Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/22 for details.
A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/22 for details.
Options
Comments
My experience with this situation is this; I use the car wash over the winter months. I use Mequires wax and polish once the weather warms up, and it eliminates the problem. Perhaps those with the problem would be well advised to hand wash their car.
Maybe the owners with this problem should rewash the "B" pillar and use a wax and polish to remove the chemicals that are used in car washes.
You won't hit max speed in 5th as there's not enough power- you have to wind it out in 4th.
I've hit 138 with 4 passengers and a trunk full of luggage."
My car (Nov 1999 build LS Sport) definitely has a top speed limiter. I hit it during a chassis dynamometer run in Charlotte NC about 6 months after I bought my LS. I have the dyno chart somewhere - and a recollection of a distinct 'chattering' sound as the motor seemed to cut out and re-start very rapidly, while showing a (relatively) steady 142/143 mph.
Cheers,
- Ray
Who has only (only?) driven an LS on public roads at a maximum (go directly to jail, if caught) speed of about 135 - VERY briefly.....
- Lincoln has invested an ungodly amount of capital in developing a new paint process for all of its cars. This process, which is now being used, eliminates separate base and clearcoat coats in favor of a single paint. This new paint is more scratch/chip resistant.
Joe
Russ
LS-V8 since Oct 99
xwray re windows: Funny, but I don't recall anybody asking that question. I would guess it's because the main offending part is made of plastic and subject to softening and distortion in high heat. And the replacement unit will have a metal part in it's place.
$.01 more on launching the V6 5 spd.: Isn't it a heavy car, relative to the engine's low-end torque, compared to the other cars being discussed here? Innocent question, mine's a V8 "appliance".
I think that it's only a matter of removing the chemicals that are used at car washes to eliminate the faded finish of the "B" pillar.
That's why I suggested re-washing just the "B" pillar and re-applying the wax and polish.
My dealer mentioned something about painting the "B" pillar, but there was an issue dealing with paint peeling off if there was a nick in the paint.
I'll say this though, you have your priorities right. Enjoy the kids while they're young. They grow old way too quick!
As for the comment "Other brands (including BMW) sell a mix of much smaller cars, which can be traded in the CAFE formula" see response above.
I'm a NASCAR fan and will be in Charlotte doing a seminar at the Speedway on Thursday. Maybe we could rent the track for an hour and let your LS run free. I've done the Richard Petty driving experience and pretend when I'm in the LS.
For yet another "independent" test of waxes go to:
http://www.nsxsc.com/nsexcitement/waxtest.html
This is a test done by the Acura NSX club and although they did not test either of the two brands I suggested above (just Zymol, Zaino, Meguiars and Turtle Wax) it is quite interesting.
E-mail me if you have any questions or would like more information.
Keep those LSs looking good!
Any one heard about this "problem"
Thanks
All the members who attended were humbled by the passion, love for the car and the company, and devotion to getting the job done right, by ALL the employees that we met. From the assembly line worker balancing the driveshafts to the union chairman to the plant manager to the engineers, there is a single-minded dedication to getting the job done right.
We were completely astounded at the sheer complexity of a modern automobile assembly line. I personally couldn't get over how clean the factory was. Wish my garage was that organized.
Lincoln didn't put on a dog-and-pony show for us. They wanted our feedback on problems and responded to them honestly. If there was a short-coming it was that we didn't budget enough time for questions and answers. That was my fault not Lincoln's. The Lincoln folks would have gladly spent more time discussing issues, if there had been more time. I set up the agenda with Jonathan's help. The next event will have a significant increase in the amount of question-and-answer time available.
For anyone who has any doubts about whether Ford is going bad or if the Ford employees at all levels care, I can tell you that you are wrong. If you ever get a chance to visit a Ford plant, you'll see what we did. A dedication to excellence.
To all the Ford and Lincoln employees that we met, and all those that saw us at Wixom, Thank You for a very enjoyable learning experience. Keep focused and ignore the naysayers. There are more Ford/Lincoln owners that think their product is great than there are ones that think otherwise. We are the majority.
I'm sure that some of you will take umbrage to what I've said, which would be typical, but that's too bad. We believe in the car, the company, and the people who build it. For those that complain and criticize I'm not attempting to change your viewpoint, you're entitled to how you feel. All I ask is that you also entitle those of us who love our cars to express our viewpoint also. I'm sure there will be those that will pull out all sorts of figures, findings, complaints to attempt to invalidate my comments. That's fine, but you aren't going to change my opinion of the car or the company. I still think it's the best American Car Company out there.
P.S. In case anyone thinks otherwise, the Lincoln LS Owners Club (LLSOC) is not affiliated with, sponsored or supported, by Ford or Lincoln or any of it's subsidiaries.
Thanks for the memories!
Brian Gowing
Founder/President
Lincoln LS Owners Club www.llsoc.com
brian.gowing@llsoc.com
I feel like my LS is a fairly quick car way up here in Denver, but WOW what a difference a drop in more than 4000 feet makes. The car actually pushes you back in your seat hard (I know, it's actually the seat coming forward) instead of just lightly pushing on you. I guess I now have to envy everyone who lives near sea level because it truly does make a BIG difference.
Although I didn't do the math, my seat was able to verify the difference.
Bruno
Brian
Good of you to note that the LS represents the best American car available.
Can't say that I differ from your opinion. If all I had available to buy was American product, this is what I'd own. As a matter of fact, it is what I own. Much of the discussion on the board (at least among those who already own/lease the LS) has to do with what we're going to buy next. Altogether possible/probable that it won't be built in North America.
I will never own another car with an automatic transmission. I enjoy performance. The LS's performance around corners can't be beat (he said, having never driven many "better" cars), but straight-line acceleration isn't to be completely ignored. Nor is fuel economy. I continue to examine my options.
If FLM can provide information (dates, bulletin numbers, etc.) as to how the various (not that many, really) "issues" we've had with the car are being dealt with, that'd really help. I searched the list the other day to see what was published to fix the four degree low error in the ambient temperature sensor. If it's there, I can't find it. Information on the future manual transmission competition for the S4, M3, M5, 540 and others would also be appreciated, assuming it exists. The initial LS brought many of us to the table. What's the follow-on?
If you can't say, so be it.
Other companies can. . .and are.
Bruno, yeah, I noticed it too. Especially on interstate on-ramps. Woo-hoo!
Long story short, after a week of third-world motoring I asked for either my car back or a better loaner. Very grudgingly I was given an Altima. And I won't mention the hoops I had to jump through to get the LS diagnosed and repaired. Premium car marketing, Mystique-level personnel, at least at my dealership.
So yesterday I called L-M customer service to clarify their loaner policy. The rep checked with his supervisor and then told me that Lincoln will provide a loaner, "preferably a Lincoln", or a rental car not to exceed $35 per day.
However...the rep used the phrase "depending on dealer resources" three times during our conversation. Apparently that's the Town Car-sized loophole that lets my dealer put me in a $25/day Metro.
Seems a little short-sighted on his part, but this is the same dealership that gave me subpar service on my Mystique several cars ago. I did think about that when I leased the LS, but not long enough.
Maybe mentioning a certain German captive import is as unfair as bringing up the Edsel--hey, different times, different companies, everybody learned their lesson--but I find myself wondering, "Is this what happened to the Merkur?"
Drive the same compute daily. Launch the same all the time, and then out of nowhere, the engine decides to stall. Once the engine "decides" to stall, there is no stopping it. Give more gas, engage clutch, give less gas, no matter - the engine stalls.
I now drive an Audi A6-2.7T manual. It has a rinky-dink 2.7L V6 with 9.5 compression and yes turbos but they don't do anything at the 700 RPM idle. The 2.7T launches with no problem from idle and it weighs 3760 lbs. It will launch from 2nd gear, though RPM has to be up some - 1200. It will "crawl" in sixth gear at 1000 RPM (and accelerate - though slowly). The turbos don't have any impact at such low RPMs. And NJ requires NE emissions (I assume not LEV emissions). So easy stalling isn't a requirement for a 3600 lb manual transmission car.
turn about 3500 rpm at 75 mph with that gearset.
Does your Audi have an overdrive top gear? Do you know the top gear ratio? Rear end ratio? RPM at 70 mph? Thanks.
Another fine example of the dealers having way too much power.
It's as though they have taken that quote (Happiness = Reality - Expectations) and fixed the Expectations with a constant value. You know that's what you will get when you take delivery and get the tour of the service dept.
I do believe they have a secret fleet of M320 SUVs that the high end owners get :-D
I think it's safe to say most of us can afford a car in this price range because we offer superior service (or you've got a trust fund). We expect the same high level of service in return. A smart dealer would know this.
I've got a "premium car" dealer who cheaps out on service and either thinks his customers won't notice or don't care, and a service manager who thinks it's extremely unreasonable to be held accountable. And I'm feeling like a chump because I've let them keep the car for a week while they mis-diagnose it, then let them leave an otherwise driveable car apart until the right part arrives from Timbuktu.
I'll get over it, but what kept going through my mind was what the salesman told my wife when she bought a $22k Infiniti G20: "Even if you just leave your car here for one day, we'll give you an Infiniti loaner". The Saab salesman said the same thing. Both these makes are fighting to establish credibility in their market. Is the LS so established that L-M doesn't need to mind these details? The subsidized leases tell me otherwise.
That's a shame, because they've got a good product.
If I tell them I'd rather have a Sable or Grand Marquis than a Town Car they seem puzzled & reluctantly grant my wish. I've never paid a cent for the loaner ... no tax, no nothing.
Why one dealer considers this good business and another not, puzzles me.
A6/LS
1st - 14.39 / 12.99
2nd - 7.77 / 7.74
3rd - 5.06 / 5.13
4th - 4.06 / 3.75
5th - 3.31 / 3.07
6th - 2.81 / ---
The A6 is doing 2600RPM @ 70 versus 3000 for the LS.
I ordered my LS at the end of August and received it the first week of December. By then I was very busy and didn't have time to deal with it. The symptom was no torque till 4000 RPM where torque quite literally kicked in, and remained till 5200. In hindsight, I believe it was the throttle body position sensor that was defective. It would have been easy to check - disconnect the throttle body sensor and see if there is any difference in acceleration....
Do you know if your six-speed is a Getrag or a ZF?
Also, what is the 0-60 time? I know AWD can slow you down somewhat because of the added weight.
;
1. It appears that the studs are attached to the hubs and not the brake rotors which fit over the hubs.
2. Those that have broken studs, was it taking the lug nuts off or putting them on? Were you using a torque wrench? Are the broken studs on the front or back?
I haven't broken any studs yet but I have 2 studs (on different hubs) that make creaking sounds when either tightening or loosening them that have me afraid they are going to snap. I've tried oiling the studs but it hasn't made them go on or off any easier nor reduced the noises they make.
0-60 is 6.0 seconds (6.6 for automatic).
Trannys not a GetRag but I don't know who is the maker.
As far as I can tell, the BMW I6's are setup for low end torque.
I've read on a couple of occasions that you shouldn't lubricate lug studs. The reasons were not clearly explained in either case. I'll go out on a limb and assume that the reasoning is if you don't have a torque wrench and properly tighten the lug nut, there would be a greater possiblity of the lug loosening on a well oiled stud rather than a dry one. My reasoning might be faulty, but both articles I read sort of implied that.
If you were to use anti-sieze on the studs, don't forget to reduce your torque setting, due to the reduced friction of the anti-sieze on the threads vs. plain oil.
BTW I got between 19 and 21 mpg on the way to Wixom and back doing about between 90 and 95 the whole way. I did notice that the wind speed increase on the way back made a big difference on the MPG. Might have even been a tail wind there and head wind back.
Bruno
Seems funny, but I don't think that they are interested in buying any Ford products...
You folks in the big cities might have options to try a new dealer... but out here in the "country" I'm stuck with my situation! I really can't complain... they try their best, with what they have to work with.
I'm kinda looking forward to changing the plugs (which I plan to do at 50,000.)
I change my oil every 5K. I have 25K on the odometer...
With the cold weather setting in I hope my windows will make it to next summer when the new part should be available.
The 2nd dealer appears only slightly better, same complaint procedure and are only slightly more open to other customer input.
Unfortunately after 7 trips to the 2 dealers, e-mail with JR's assistant, a test drive by a Ford field engineer (arranged through JR's assistant)my vibration problem remains unsolved. After 22 Fords in 30 years I think I've had it with them. I can look at the positive side, I only have 16 more months on my lease.
Case 1 - (negative) A woman leased an A6-2.7T. After a few thousand (3K?) miles, the front-end vibrated as did the steering wheel. The front tires cupped after 1K more miles. The dealer blamed the woman but tested/certified that the alignment was good. The second set of tires lasted no more miles than the first. An AoA representative became involved but to no avail. Third set of tires and with the same result, I don't recall if she ever got any resolution....
Case 2 - (positive?) A gentleman has been a long time Audi lessee. His latest acquisition is an A6-4.2. He found wheel shimmy during braking at speeds over 55+ annoying (especially given that it is a +50K sedan). The dealer cut the rotors which didn't help. The dealer covered half the cost of new tires - didn't help. An AoA engineer came and heat/cut the rotors while mounted on the car. Better, but still not "perfect". This case is still in progress so I'll have to wait to see how it ends.
Case 3 - (negative?) Numerous complaints were filed with AoA concerning gas gauge problems - mainly reading full when the tank is empty. Sort-of like the window issue, a replacement part was supplied only to fail some months later. A class action suit was filed in NJ and then a recall notice arrived informing owners to have their potentially faulty fuel gauge sensors replaced. The claim is that the law suit wasn't a factor....
Every dealer/company has uneven service. At least Lincoln does listen and attempts to resolve problems.