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They also stated the rear AC clinking noise was normal due to the constant cyling of refrigerant thru some "box" in the rear AC. I just don't get that. I may try another dealer for a fix.
maunakane1, you mentioned a motor with broken gears that causes the rear AC noise. Could you explain that motor and what purpose does it serve in more detail? The rear AC seems to work fine with the noise. If it is the gears in the motor, then the dealer could not see it to diagnose it properly, right? They would have to take it apart to see the damaged gears. I don't think the dealer took it apart for my Navi and just brushed it off as normal operation noise.
It just sucks that you pay that much for a car and have to live with noises from the AC that was not there before.
Lately, it seems as if I am spending some extra money on my Navigator repairs. I own an '03 that has 94,000 miles on it. I brought it in for an oil change and tire rotation and balance and it turns out that I had to replace the ball joints. Has anyone else had to replace them on their navigators?? I was told that they wear down because they cannot be lubricated because they are inside of some type of rubber or silicone type of casing. I guess here in Florida the extreme heat causes cracking in the casing which allows dirt and such to enter and wear on the ball joint. I was told that it was something that was a safety issue because if they fail it impacts your tires. I told my technician that my mercury villager van had 120,000 and no problems with ball joints. The technician told me that the Navigator is WAY heavier vehicle than the van and therefore harder on the ball joints and that the Mercury has front wheel drive and this Navigator is rear wheel drive. Somehow that makes a difference?? Anyone know from their own navigator experience????? :confuse:
I called another mechanic at a Lincoln dealership and he says it may just need to be flashed and that mechanic just does not have the computer to flash my computer...........
First at the lincoln dealership it was a $600.00 tune up and a diagnostic test that read cold 3rd cylinder, now I have a new engine put in by a different mechanic and it is still running the same????? could this flash have been all that was needed. Please tell me if anyone has heard of this problem.
P.S. the suv has 138k miles and has always been serviced on time,I just had the 100000 miles works done to it 2 years
What are the symptoms?
I was driving last week when the instrument panel ran the message "reducing engine power" and the car literally shut down and left me stranded on the side of the road. After I pulled over, I saw that the engine was running hot. I left the car there for a few hours and was able to kick it over and drive it home (less than one mile from breakdown point) when it shut itself off again and overheated.
I had it towed to the Lincoln Dealership and have been told that my "oil filter adapter" failed. So, what happened is that the oil seeped into the coolant system and basically destroyed my coolant system. I have to replace my radiator, thermostat, 4 hoses, coolant reservior, etc .... a major fix and very costly. Since I cannot drive the car without the fix I must do it. But, I must tell you coming on the tail end of such a costly repair due to Cylinders 6 & 7 failing .... I am not happy. I am out of warrenty at 97,000 miles and honestly very disappointed with this car.
I have been shopping for a new car because after this is repaired I will trade it in. I know that with gas prices being so high, I won't get much .... but I feel like I must hurry and dump it before the next major repair happens. Oh .... did I mention that I had to replace the "front lower ball joints" in April. I have spent thousands on this car in the past 7 months. Each time I dumped more money into it ... I told myself it was cheaper to fix the paid off vehicle than to buy new. But, at what point to you just say "enough is enough" .... well, last week was my breaking point.
I am looking for a RELIABLE vehicle that has some creature comforts that I am used to .... honestly, I LOVED my Navigator because it was so comfortable and had all the bells and whistles that one could imagine. But, since I am getting ready to shop for a new auto ... any suggestions?? At this point, I don't need an SUV and I would like to get better gas mileage. I am looking for a RELIABLE sedan with luxury at a decent price. Would love to know what those out there think.
Word of warning to those with a 2003 Navigator .... if yours is working - great, but be careful as the miles climb up there. Mine worked great until about 77,000 miles and then everything started to fall apart. I have an Infiniti I 30 with 186,000 that runs like a clock and an Acura MDX that is great. My Navigator was the most expensive vehicle that I have purchased and really my most disappointing. :lemon:
Thanks,
Jonathan Wahl
Corporate Communications
Edmunds Inc.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
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I shifted through the gears several times and it still would not start in P or N, buzzing continued, while key was in active positions. I finally got it to start in N after about 5 tries. Dealer can't duplicate and nothing shows up in computer. They thought it could be a sensor, but they said a sensor doesn't buzz.
I am not sure if the two problems are related or separate.
Any ideas????
Everyone has a different story so read other's input -
There is a major know flaw (TSB 06-05-13) that affects the left side cylinder head. My vehicle got to about 78,000 miles before that failed. The repair was huge $5,200 and I had to write letters to the dealership for them (and the Ford company) to help me with the costs. We wound up splitting it 3 ways. Then, a couple of months later I had the oil adapter fail and that caused the oil to leak into my coolant system. Another huge fix to repair and replace the entire coolant system (Radiator, coolant reservior, hoses, etc...). I had lots of electrical issue pop up over the years (because I had a loaded Navigator - the ultimate) but those were handled under my warranty plan which took me until 75,000 miles.
But, after dumping so much additional money into the SUV and being stranded on the road with the car overheating from the coolant problem, I just couldn't handle the un reliablity of the vehicle.
So, I would have to give this car a thumbs down on mechanical soundness. But, it is by far the nicest, cushiest car I have ever owned. I also own an Infiniti and an Acura. Navigator was the most luxurious but even more expensive to repair than my other two foreign cars.
I just traded in my Navigator and yes the trade in value was very low. But, honestly ..... I felt that "while it was running" I should hurry up and dump it.
I think you should opt for a newer year than the 2003. If you look at consumer reports you can maybe see which years have which problems.
OBTW, when I sold my Navigator ..... I decided to go back to my foreign car again because I needed reliability. I know that nothing is perfect ...... but we just bought our second Acura and I am satisfied with my purchase.
Good luck on your shopping ......
....Laurie :shades:
Ford's newer vehicles (Edge e.g.) are proving to have better than average quality. You might consider a new Edge or Flex if you don't need the towing capacity.
Unfortunately for Ford, I have been a loyal import purchaser of automobiles. I have owned a Datsun, Honda, Mazda, VW, along with the Acuras and Infiniti's that I already mentioned. My husband's ONLY stipulation when I was out shopping for my new vehicle last month was that it was NOT an American based company. His concern (and mine) is a simple case of what we have experienced. Our only BAD auto purchase was the Lincoln Navigator.
Oh yes, we did own a Mercury Villiager Van (but that was a Nissan engine because it was basically the NIssan Quest and that was a reliable van). Nope ..... we cannot afford to "try" another Ford.
....Laurie :shades:
Anything built after 2005 has seen better than average reliability. If you simply don't want to buy a Ford - that's fine. But don't buy an import strictly on the basis that it will be more reliable because based on current data the chances are good that it won't be.
You are correct about the Ford Fusion. CR loves that car and their published data supports what you say. I see that they have data for 2006 and 2007 and so far it is all red circles and half red circles. A good report from CR.
I would consider that vehicle as the years roll on and I see what many miles do on that car. I'd like to see it's performance at over 100,000 miles and also over 200,000 miles. I am the kind who likes to hang onto my cars and my infiniti is holding strong at 185,000 miles.
As for the CR of the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry. They give them great reviews (all full red circles and half red circles) since 2004 each year. It looks like they took a dip in 2003 for the Accord. Toyota Camry is actually all great reviews from 1998 all the way through 2007. So, it looks like Camry is the winner overall.
Note: This is not true for the hybrid model. That seems to have an issue in one area. OBTW, Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic have outstanding reviews also. So there is no reported reliability issues there.
Also, it amazed me but the Honda Accord has no scheduled maintenance until the first 100,000 miles. I mean obviously tires and oil are happening .... but nothing else. Pretty amazing. I test drove but wound up not buying the Accord. One of the reasons was due to a disappointing crash rating on the 2008 for side impacts.
...Laurie :shades:
I guess for those reading along on this thread, I would have to say go purchase your own copy of Consumer Reports. Because, my copy shows all the models I mentioned as great quality vehicles and apparently akirby has a copy that states otherwise. I can see it would be difficult to determine which one of us is reading from the "correct" version.
LOL
,,,Laurie :shades:
http://www.leftlanenews.com/toyota-admits-camry-v6-flaw-reacts-to-consumer-repor- ts-survey.html
But after reading the article that you referenced, the ONLY domestic manufacturer to make it into the TOP TEN was Buick and it came in 10th place. So, I guess it still points back to the fact that you are at more financial risk when you sink money into a domestic auto as opposed to a foreign one.
Toyota skids in reliability rankings
Automaker slips to fifth from first place, and some versions of Camry, Tundra and Lexus GS no longer recommended.
By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNNMoney.com staff writer
October 17 2007: 4:42 PM EDT
NEW YORK, CNNMoney.com -- The Toyota brand has lost its top position for iron-clad reliability, according to an influential Consumer Reports survey released Tuesday.
The survey dropped Toyota from first to fifth place - behind Honda, Acura, Scion and Subaru - in average vehicle reliability. The rankings are based on average predicted reliability for all models sold under a given brand.
2007 Toyota Camry: Because of poor predicted reliability, V6-powered versions of the Toyota Camry are no longer recommended by Consumer Reports.
Brands made by Toyota Motor Co. and Honda Motor Co. still dominate the rankings: Scion is Toyota's low-priced car brand and Acura is Honda's luxury car brand.
Consumer Reports said it no longer recommends V6 versions of Toyota's Camry or four-wheel-drive V8 versions of its Tundra pick-up because of poor reliability.
In the past, because Toyota (Charts) products have so consistently proved reliable, the magazine would assume at least average reliability for Toyota's brand new cars, without waiting for survey data from owners.
But from now on, the magazine will wait for a full year of reliability survey data to come in before it recommends a Toyota product - as it does with most other manufacturers.
"We are still, by any measure, a very reliable make," said Toyota spokesman Xavier Dominicis.
Toyota Motor Co., which makes Toyota, Lexus and Scion cars, makes 44 percent of the cars rated as "Most Reliable" by Consumer Reports, Dominicis pointed out.
Toyota recently passed Ford in sales and is now the second best-selling car company in the United States behind General Motors.
Domestic manufacturers General Motors (Charts, Fortune 500), Ford (Charts, Fortune 500) and Chrysler continued to improve in the Consumer Reports reliability rankings. But only Buick, GM's near-luxury brand ranked number 10, made into the top ten.
Among individual models, GM's closely related GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook SUVs earned a Consumer Reports recommendation based on their first full year of data. The Dodge Charger also earned a recommendation after its reliability showed substantial improvement from previous years.
Ford, in particular, is improving in quality, according to Consumer Reports. In all, 93 percent of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles showed average or better reliability in the most recent reliability survey.
Among overall brands, Ford's Mercury brand ranked 11th, the Ford brand ranked 13th and the Lincoln luxury brand ranked 14th. Other than Buick, they were the highest-ranking domestic brands.
Mike Hardie, Ford's director of quality, predicted that Ford would take the top position in Consumer Reports reliability rankings in the near future.
Ford's quality has tended to be more consistent, with steady improvement year over year, than that of other domestic manufacturers, said David Champion, head of auto testing for Consumer Reports.
"GM and Chrysler have been more hit-and-miss," said Champion.
Of the 39 cars rated "Most Reliable" in Consumer Reports new list, four are by domestic manufacturers. They are the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, two-wheel-drives Ford F-150 V6 and GM's Pontiac Vibe. The Vibe is built in cooperation with Toyota and shares its engineering with the Toyota Matrix.
But 20 of the 44 "least reliable" models named by Consumer Reports were also from domestic manufacturers.
The least reliable car of all, according to Consumer Reports survey, is General Motors' Pontiac Solstice sports car. Its reliability was calculated to be 234 percent worse than average. It was followed closely by GM's Cadillac Escalade EXT, which is calculated to be 220 percent less reliable than the average vehicle.
General Motors cited progress, as well, in its drive to improve quality.
"Our most recent launches are all recommended,' pointed out Bob Ottolini, GM's executive director for product quality, referrring to the Saturn Outlook and Aura and the GMC Acadia.
Ottoline agreed that GM needs to work on maintaing strong quality once it achieves it in a product so that cars don't end up slipping in the ratings as glitches start to appear.
European manufacturers showed some of the biggest improvements in overall brand rankings. Porsche rose 20 places since last year's survey to finish ninth, for example. Meanwhile, Mini rose 16 places and Jaguar rose 17.
Consumer Reports' reliability rankings differ significantly from those released recently by J.D. Power and Associates. In the J.D. Power most recent "Vehicle Dependability Survey," five of the top ten brands were domestic and Buick tied Lexus for first place.
One major reason for that difference: J.D. Power only surveys owners of three-year-old vehicles. But Consumer Reports surveys its subscribers about vehicles from all three of the most recent model years, unless the vehicle has changed significantly. If the vehicle has changed in that time, only vehicles built since the change are included.
Consumer Reports' rankings are based on survey responses from subscribers to the magazine and its Website. Responses included information on almost 1.3 million vehicles.
Over the past few years, both Consumer Reports and J.D. Power surveys have showed similar trends, however, with domestic car brands improving in quality with European brands generally lagging behind.
here's a question for you though. For some reason, my door ajar alert is on all the time and it is throwing off my interior lights and alarm system, it seems to be the driver side front door, when it first started i could slam the door and it would stop, but now it is on all the time
also, airbag warning light is on in the dash, any recommendations?
now my gator is slammed on all four conners what should I start with the a/c or air
suspension?