Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Lincoln Continental submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 12 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
WHILE DRIVING A NOISE CAME FROM THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN MAKING A RIGHT TURN. ALSO, VEHICLE HAD TO BE STARTED SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE POWER ASSIST PUMP WOULD OPERATE. CONSUMER STATED THAT VEHICLE HAD BEEN REPAIRED ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS UNDER TSB 6092661. DEALER REFUSED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE AGAIN BECAUSE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. *AK *MR
WHEN TURNING THERE'S A GROANING NOISE. LEFT OUTER TIE ROD SEIZED TO A LUBRICATION ISSUE. DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE BOTH OUTER TIE RODS. *AK
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
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
WHILE IN "REVERSE ONLY" POWER STEERING ASSIST "SOMETIMES" IS LOST. IF I STOP, TURN OFF THE IGNITION, RESTART AND GO FORWARD THE PROBLEM GOES AWAY. THE DEALER HAS TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO FIX THE PROBLEM TO NO AVAIL.*AK
WHEN CONSUMER TURNS VEHICLE POWER STEERING GOES, AND HE WOULD HAVE TO TURN VEHICLE OFF TO RESTART FOR STEERING TO GO BACK TO NORMAL. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP, AND MECHANIC SAID THAT THEY COULDN'T FIND THE CAUSE.*AK THE DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLELM AND THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE. *YH
REPEAT FAILURES, REPAIRED 08/30/2000, MORE FAILURES, REPAIRED 10/21/2000, MORE FAILURES. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED IN SUMMARY. *AK
TIE ROD ENDS REPLACED, FRONT END REALIGNED, STEERING MAKING NOISE AND DEALER CLAIMED THAT STEERING RACK NEEDS REPLACED TO COST $500.00, DEALER CLAIMED REPAIRS NOT SUBJECT TO WARRANTLY NOR RECALL. UPON RESEARCH, I FIND THAT LINCOLN HAS ISSUED SERVICE BULLETINS FOR BOTH DEFECTS. I PAID FOR THE WORK TO REPLACE THE TIE ROD ENDS AND HAVE NOT HAVE HAD THE STEERING WORK DONE AS I THINK IT SHOULD BE LINCOLN'S RESPONSIBILITY. THESE FAILURES WERE AT LOW MILES 51,408 AND BECAUSE OF THE SERVICE BULLETINS, LINCOLN IS AWARE OF THESE PROBLEMS. *AK
WHEN MAKING A RIGHT TURN THE GEAR RACK IN THE STEERINC COLUMN MAKES A GRINDING NOISE. THE GEAR RACK IS CRACKED. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTATCED. *AK
RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY FAILED. NLM
STEERING RACK IS CRACKED, COULD LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT. DEALER ASK NOT TO DRIVE IT
OWNER STATES WHILE DRIVING DOWN ROAD THE TIE ROD END BROKE. OWNER NOTES WHEN HE WENT TO LOOK AT THE PROBLEM HE NOTICED THAT THERE WAS NO LUG: NUT HOLDING ROD. *AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .