2000 Lincoln Ls

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING ON A DRY HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH, THE NUTS ATTACHING THE LEFT BALL JOINTS LOOSENED AND FELL OFF. THIS INCIDENT RESULTED TO A FRACTURED BALL JOINT STUD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE NUT WAS RECOVERED AND PLACED BACK ON THE VEHICLE JUST LONG ENOUGH TO BE DRIVEN TO THE DEALERSHIP. THERE WAS AN NHTSA RECALL, # 00V359001 REGARDING THE SUSPENSION: FRONT: CONTROL ARM: LOWER BALL JOINT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

MY CAR BEGAN HAVING STEERING PROBLEMS WITH SPEED OF 40 MPH AND/OR IF I HIT A RUT IN THE ROAD. I CONTACTED A PRIVATE SHOP THAT DEALT WITH SUSPENSION PROBLEMS AND HAD IT REPAIRED. WHEN I PICKED UP THE VEHICLE IT DID NOT FEEL RIGHT. MY HUSBAND SAID THAT IT WOULD PROBABLY NEED TO BE DRIVEN FOR IT TO BE THE SAME. NINETEEN DAYS LATER WHILE I WAS GOING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH WITH MY HUSBAND AS A PASSENGER, THE CAR MADE A HUGE NOISE AND WENT OUT OF CONTROL. I LOOKED OUTSIDE MY DOOR (DRIVER SIDE) AND MY FRONT WHEEL WAS SIDEWAYS AND OFF OF THE CAR. THE CAR WAS TOWED HOME THAT NIGHT. THE NEXT DAY THE CAR WAS TOLD BACK TO THE SHOP THAT DID THE WORK. THE OWNER OF THE PRIVATE SHOP DOESN'T FEEL LIKE HE DID ANYTHING WRONG. I EXPLAINED TO HIM, THAT I WANTED IT FIXED CORRECTLY WITH ALL NEW PARTS (THERE ARE OTHER DAMAGES TO THE CAR). HE CALLED HIS INSURANCE COMPANY AND I IN TURN CALLED MINE. I THEN WENT ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND OUT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE CAR PRIOR TO MY PURCHASING THE CAR. THE DEALERSHIP I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM, DID NOT HAVE A RECORD OF THE RECALL. THEY HAVE REFERRED ME TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP OUT OF MY STATE. BECAUSE EVERYTHING THAT WAS WRONG WITH MY CAR IS EXACTLY LIKE THE RECALL, ONE CAN ONLY GUESS THAT THIS CAR WAS NOT PROCESSED CORRECTLY. PLEASE HELP ME. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING UNDER 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE FELL TO THE GROUND AS IF THE TIRE WAS FLAT. THE VEHICLE WAS IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF. UPON INSPECTION, THE TIRE WAS OBSERVED TO BE OFF OF THE AXLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S HOME. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THERE IS AN NHTSA RECALL, #, 00V359001 REGARDING THE SUSPENSION: FRONT: CONTROL ARM: LOWER BALL JOINT, BUT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.

I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS AN OUTSTANDING RECALL ON THE 2000 LINCOLN LS V8 CARS. I DID NOT RECEIVE A RECALL LETTER FROM THE LINCOLN DEALER, BUT I DID CONTACT THEM IN REFERENCE TO THE OUTSTANDING RECALL AND WAS TOLD THAT MY CAR DID NOT HAVE A RECALL ON IT. THE PROBLEMS THAT I'M HAVING WITH THE BALL JOINTS HAVE EVERTHING TO DO WITH THE OUTSTANDING RECALL THAT OTHER 2000 LINCOLN LS ARE HAVING AT THIS TIME. PLEASE INFORM ME ON HOW I CAN RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM AND GETTING MY CAR REPAIRED, BECAUSE THE PROBLEMS THAT I'M HAVING WITH THE BALL JOINTS WILL FALL UNDER A MANUFACTURE PROBLEM AND NOT JUST A NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR ON A VEHICLE. I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM SOUTHWEST MERCURY LINCOLN AND I CURRENTLY HAVE 62,000 MILES ON MY VEHICLE AND I WANT MY CAR REPAIRED FROM THE DEALER, BECAUSE IT'S A MANUFACTURE PROBLEM. *NM

FOR ABOUT 2 DAYS I NOTICED MY CAR PULLING TO THE LEFT AND A SLIGHT NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT END. SUDDENLY ON THE SECOND DAY WHEN I TRIED TO DRIVE IT PULLED SEVERELY TO THE LEFT TO THE POINT IT WAS NOT DRIVABLE. UPON INSPECTION I FOUND THAT THE BOLT HOLDING THE FRONT LOWER BALL JOINT WAS SO LOSE I COULD TURN IT WITH MY FINGERS. THE PROBLEM IS EXACTLY LIKE THE ISSUE IN RECALL 00S39. WHEN TALKING TO MY LOCAL DEALER AS WELL AS LINCOLN DIRECTLY THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE RECALL DID NOT INCLUDE MY CAR EVEN THOUGH I AS EXPERIENCING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. *NM

CAR PURCHASED 2/2000. RECALL ON FRONT BALL JOINT(TIGHTEN NUTS) PERFORMED ON 11/27/00 WITH CAR MILEAGE AT 9548. IN JANUARY OF 06 BEGAN EXPERIENCING CAR JERKING TO THE LEFT. CAR TAKEN IN FOR REPAIRS AND FOUND LOWER BALL JOINT NUT WAS EXTREMELY LOOSE, NUT TIGHTENED. TWO WEEKS LATER SAME SYMPTOMS BEGAN. THIS TIME DIAGNOSIS WAS BOTH LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINT SEATS WALLOWED OUT. TOTAL COST TO REPLACE BOTH STEERING KNUCKLES AND LOWER CONTROL ARM $1500. RESEARCHED EARLIER RECALL AND FOUND THAT IT WAS ENTIRELY POSSIBLE THAT THE STEERING KNUCKLES SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED AT THAT TIME DUE TO THE MILEAGE ON THE CAR. MANUFACTURER OFFERED $500. *JB