAMAGE DONE TO MY VEHICLE IS FROM THE LOOSE BOLTS, AND I FEEL THAT FORD'S FAULTY PRODUCT CAUSED THIS, AND THAT THEY SHOULD REPAIR THE DAMAGE, AS IT IS DUE TO THEIR PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES. THE BOLTS CAN LOOSEN EVEN AFTER BEING CHECKED UNDER THE RECALL. *AK

NHTSA ID

710815

BALL JOINTS & TIE ROD ENDS WOULD MAKE GROANING NOISES IN THE FRONT END. ITS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER & NOTHING FOUND. TOOK TO ANOTHER GARAGE & MECHANIC NOTICED TIE ROD END WAS SHOT, AND THAT BALL JOINTS WERE RUSTY & PITTED. THEREFORE, VEHICLE WAS MAKING NOISES WHEN BEING DRIVEN. *AK

NHTSA ID

835503

Incident

Jul 1, 1996

NO SUMMARY PROVIDED BY CONSUMER

NHTSA ID

700771

Incident

Nov 10, 1998

BEARINGS WITHIN THE FRONT AND REAR AXLES FAILED CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO AXLES.

NHTSA ID

524557

Incident

Jul 14, 1997

CONSUMER STATES THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON HIS VEHICLE . HE TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR REPAIR . AFTER REPAIR OF VEHICLE BY DEALER THE CONDITION OF THE VEHICLE BECAME WORSE. 95V-194000. *AK AFTER REPAIR THE HOOD HAVE TO BE SLAMMED DOWN FROM FULL UP POSITION TO GET IT LATCHED. *YH

NHTSA ID

814104

Incident

Jul 1, 1997