1993 Lincoln Continental Engine Problems

THE CAR WAS PURCHASED FROM FAMILY ON NOVEMBER 5, 2004, AND THE FAILURE OCCURED LESS THAN TWO MONTHS LATER ON DECEMBER 22, 2004. THE CAR HAS BEEN DRIVEN BY US LESS THAN 1,000 MILES AND CURRENT MILEAGE IS ONLY 29,900 AS THE CAR WAS OWNED BY MY HUSBAND'S GRANDMOTHER. THE CAR IS IN PRISTINE CONDITION AND WAS TOWED TO WITT LINCOLN-MERCURY DEALERSHIP ON DECEMBER 23, 2004. WE WERE NOTIFIED THE EVENING OF THE 23RD THAT THE HEAD GASKET APPEARED TO BE BLOWN AND ON CHRISTMAS EVE THAT THE INITIAL REPAIR ESTIMATE WAS $1,485 MINIMUM, WHICH INCLUDES 11 HOURS OF LABOR AT $85. MY 1990 TOYOTA CELICA HAS 260K+ MILES, MY HUSBAND'S 1984 CHEVROLET CAMARO HAS 280K+ MILES. IT IS AMAZING THAT FORD BUILDS CARS THAT REQUIRE MAJOR REPAIRS AFTER LESS THAN 30,000 MILES!!! THEY SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN.*AK

NHTSA ID

10104509

Incident

Dec 22, 2004

Mileage

29,900 mi

ENGINE HEAD GASKET BLEW OUT. SIMULTANEOUSLY, WHILE DRIVING TEMPERATURE GAUGE FLUCTUATED, AND ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THEN, VEHICLE STALLED. PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT HEATING SYSTEM WAS INOPERATIVE. RECALL 97V019000 ON ENGINE COOLING FAN WAS ISSUED, BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK

NHTSA ID

10067204

Incident

Apr 14, 2004

Mileage

73,000 mi

ENGINE (3.8L V6) BLEW HEAD GASKET FIRST TIME AT ~60,000 MILES. DEALER REPAIRED. THIRTEEN MONTHS LATER, ~72,000 MILES, HEAD GASKET BLEW AGAIN. DIFFERENT DEALER REPAIRED, (ANOTHER $1,600 WITH NO HELP FROM MANUFACTURER OR PREVIOUS REPAIRING DEALER). NOW WITH ~126,000 MILES ON VEHICLE, HEAD GASKET MAY HAVE BLOWN AGAIN. ALL THREE MOTOR MOUNTS AND HARMONIC STABILIZER WERE REPLACED (ALL MOUNTS WERE LEAKING OR CRACKED).

NHTSA ID

10070249

Incident

May 15, 2003

Mileage

126,000 mi

WE HAVE HAD SO MANY PROBLEMS WHERE WOULD YOU START. THE REAR AIR BAGS EXPLODED SHORTLY AFTER WE BOUGHT IT. WE HAVE HAD ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, COOLENT LEAKS, AND BELT PROBLEMS. ONE TRIP TO OKLAHOMA COST A TRANSMISSION, AND THE NEXT TRIP, THE HEAD GASKETS ON THE ENGINE.

NHTSA ID

10070108

Incident

Oct 15, 2001

Mileage

50,000 mi

I DID NOT GET A RECALL FOR THE 1986-1993 FOR THE BRAKE ROTOR HUB CORROSION PROBLEM. I DID RECEIVE AND REPAIRED THE SUBFRAME MOUNT(93V-106.001) THE ROTOR HUB IS A CONTINUING PROBLEM AS I HAVE PAID TO HAVE THIS REPLACED ONCE AND WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A FORD AUTHORIZED REPAIR FACILITY LOOK AT THIS.

NHTSA ID

10069682

Incident

Dec 15, 2002

THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED, AND SMOKE EMITTED FROM THE TAILPIPE, COOLANT LEAKED DUE TO BLOWN HEAD GASKET. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. MR *PH *JB

NHTSA ID

10015697

Mileage

65,000 mi

POWER STEERING FAILURE, MOTOR MOUNT FAILURE, HEAD GASKET LEAK AND THE TRANSMISSION SEALS LEAK. CAR HAS 75000 MILES. *JB

NHTSA ID

10016213

Incident

Apr 18, 2003

Mileage

75,000 mi

THIS CAR HAS BEEN METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED AND HAD ALL REGULAR MAINTENANCE. WE ARE CONCERNED THAT THE HEAD GASKET PROBLEM IS THE SAME AS THE ONE IN THE 1994 RECALL AND THAT THIS SHOULD APPLY TO OUR CAR AS WELL. WE ARE ALSO CONCERNED AFTER READING MANY REPORTS OF MULTIPLE HEAD GASKET FAILURES ON THE SAME CAR.*AK

NHTSA ID

765759

Incident

Jun 1, 2002

THERE IS CRYSTALIZED COOLANT NEXT TO HEAD GASKET, INDICATING THAT THERE IS A LEAK. GASKETS HAVE NOT BLOWN. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

8003194

WHILE DRIVING 65-70 MPH VEHICLE WAS OVER HEATING. PULLED VEHICLE OVER AND CHECKED UNDER HOOD. NOTICED COOLANT WAS LOW AND REPLACED IT. PROBLEM REAPPEARED AGAIN. TOOK VEHICLE TO A TECHNICIAN. INFORMED OWNER HEAD GASKETS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*AK

NHTSA ID

8002391

ON 01/12/02 I WAS DRIVING 130 MILES EAST OF LOS ANGELES,I NOTICED THAT THE CAR WAS RUNNING BELOW NORMAL ON THE TEMPERATURE, TEN MINUTES LATER I HEAR A BEEPING SOUND FROM THE DASH AND NOTICED THE CAR WAS RUNNIG HOT. AFTER HAVING IT TOWED BACK TO TORRANCE, CA. THE MECHANIC TELLS THAT I HAVE A BLOWN HEAD GASKET AND THAT IT,S PRETTY COMMON ON THE FORD 3.8 SIX CYLINDER ENGINES.I CALLED FORD AND THEY TOLD ME THAT MY 1993 CONTINENTAL HAD NO RECALLS ON MY ENGINE. BUT IT'S NOT THE MODLE OF THE CAR BUT THE DEFECTIVE ENGINE AND THEY NEVER NOTIFIED ME ABOUT THE POSSIBLE PROBLEM.AFTER GOING ON THE INTER-NET I'VE FOUND A LOT OF FORD MODELS OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM OF A BLOWN HEAD GASKET.I THINK FORD SHOULD HAVE A RECALL ON ALL OF THESE ENGINES. THANK YOU MR. GARY STUART. *AK

NHTSA ID

756913

Incident

Jan 12, 2002

CONSUMER REPORTED TO DEALER ON DEFECTIVE HEAD GASKETS. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTATCED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

NHTSA ID

897926

Incident

Oct 1, 2001

THE DESCRIBED VEHICLE EVIDENTLY HAD A WATER PUMP GO OUT. THE VEHICLE GAUGE NEVER INDICATED VEHICLE WAS HOT, SO THERE WAS NO WARNING WHEN THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED AND QUIT RUNNING. WHILE TRAVELING 65 MPH ON INTERSTATE 70, WE LOST BRAKING AND STEERING CAPACITY AND WERE FORTUNATE NOT TO HAVE TO BRAKE OR MANEUVER AGGRESIVELY. THERE WERE 4 PERSONS IN THE VEHICLE WHO CAN ATTEST THAT THE WARNING SYSTEM DID NOT WORK. *AK

NHTSA ID

751797

Incident

Aug 4, 2001

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED PREMATURE HEAD GASKET FAILURE AT 40,217 MILES WHICH REQUIRES COMPLETE ENGINE REPLACEMENT, CONSUMER REQUESTS THAT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WHICH COVERED HEAD GASKETS THAT WERE DEFECTIVE FOR THE 1994-1995 MODELS INCLUDE THE 1993 MODEL AS WELL. *MJS

NHTSA ID

561488

Incident

Dec 1, 1999

THIS KNOWN PROBLEM IS OUTRAGEOUS AND FORD SHOULD STAND BEHIND THE PRODUCT I HAVE WRITTEN THEM AND NO HELP FROM THEM .NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN SUMMARY. *AK

NHTSA ID

744544

Incident

Feb 25, 2001

THE VEHICLE HAD A DESIGN PROBLEM WITH THE MOTOR AND HEAD GASKET ASSEMBLY WHICH THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF, THE DAMAGED GASKETS WERE REPLACED IN 1997 WITH THE SAME STYLE GASKETS AS THE ORIGINAL ILL DESIGNED GASKET WHICH EVENTUALLY FAILED AGAIN. NLM

NHTSA ID

560086

Incident

Jun 25, 1997

BLOWN HEAD GASKET ON 3.8 LITER ENGINE AT ONLY 42,000 MILES, CAUSING DAMAGE TO ENGINE WHICH ALSO NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *AK CONSUMER FEELS THIS SHOULD BE COVERED IN THE RECALL. *SLC

NHTSA ID

881393

Incident

Nov 18, 1999

HEAD GASKETS HAVE BLOWNOUT PREMATURELY TWICE. FORD HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK THE SECOND TIME OF THE HEAD GASKET FAILURE, THE ENGINE WAS ALSO RUINED, CONSUMER WAS CHARGED FOR SECOND REPAIR. *SLC

NHTSA ID

881341

Incident

Jun 25, 1997

AT 28,835 MILES HEAD GASKET FAILED ,CAUSING NO- HEAT IN VEHICLE, AND VEHICLE WAS OVERHEATING. *AK THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE HEAD GASKET PROBLEM BUT HAD NOTHING TO CORRECT IT. *YH

NHTSA ID

881000

Incident

Feb 18, 2001

VEHICLE NOT HEATING, COLD AIR WAS COMING OUT OF HEATER, AND VEHICLE THREATENED TO STALL. IT WAS TAKEN TO REPAIR SHOP, AND A TSB WAS FOUND ON BLOWN GASKETS. THERE WAS AN EXTENDED GOLD WARRANTY ISSUED IN 1998 FOR LINCOLN, CONTINENTALS 1993- 1995. REPAIRMEN CALLED TO SEE IF CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WOULD BE COVERED, ONLY 1994-1995 WOULD BE REPAIRED FREE, 1993 VEHICLES WEREN'T COVERED. *AK CONSUMER HAS HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE: DRIVER'S SIDE HEATED MIRROR FAILED, 02 SENSOR FAILED AND WAS REPLACED, TRANSMISSION PAN GASKET REPLACED, OUTER TIE ROD ENDS AND FRONT SWAY BAR LINKS AND BUSHINGS REPLACED, LEFT FRONT INSIDE DOOR HANDLE REPLACED, VEHICLE WOULD NOT COME OUT OF PARK, BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH REPLACED, SUSPENSION PUMP REPLACED, RESERVE TANK REPLACED, RIGHT AND LEFT AIR BAGS REPLACED, SHOCKS REPLACED, DISTRIBUTOR CAP REPLACED, SPARK PLUGS REPLACED, LEFT DOOR ACTUATOR REPLACED, BLOWER MOTOR SPEED CONTROLLER REPLACED, REPLACED FRONT BRAKE PADS, REPLACED REAR BRAKE PADS, MACHINED ROTORS, REPLACED REAR BRAKE CALIPERS, REPLACED FRONT BRAKE ROTORS, SERPENTINE BELT REPLACED, SERPENTINE BELT TENSIONER REPLACED, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, FRONT AND REAR MOTOR MOUNTS REPLACED, CYLINDER HEAD BOLTS REPLACED, REAR SUSPENSION FAILED, AND FROM THE HEAD GASKET FAILURE DEALER WOULD NOT REIMBURSE CONSUMER. *SLC

NHTSA ID

880473

Incident

Feb 6, 2001

HEAD GASKET FAILURE IN A 3.8L V6 ENGINE CAUSES VEHICLE TO RUN ROUGH, WHITE SMOKE TO COME FROM TAIL PIPE,COOLANT LEAKAGES, AND OVERHEATING. MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE'S VIN WAS NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL. *AK *SLC

NHTSA ID

877975

Incident

Dec 16, 2000

VEHICLE HAD BLOWN A HEAD GASKET TWICE WITHIN PAST TWO YEARS. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK DURING REPLACEMENT OF RADIATOR AND POWER STEERING THE MECHANIC POURED, BY MISTAKE, A METAL CLEANER INTO THE RADIATOR WHICH RESULTED IN UNPLEASANT ODOR. THE CUSTOMER WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBLE DAMAGE CAUSED TO THE RADIATOR SEALS, HOSES AND THE ENGINE BY THAT CHEMICAL BEFORE IT WASH FLUSHED OUT. THERE IS A NOISE PROBLEM WHICH SEEMS TO BE RELATED TO THE POWER STEERING THAT WAS NOT THERE BEFORE THE REPLACEMNT OF THE POWER STEERING HOSES. *YH

NHTSA ID

876257

BLOWN ENGINE HEAD GASKET. *AK

NHTSA ID

737005

Incident

Nov 23, 2000

THE HEAD GASKET HAS BLOWN, CAUSING ENGINE FAILURE AND IT BEING A 1993 FORD HAS DECIDED NOT OT INCLUDE THE VEHICLE WITHIN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. *AK

NHTSA ID

735094

Incident

Oct 20, 2000

ENGINE MOUNTS BROKE, CAUSING ENGINE TO RISE AND BECOME UNSECURE. *AK THE ENGINE MOUNT BREAKING ALSO CAUSED REAR BRAKE AND ROTOR FAILURES. THE FRONT TIRES WAS DAMAGE. *YH

NHTSA ID

870859

Incident

Sep 15, 2000