I own a 1996 lincoln town car with approximately 73,000 miles on the odometer. Recently, I have been experiencing problems with the front end wobbling. I took the car to sears automotive and discovered that the lower ball joint are defective and control arms. The problem matches exactly your recall below: the federal safety agency campaign id number: 98v322000 summary: vehicle description: certain 1996-1999 ford crown victoria police, fleet, natural gas, and 1996-1999 lincoln town car limousine vehicles that were produced with a lower control arm ball joint containing a one piece bearing; and 1990-1996 ford crown victoria police, fleet, and ngv vehicles and 1990-1996 lincoln town car limousine vehicles that have been serviced with either a ball joint containing the one-piece bearing or a front lower control arm containing a ball joint with a one-piece bearing. The one-piece bearing within the lower control arm ball joint can weaken slowly during use and eventually crack. This could result in separation of the ball and cap of the joint, allowing the control arm to drop to the ground. Consequence: if this occurs while the vehicle is moving, reduced steering control could occur, increasing the risk of a crash. Remedy: dealers will replace the lower control arm ball joints (2). Notes: owner notification is expected to begin january 18, 1999. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673. Also contact the federal safety agency's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1‑888‑327‑4236). We never receive notice of any recall. However, when I attempted to call ford customer service they could not find this recall or my VIN. Therefore, I am respectfully requesting that you add our vehicle VIN to this recall for repair.
1996 Lincoln Town Car steering problems
18 complaints (7% of all complaints for this car). 3 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 18
- of this car's complaints
- 7%
- crashes
- 3
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Linkages: tie rod assembly5
- Linkages4
- Hydraulic power assist system2
- Steering wheel/handle bar1
- Column1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Lincoln Town Car steering problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 1996 Lincoln Town Car steering
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Steering: linkages
- What is wrong
- The pitman arms were not fully lubricated at the assembly plant. The "ball joint" at the outer end of the pitman arm can become contaminated and corrode.
- Risk
- Such corrosion can result in abnormal wear of the joint, resulting in separation of the joint. Loss of steering control can occur increasing the risk of a vehicle accident.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the vehicles and if the joint is found to have significant wear, the arm will be replaced. Those pitman arms not replaced will have the "ball joint" fully greased.
Recall number 96V135000 · Recall details
What 1996 Lincoln Town Car owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl*the contact owns a 1996 lincoln town car. While driving approximately 5 MPH, the tie rod detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a mechanic and he stated that the failure occurs frequently for that year, make, and model vehicle. He further stated that there was no lubrication in the zerks on the tie rods for that year, make, and model vehicle, which caused the failure to occur. The contact was responsible for paying $229 to repair the vehicle. The intake manifold cracked and all of the water left the exhaust system. The contact was responsible for paying $900 for that repair. The manufacturer was unable to assist. The failure mileage was 94,000 and current mileage was 100,000. Updated 02/15/08.
I have a 1996 lincoln town car and there is 6 recall from 1996 to 2001 and I never got 1 single note on any of this recall I just call ford dealers for help and I was told all recalls were expired. Here is my VIN#1lnlm82wty642484 please help me all recalls was listed is in my car I am willing to drive it as is and its a company responsebelety please e mail me and till me what to do thank you ahmad h. Ahmad.
While driving 15 MPH steering bolt disengaged from the steering column, causing loss of steering.
1996 lincoln town car steering went out causing consumer to run into a fence.*mr the steering wheel would turn left and right but the wheel did not respond. Rear air spring were replaced due to excessive cracking. The vehicle steering a suspension performed poorly. The dealer replaced the upper and lower ball joints and the inner and outer tie rods. The right front window regulator broke. The interior light on the left side of the vehicle did not work.
The tie rod failed again after two previous replacements. Also, the ball joints were replaced twice. While going over a speed bump, one could hear the tie rod touching the ground.
1996 lincoln town car developed problems with the suspension.***no answer required***. *mr while driving the vehicle moves from side to side which makes it difficult to control the vehicle. The vehicle's suspension had been adjusted but the problem still exist. The vehicle also has a steering problem.
Ball joints corroded, resulting in abnormal wear. Because of the defect described in the steering linkage:arm:pitman recall 96v135000, but this vehicle was not covered due to VIN. The ballm joints were replaced by the dealership.
Car stalls both when idling ready to move and turning corners where it loses power steering
Consumer states that while driving heard a grinding noise. Consumer states that the tie rod fell off in the middle of the street. Consumer loss control of vehicle. Please provide any further information. Ts
Questions about the 1996 Lincoln Town Car steering
Does the 1996 Lincoln Town Car have steering problems?
Owners have filed 18 complaints about the steering of the 1996 Lincoln Town Car, 7% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 1996 Lincoln Town Car steering problems start?
Not enough complaints include the mileage to tell.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Lincoln Town Car steering?
Yes, 1 recall: 96V135000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Lincoln Town Car have bad steering?
The Lincoln Town Car model years with the most steering complaints are 1997 (23 complaints), 1996 (18 complaints) and 2007 (18 complaints).
Other 1996 Lincoln Town Car problems
Engine 90Acceleration 33Brakes 30Suspension 24Electrical 19Seat belts 15Lights 14Fuel system 10Airbags 9Visibility 8Locks 6Body 4Seats 2Transmission 2Wheels 2
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