1998 Lincoln NAVIGATOR: complaints, problems and recalls

SPARK PLUGS!! I HAVE A 98 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR, I JUST HAD A 60,000 MILE SERVICE COMPLETED ON IT 3,000 MILES AGO. THE TRUCK WAS SPUTTERING AND STALLING OUT IN TRAFFIC, THE LINCOLN DEALERSHIP ASSURED ME IT WAS A HOSE EGR/PCV, I CAN'T REALLY RECALL WHICH. THEY REPLACED THE HOSE ALONG WITH THE SERVICE. I DEPLOY TO KOREA IN SEP 02', AND I GET A CALL FROM MY WIFE THE TRUCK IS DOING THE SAME THING. SO SHE TAKES IT TO A DIFFERENT LINCOLN DEALERSHIP, THEY INFORM HER THAT A SPARK PLUG IS RUSTED AND FROZEN IN THE HEAD ASSY. THEY ALSO INFORM HER THAT T…

Owner-reported narrative. 60,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10002677 at NHTSA ↗

CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE PARKED.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10003631 at NHTSA ↗

VEHICLE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, HAD IT CHECKED AT DEALER NOTHING FOUND. VEHICLE HAS A ROUGH IDLE, STALLS AT IDLE AND WHEN COMING TO A STOP.

Owner-reported narrative. 66,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10010996 at NHTSA ↗

THE TIE ROD ASSEMBLY FAILED. *JB THE CONSUMER WAS AT A STOP SIGN AND JUST COMPLETED A RIGHT TURN WHEN IT APPEARED THAT THE LEFT TIE ROD HAD BROKEN. SCC

Owner-reported narrative. 76,162 miles reported. Look up ODI 10015582 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION. *NLM THE ENTIRE MEDIAL WALL OF THE TIRE HAD BLOWN OUT. THE VEHICLE VEERED OFF TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD AND STOPPED 10 FEET IN FRONT OF THE GUARD RAIL. CONTINENTAL WAS SUPPOSEDLY EXAMINING THE TIRE BUT THE CONSUMER HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANY WORD FROM THEM. *SCC

Owner-reported narrative. 38,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10017804 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE DRIVING, THE LEFT TIE ROD SEPARATED, WHICH ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *JB WHILE DRIVING, THE RIGHT TIE ROD SEPARATED. (ALL PARTS WERE REPLACED BY THE DEALER) THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE WITHOUT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE BOTH FAILURES OCCURRED AT A LOW SPEED. WHEN THE TIE ROD BROKE, ALONG WITH THE INNER BINDING, THE REACTION WAS EXTREMELY VIOLENT AND DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. THE LEFT INNER AND OUTER TIE ROD END WERE REPLACED. THE SWAY BAR LINK HAD BROKEN. (THE RIGHT TIE ROD END AND SWAY BAR LINK WAS REPLACED) *SCC …

Owner-reported narrative. 38,216 miles reported. Look up ODI 10020173 at NHTSA ↗

DEALER WILL NOT HONOR RECALL LETTER FOR TIRE REPLACEMENT. THE TWO REAR TIRES BLEW OUT ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 68,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10037853 at NHTSA ↗

I HAVE HAD TWO BLOW OUTS IN THE PAST THREE MONTHS ON MY NAVIGATOR WHICH HAVE CONTENNTIAL TIRES. I HAVE HAD THESE TIRES LOOKED BY THE DEALERSHIP THEY CAN NOT EXPLAIN WHAT IS GOING HOWEVER, THEY SUGGET THAT I NOTIFY OF THIS PORBLEM. THESE TIRES COULD HAVE CAUSED ME AND MY CHIDREN OUR LIVES. L.WHITE

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10038784 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2000-03-07 (March 7, 2000)

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MULTI-PURPOSE VEHICLES. THE TRAILER HITCH ASSEMBLY TO THE FRAME ATTACHING BOLTS COULD LOSE THE CLAMP LOAD.

Consequence: THE TRAILER HITCH COULD THEN SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TRAILER HITCH MOUNTING BOLTS AND NUT PLATES.

Reported: 2005-09-07 (September 7, 2005)

ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH SPEED CONTROL, THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH MAY OVERHEAT, SMOKE, OR BURN.

Consequence: A FIRE AT THE SWITCH COULD OCCUR.

Remedy: BY LETTER DATED SEPTEMBER 12, 2005, OWNERS WERE INSTRUCTED TO RETURN THEIR VEHICLES TO THEIR DEALERS TO HAVE THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH DISCONNECTED. OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD THEIR SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATED ARE BEING NOTIFIED THAT PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE AND ADVISED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO RECONNECT THE SPEED CONTROL BEGINNING IN FEBRUARY 2006. OWNERS WHO DID NOT HAVE THEIR SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATED ARE BEING NOTIFIED TO HAVE THEIR SYSTEM REMEDIED BEGINNING IN FEBRUARY 2006. OWNERS ARE URGED TO AVAIL THEMSELVES OF THE FREE DISCONNECT SERVICE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE SIGNIFICANT RISK OF FIRE. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673. (NOTE: ALSO SEE RECALLS 05V017 AND 06V286)

Reported: 1997-10-07 (October 7, 1997)

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: LIGHT DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS AND MULTI-PURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT CABLE ASSEMBLY WAS NOT FULLY ATTACHED TO THE STEERING COLUMN BRACKET, THE SHIFT CABLE ASSEMBLY CAN COME OUT OF THE BRACKET. THE VEHICLE OPERATOR WOULD THEN NOT BE ABLE TO SHIFT THE TRANSMISSION FROM ONE OF THE DRIVE GEAR POSITIONS INTO THE PARK POSITION EVEN THOUGH THE GEAR SHIFT SELECTOR WOULD INDICATE "PARK."

Consequence: THE CONDITION WOULD NOT ALLOW A DISENGAGEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION FROM THE PARK POSITION OR AFFECT PROPER NEUTRAL START SWITCH OPERATION. UNINTENDED VEHICLE MOVEMENT COULD OCCUR IF THE PARKING BRAKE WAS NOT SET.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL MAKE THE PROPER ATTACHMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT CONTROL CABLE TO THE STEERING COLUMN BRACKET AND ADD A TIE STRAP TO THAT CONNECTION.

Reported: 1998-02-10 (February 10, 1998)

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE TEXT AND/OR GRAPHICS FOR THE VEHICLE HEADLAMP AIMING INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED IN THE OWNER GUIDES ARE NOT SUFFICIENTLY CLEAR. THIS DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."

Consequence: IF THE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES ARE REPLACED, CUSTOMERS MAY BE CONFUSED BY THE AIMING INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED IN THE OWNER GUIDES CAUSING THE HEADLAMPS TO BE IMPROPERLY AIMED.

Remedy: OWNER GUIDES CONTAINING REVISED AIMING INSTRUCTIONS WILL BE MAILED TO OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES.

Reported: 1998-05-13 (May 13, 1998)

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MULTI-PURPOSE VEHICLES AND LIGHT DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS. THE LUG NUTS ON THESE VEHICLES MAY NOT CREATE SUFFICIENT CLAMP LOAD ALLOWING WHEEL MOVEMENT IN RELATION TO THE HUB/ROTOR MOUNTING SURFACE.

Consequence: THIS CAN RESULT IN THE LOOSENING OF LUG NUTS, STUD FATIGUE FAILURE, AND THE POTENTIAL FOR A WHEEL SEPARATION FROM THE VEHICLE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy: OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES WILL BE RECEIVING TWO NOTIFICATIONS. THE FIRST NOTIFICATION, WHICH BEGAN IN MAY 1998, WILL PROVIDE AN INTERIM REPAIR PROCEDURE UNTIL PARTS BECOME AVAILABLE. THIS INTERIM PROCEDURE CAN BE COMPLETED BY OWNERS OR THEIR DEALERS. IT SPECIFIES THAT THE LUG NUT TORQUE MUST BE VERIFIED TO BE 100 LBS. THEN THE LUG NUTS NEED TO BE TIGHTENED AN ADDITIONAL 1/8 TO 1/4 TURN MORE. THERE WILL BE A SECOND OWNER NOTIFICATION, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN JULY 20, 1998, UNDER WHICH DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE WHEEL STUDS AND REPLACE THE WHEEL LUG NUTS.