Ball joint separated from control arm causing control arm to drop to the ground. The same as your recall98v322000 but calling lincoln they said that my car was not part of the recall. Even though it did exactly what the recall said.
1997 Lincoln Town Car: ball joint or control arm failure
33 of the 312 complaints about the 1997 Lincoln Town Car describe ball joint or control arm failure.
- owner complaints
- 33
- of this car's complaints
- 11%
- typical mileage
- 90,000
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 3 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Ball joint or control arm failure by model year
What owners say
Son was operating the vehicle. As he made a left turn, he heard a loud clunking sound and the right side of the vehicle crashed to the ground. Had the car towed home and subsequently towed to the repair shop the next day. Was told that the lower right ball joint had failed, subsequently snapping the stabilizer link. This happened in august 2010. November 15, 2011, I was driving home. Stopped to air up my right rear tire. Upon re-entering the vehicle and backing out, the right front side fell to the ground. Again, the right front lower ball joint failed. This time, I had to also replace the right front lower control arm, right front stabilizer link, right front shock and right front ball joint. There is a serious problem with the 1997 lincoln towncar's front end. When the mechanic went to install the right lower ball joint (which is a pressed fit) the ball joint went right in by hand, which indicated that the right front lower control arm was faulty. I now have a rattling sound coming from the left front side. I'm really scared to drive this car.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 lincoln town car. While driving approximately 20 MPH, the engine began to misfire. The check engine warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel until the engine was turned off. The failure recurred whenever the vehicle was in operation. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where they informed that the engine manifold would need to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Also, on a separate occasion the front lower control arm fractured and collapsed onto the front driver side wheel. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 137,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 lincoln town car. While driving at 2 MPH, the contact heard a loud sound. Seconds later, the front end of the vehicle suddenly fell to the ground. After inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the front driver side ball joint had separated from the vehicle. A few weeks prior to the failure, the contact noticed that the vehicle made a creaking sound whenever operated. The contact called the dealership and was informed that recall 98v322000 (suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint) did not include his vehicle. The vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. The current and failure mileages were approximately 175,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 lincoln town car. While driving 3-5 MPH, the contact heard a popping sound and the front passenger side of the vehicle dropped. The lower ball joints had fallen out of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to his residence. The contact has scheduled an appointment to have the vehicle repaired. The current and failure mileages were 136,278.
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 lincoln town car. While driving 40 MPH, the vehicle vibrated on the front passenger side. The dealer stated that the control arm and lower ball joints failed. There are recalls for the suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint (the federal safety agency campaign id number 98v322000) and service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (the federal safety agency campaign id number 98i001000); however, the dealer refused to repair the vehicle as part of the recalls. The failure mileage was 85,000 and current mileage was 99,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 lincoln town car. While driving 50 MPH, the front passenger side of the vehicle jumped when the brake pedal was depressed. The dealer stated that the control arm and lower ball joint failed. The brake lines also failed. As of october 23, 2007, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle. There are recalls for the suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint (the federal safety agency campaign id number 98v322000) and service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (the federal safety agency campaign id number 98i001000); however, the dealer refused to repair the vehicle as part of the recalls. The failure mileage was 90,000 and current mileage was 143,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 lincoln town car. While driving 55 MPH, the contact heard a clicking noise coming from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle began pulling to the right and became difficult to steer. She took the vehicle to the dealer and they performed a diagnostic test. The results indicated that the lower ball joints needed to be replaced. The lower ball joints were replaced three years ago. The current mileage was 80,000 and failure mileage was 78,500. The consumer provided a copy of the recall notice. Updated 10/24/07
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 lincoln town car. The contact stated that the upper control arm makes a horrible squeaking and popping noise and needs to be replaced. The failure occurred while driving 15 MPH. The dealer stated that his vehicle was not included in recall number 98v322000 (suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint). He believes his vehicle should be included in the recall since it is experiencing the same failure. The current mileage was 102,000 and failure mileage was 100,000. Updated 09/10/07
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 lincoln town car. While driving 30 MPH, the lower ball joint failed. The contact spoke in detail regarding the control arm. The vehicle was towed to his private mechanic and it was determined that the control arm was the cause of failure. The purchase date was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 153,000. The upper ball joints, lower control arm bushings and right lower control arm were all replaced. The mechanic also noted the rear main seal and transmission front pump seal was starting to leak. Update 09/11/07.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 4 MPH under normal road conditions, the vehicle made a loud noise. An independent mechanic determined that the lower ball joint separated.
1997 lincoln town car front control arm lower ball joint failed, puncturing tire and driving lower control arm into asphalt. Speed of accident 15 MPH. Numerous complaints on lower control arm failures for lincoln, crown victoria etc. Manufacturer claims the specific VIN is not under recall criteria. I suspect this is an oversight by the manufacturer. I am thankful that I was not taking my child on the highway when this occurred at highway speeds. There would have certainly been a wreck and the way the failure occurred, I am not sure how the car could not have spun and rolled if the failure would have occurred at a higher speed. The control arm left a groove in the asphalt and halted the car instantly throwing everyone forward when it occurred. It would be advisable to have these recalled to avoid potential litigation and law suits. I have seen several instances of this in this complaint database as well as on the web. I have not seen any class action suit and can only find the recall on the lower control arm that apparently does not include my specific VIN number (and a lot of others apparently as well). I have asked several mechanics and they are aware of this and suspect a manufacturing defect and they also say that it is pretty ridiculous to have a control arm go out so soon in a vehicles life. There are cars that still have their original control arms and twice the mileage of other manufacturers. The repairs are expensive, the failure is dangerous, and I honestly have problems trusting whether the dealer will use parts that have been re-engineered to overcome this failure. Especially since we are seeing that some of the replacement control arms appear to have the same failures or same defect. How can I be assured that this will not occur again? And will I be just as lucky as I was this time in that the failure occurred at extremely low speed?
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
Suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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).
Recall number 98V322000 · Recall details
Questions about the 1997 Lincoln Town Car ball joint
Is ball joint or control arm failure a common problem on the 1997 Lincoln Town Car?
33 of 312 owner complaints about the 1997 Lincoln Town Car (11%) mention ball joint or control arm failure. The model year with the most reports is 1997.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1997 Lincoln Town Car?
There is 1 recall and 3 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1997 Lincoln Town Car
Adaptive cruise 19Overheating 17Stalling 17Headlights 15ABS 7Pulling 7Brake failure 6Check engine light 6
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