Inner and outer tie rod ends, tie rod end adjusting sleeve, and sway bar link replaced after inner tie rod end pulled out of the adjusting sleeve that’s on the sway bar link there’s still constant pulling in the steering and is either to touchy when trying to correct vehicle back into lane or has to be turned excessively far before it even starts to correct then tries to jerk the vehicle really hard when the steering finally catches up with how far the steering wheel has been turned
Lincoln Town Car ball joint problems
129 of the 2,986 owner complaints about the Lincoln Town Car describe ball joint or control arm failure, most of them for the 1997 model year.
- owner complaints
- 129
- worst model year
- 1997
- typical repair cost reported
- $320
- typical mileage
- 92,551
Is there a fix? There are 3 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Grinding brakes 10Pulling 7Power steering loss 7Jerking 3Check engine light 3Brake failure 2
What owners say
The contact owns a 1999 Lincoln Town Car. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the steering wheel started pulling to the left with extreme force. The contact attempted to correct the over steering and the vehicle started pulling to the right and the left. The contact stated that an unknown warning was illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle back to his residence. The contact stated that he drove the vehicle several more times and the steering failure recurred while driving at various speeds. The contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the ball joints, upper and lower control arms, and the steering gear needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000. The dealer is requesting the consumer get a diagnostic for $168 eventhough the consumer presented them with a safety recall via carfax.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 lincoln town car. The contact stated that while making a left turn, the contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the front driver's side wheel. The contact stated that the wheel detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the driver's and passenger's side front upper control arms and ball joints were replaced. The contact called lamarque ford located at 3101 williams blvd suite f, kenner, la 70065, (504) 443-2500, and made the dealer aware of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of failure. The failure mileage was 54,000.*dt
The ball joint so my 1995 lincoln town car have fell off the lower controller arm is badly damaged and I get a lot of misfires in the engine is just a lot of stuff this wrong with it
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 lincoln town car. While driving 10 MPH, the ball joints on the vehicle became undone. In addition, the a frame detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 175,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 lincoln town car. While driving 35 MPH, the vehicle began to vibrate and an unknown clicking sound was heard from the passenger side wheel when making a turn. The failure occurred constantly. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the front ball joints failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 98v322000 (suspension). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 45,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 lincoln town car. While driving at an unknown speed and making a turn, the rocker arm lowered without warning. The vehicle was towed to a repair shop where the passenger side upper and lower ball joints and the passenger side outer tie rod were replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The contact mentioned that the clanking noise was still present. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 109,228. Updated 02/26/16*lj
On wipers the intermediate dont work and when washer fluid sprayed cant shut wipers off 2 now on wheels constantly loosing air due to rims peeling and the inside rims are peeling causing tire not to hold air and 3 front end wobbles and raddles had new tierods and ball joints wondering if any recalls were due to be done and previous owner neglected to get done please help
My car had 94,106 miles then the repair was made. The front end was handling poorly and I knew the coil over strut assembly would need replacing. When my mechanic performed the work they called and asked me if I tried to work on the front suspension of my car and I told them 'no', as I have no tools or experience to do such work. I asked why they wanted to know and the mechanic informed that my upper ball joints were fractured and cross threaded. I wanted to know how it could happen and they could not give me answer (they speculate this was a factory assembly mistake) as the coil over strut should not be cross threaded, that is why they wanted to know if I did something to the car. Lincoln town cars with the coil over strut front suspension are bad for falling apart and this applies to the upper and lower ball joints. I have several friends with this same car and they have reported fractured upper and lower ball joints. This seems to be a common occurrence due poor design of the front suspension. I feel a recall needs to happen as you can be driving your car and the front end will fall out. I am fortunate as I had enough sense to know my car was not handling properly and immediately took it in for service, a lot of people have not been as fortunate. I am attaching the repair bill to this file but my personnel information is hidden. I am maintaining the repair invoice in my personnel car file if you should need it. A recall needs to be done and ford motor company should re-design the upper and lower ball joint assembly to handle the heavy weight of these cars and reimburse owners for repairs already made. I do not tear up my car and this issue should not have ever happened.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 lincoln town car. While driving 30 MPH, the ball joints detached from the front passenger side of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Related recalls
Suspension: front: hub
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles, a front wheel bearing and hub assembly may fracture due to improper heat treatment.
- Risk
- If a hub fractures, it may potentially detach from the wheel knuckle, resulting in the wheel being retained only by the brake caliper assembly. As a result, the wheel may separate from the vehicle potentially resulting in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect both front wheel bearing and hub assemblies and replace them free of charge. The recall began on june 22, 2007. Owners may contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673.
Recall number 07V270000 · Recall details
Suspension: rear
- What is wrong
- Certain police, commercial, and passenger vehicles sold to fleets typically input higher loads into the vehicle chassis overloading the wheel bearings and axles.
- Risk
- This could lead to early bearing failure and ultimately to axle shaft fracture. In the event of axle shaft fracture, the vehicle would lose drive function and would coast to a stop. Loss of drive function could lead to a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the rear wheel bearings, seals,and axle shafts. The recall began on july 15, 2004. Owners should contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673.
Recall number 04V328000 · Recall details
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 Lincoln Town Car ball joint
Which Lincoln Town Car years have ball joint or control arm failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1997 (33 complaints), 1996 (20 complaints) and 1999 (18 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix ball joint or control arm failure on the Lincoln Town Car?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $320 (median of 5 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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