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Continental Recall

18K views 82 replies 22 participants last post by  stevejohnsonjs 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
All cars have recalls but ... so soon? The Lincoln Motor Company has to ramp-up its manufacturing & QC standards if it wants to compete in the luxury marketplace. It has to be a step above Ford.

Ford recalls 1,900 new Lincoln Continentals to fix headlamp assemblies

Ford Motor Co. said today it is recalling nearly 1,900 2017 Lincoln Continentals in the U.S. and Canada for possible defective headlamp assemblies. The vehicles went on sale in the U.S. last month, with 775 sold in September.

Ford’s recall covers 1,826 vehicles in the U.S. and 49 in Canada built between June 14 and Sept. 23.

Ford said the lights may have been built without the proper lenses to meet federal requirements for turn signal visibility. The vehicles will be inspected at dealerships and defective assemblies will be replaced.

http://www.autonews.com/article/20161011/OEM11/161019970/ford-recalls-1900-new-lincoln-continentals-to-fix-headlamp-assemblies?cciid=email-autonews-daily
 
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#4 ·
The saddest part of all this is I'm sure a lot of people online are going to see articles like this and go "The new Continental is already on sale?!". They need to ramp up advertising it ASAP. I really hope we're gonna get more than just the new Annie Leibovitz pictures.
 
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#17 ·
The bickering comes about if anyone here voices criticism of a ford product or practice. This is an open forum but only friendly to those that drink the ford kool-aid. I've posted many positives towards ford and Lincoln over the years and still been attacked by the chief kool-aid drinker. He doesn't, imo, foster intelligent conversations. Speaking of that individual, he posted many taunts at gmi until he was banned. I think it's lifetime. Maybe he's still there under a different username but it's better now.

When I joined here, it was to join in discussions on Lincoln and to unite w other Lincoln fans. Lincolns future was still up in the air. I quickly discovered how like minded members as me were attacked and then just never posted again. Gmi is chaotic sometimes but members aren't attacked and badgered to the same degree as is the case here.

So I post what I think and if anyone doesn't like it, then that's their problem. This forum has become mindless entertainment for me during slow periods at work. Kinda sad but I'm sticking around for kicks. Maybe I'll start posting more than a few times a month lol
 
#24 ·
Another important thing to note about the Continental recall, is that Lincoln actually comes to the owners home or place of business, picks up the car, leaves a loaner if necessary, and brings the customers car back to the owner when it's done. It's not like the old Lincoln days when the customer had to make an appointment, then drive to the dealership and wait for their car.

This could also be a good opportunity for Lincoln to measure the process.
 
#31 ·
One more thought on Lincoln sales volumes.
Currently we see premium trim options in most Ford vehicles (Titanium, Platinum, King Ranch, etc) that has been a huge success, however that no doubt costs the luxury brand some sales. So IMO, Ford will do better in the long term with 2 healthy brands financially, rather than have several sub luxury brands. Fewer brands are good for profit, but not so good for customer selection. But working together toward a stronger, better corporation, I think they chose the right path. Redundancy is costly, and not just financially. You can never completely isolate sub brands from the parent. They will always need access to a nipple. So as the article mentioned, Navi will conclude the completion of phase I. Phase II is well underway, but when rolled out and pumping out products, better differentiation will be a major benefit. Thus, less borrowing from the same nipple.
 
#40 ·
Thanks 2b2 for the respectful and intelligent conversation.

So u mentioned that the only solid Lincoln offerings are z and x...do u think the MKC is uncompetitive? It's only in its second year...what issues do u see that need addressing?

There are obviously no answers to where Lincoln will be in a few years. Sadly, I still don't see evidence that Lincoln will not remain stagnant for the foreseeable future. The poor sales of Lincoln suvs is the canary in the coal mine in my eyes. With that in mind, I don't see continental achieving significant (700+) consistent monthly sales. Large cars are a tough sale in general but sales are not what's important...the continental is the flag bearer for Lincoln. So that's its significance.

And I'm sorry 2b2, I have to respectively disagree about SRX...ppl that want an Escalade are not the same ppl that chose the SRX. It's not like the SRX was a consolation prize because they couldn't get a huge body-on-frame behemoth lol. The same goes for xt5. They are purchased by ppl that want a Cadillac SUV. If they want a Cadillac sedan, they can choose that instead. If they don't like what they see, I doubt anyone would lay down their hard earned money. They would just move on to a competitor. Simple as that.
 
#41 · (Edited)
Thanks 2b2 for the respectful and intelligent conversation.

So u mentioned that the only solid Lincoln offerings are Z and X...do u think the MKC is uncompetitive? It's only in its second year...what issues do u see that need addressing?

There are obviously no answers to where Lincoln will be in a few years. Sadly, I still don't see evidence that Lincoln will not remain stagnant for the foreseeable future. The poor sales of Lincoln suvs is the canary in the coal mine in my eyes. With that in mind, I don't see Continental achieving significant (700+) consistent monthly sales. Large cars are a tough sale in general but sales are not what's important...the Continental is the flag bearer for Lincoln. So that's its significance.

And I'm sorry 2b2, I have to respectively disagree about SRX...ppl that want an Escalade are not the same ppl that chose the SRX. It's not like the SRX was a consolation prize because they couldn't get a huge body-on-frame behemoth lol. The same goes for xt5. They are purchased by ppl that want a Cadillac SUV. If they want a Cadillac sedan, they can choose that instead. If they don't like what they see, I doubt anyone would lay down their hard earned money. They would just move on to a competitor. Simple as that.
YvW, Samesun :joyous:

(preamble: with China, I believe FLincMoCo now has an inescapable reason to turn up the heat)...
imho the C is just so far outside the image that "Lincoln" conjures(has conjured)
that it
- flies in the face of the Brand's 'schema' - a bit
- is older than the Z or X / still gen1 for interiors/[BL]
- (I thought back-as-it-was about-to-debut that something closer to a blend of car & Cuv might succeed - as seems to be a trend Now)
- what impresses me Most recently is the Macan, which is almost exactly half-way between the X & C size-wise (& I make the Porsche (actually both their Cuvs) a Target for Lincoln's thinking if not spec-sheet)

I can't recall now my exact/full thoughts for my prediction that 1,600 Contis per month will be it's Success! threshold (with 2,600 being my most optimistic number) but
this goes back to my theory that different brands have different 'key' size-points
(MB = S-crass, BMW = 3series)
__^ = 1,490.4/month ytd 2016; 1,827.8 avg./2015; 2,106.3 avg./2014
for a Much higher pricerange (upto over $200k iirc) ...just as a what's possible datapoint.

we can agree to disagree about the SRX/XT5 :thumb:
tho in This case, my feeling is that a halo-effect is more real than most-any other...
...might be from from reading on GMi how quite a few people rank the Lade as the only real Cadillac anymore
+ I won't be surprised if, when Cadillac FINALLY builds other Cuvs, sales spread-out and the XT5 weakens along with a diluted halo - AS HAPPENED:
so I've read, with the ATS's+CTS not being as good as the CTS('s) numbers alone was(were)

lastly, as I see it, Lincoln has lagged behind even-Ford for electrification
which is Backwards! imho
& hope is soon changed, Very soon!, ASAP
ref: which Lincoln market will hit 100k first POLL
 
#42 ·
Cadillac has a 10 year head start on Lincoln, in it's revitalization, and still has not worked out their dealership issues. SRX sold because it was the cheapest Caddy, and the only CUV. XT5, while a much better product than the SRX sells for the same reason.

The MKC for Lincoln is a new market. They are known for large cars / SUV's. Thus, the C is going to take time to establish itself in the market. Plus, in the C class CUV, it is on the smallish side, having significantly less interior space than the Escape, for instance. Thus, it will not sell based on usefullness or size.

The MKX sells pretty well for Lincoln. Being that it has been around for a few generations, and has gotten better and better, it does have a following. However, as MKX moves up in price, MKC or other entry level luxury / near luxury can steal sales. The same as MKC steals some sales of MKX.

Thus, if you add MKC and MKX sales together, they are pretty much the same as the SRX / XT5. Pretty interesting if you ask me, and just a different approach. As Cadillac adds more CUV's to their lineup, they will dilute the sales pool and XT5 sales will drop. If not, then power to them.

As for Lincoln being stagnant............... I guess you see what you want to see. I see great progress. As someone who has their lowly Ford serviced at the largest Lincoln dealer in AZ, I certainly see the changes. Much of it has been behind the scenes, but is very effective. Visit a nice Lincoln store, and a nice Cadillac store, and you will see the difference. Heck, just e-mail asking for literature and information, and you will see the difference. I have done it. One is working on giving a luxury experience, the other is working on engineering. While they are both luxury brands, they are approaching luxury so differently, it is very difficult to even compare them.

Lincoln is taking the product slowly, as the name recognition and branding improves. Cadillac went all in on amazing driving sedans before the name was where it should be, and somehow managed to alienate some of their faithful clientele. You never tell a buyer that they don't count, or aren't wanted. The market is just too competitive for that, and there are truly NO bad vehicles made.

The cool thing about being an enthusiast, is you are allowed your opinion, as I am allowed mine. Neither is right and neither is wrong.
 
#43 ·
I'll keep my counterpoints short.

* Let's not forget that Lincoln had a good thing starting to happen w LS (1999...before caddy started w cts) but abandoned that idea. I wish they hadn't to this day
* Caddy dealerships are duds no doubt. But caddy has a plan and sales could be even better once that's sorted out.
* My point is customers are CHOOSING a CADILLAC (SRX/xt5) when they could go down the street and buy a Lincoln.
* The Buick Encore charged out of the gate w phenomenal sales but had the same "hurdles" u describe for MKC. And the encore is fugly!
* There's over a 5G price difference between c & x. It's pure speculation that someone looking for a midsize crossover will settle for a, as u described it, smallish cuv or that someone looking for a low 30g SUV will suddenly spring for a much more expensive vehicle. Maybe it happens for a few, but much more likely is that a prospective customer either ends up buying something else or doesn't even consider the Lincoln. Or both. Which is my entire.point.about.brand.cache.not catching on w Lincoln as yet.
Lastly, "Lincoln is taking the product slowly as the name recognition and branding improves" ...um...how do u improve branding when the products aren't the best on the market? Isn't that the "cart before the horse" scenario? And Lincoln recognition is so bad that they have to concern themselves w re-establishing the name?! I don't think so. Lincoln just needs to let people know that they are still relevant w world class product! C'mon!...Some members sound like parents making excuses for bad behaving children. And Cadillac didn't abandon the "traditional" customers(XTS), they just have the foresight to see that those customers are dying off and the upcoming oldsters are used to driving better designed Japanese and European vehicles. If they have a hope of keeping older, more affluent ppl in the coming years, they need to be ready.


I hope Lincoln finds its market soon...so be it if it's fwd based luxury, but getting a stunning and elegant car (SUV) on the road that has cutting edge tech should be priority one.

Thanks for the healthy debate and you're right...there are different view points but that's good.
 
#54 ·
Cadillac's resurgence began with the CTS, which debuted in 1999. Lincoln's arguably started maybe in 2013 with the MKZ, which was the first significantly differentiated product they received.

That's 14 years.
 
#64 · (Edited)
Lincoln started with a German competitor at the same time as Cadillac, back around 1999, within a few months of each other I believe. And yeah, Lincoln went in another direction once their PAG group went belly up, amidst difficult times for them and the industry.

And D6 will be a flexible money saving platform that can be shared with both brands, not unlike they do today. It will not be some optimized chassis ready for tuning and canyon carving. It should be a vast improvement, but you can never truly optimize a product that fits many segments and sizes. Just can't be done. You can engineer the heck out of it and make it impressive as ****, but that's about it and that's plenty. But the mistake is believing that Lincoln will finally be considered a true luxury brand, due to a new platform. Complete BS. True luxury is far, far more. They already are a true luxury brand working hard and aiming higher yet.
 
#70 ·
I'm not suggesting they'll go all in and chase BMW/Cadillac for the premium performance crown, nor should they. But the simple fact that D6 is being developed in such a flexible way as to allow the vehicle's proportions to be adjusted away from the stubby FWD look even on FWD cars suggests that they recognize that sex appeal matters every bit as much as comfort. If the new Continental was exactly what Lincoln would have built even with a more flexible platform then there would be no reason to build a new flexible platform.
 
#67 ·
My take is that you guys are both right but forgetting a few things. Wings is right on the LS being a reboot of the Lincoln brand in 99 after the LS they had plans to redo everything. I remember reading rumors of a very serious overhaul of the Panther for an all new Town Car including adding the 5 speed auto to it but then finding out it wouldn't fit. I think that led to the Conti concept in 2002 which was on a stretched DEW98. There was the Mark concepts that were on DEW98 and then there was the NaviCross which was also on DEW98. Jaguar gets jealous of Lincoln pretty much forces them out of PAG then PAG goes belly up like Wings mentions.

Come reboot number 2 when everything gets named MK and all Lincoln products become a lot closer to their Ford counterparts (and every Ford begins with F or E and every Mercury begins with M). There we get the seriously lazy Zephyr then updated MKZ, the MKX, The uncompetitive Navigator, the "first effort" MKS, and the disappointing MKT. Sales are tanking and criticism is at an all time high so here comes reboot number 3.

Enter the 2013 MKZ where they promise to get serious and we know the rest.

That's my take on it and that's why Lincoln has fallen behind. I don't think they are 14 years behind necessarily but they are behind Cadillac in some respects. No where near Buick level like some claim.
 
#68 ·
Nice summary. And I agree. I guess I did not convey that I felt Lincoln has been trying, dating back to the late 90’s, just not succeeding so well, amidst difficult times. And Cadillac has not exactly shot over the moon either, with minimal efforts in popular CUV’s and several cancelled vehicles . Cadillac did have a lead, no doubt, I just disagree that it was 10 years worth. That was my original point.
 
#73 ·
I am not so sure I would consider 1999 as any type of clear line of demarcation for both brands, simply because Cadillac started and kept with one design theme. The LS was easily a better car than the CTS when they launched about same time, and remained until perhaps the 2nd gen CTS. The old TC was easily the equal or better car than the old DTS for years as well, and in 2009 when the MKS launched, was certainly the better car than the DTS which sold at the same time. Easy to find other similar advantages/disadvantages for MKX, MKC, and yes, even Navi had it's days in the sun above Escalade. It was a mixed bag for both brands, dating that far back. More recently, Cadillac fans rode the wave of being equal to German competition, because the 2nd gen CTS and more recent ATS impressed on a track. That's great, but that does not define an entire luxury brand, that is a segment or two, going back perhaps in the last 6 years or so, which is about where I would start the line of separation, giving Cadillac more street cred going forward. And I would rather not debate which brand had more clout with customers, because IMO, aside from being hard to quantify, they have both struggled so much at the rock bottom of the luxury market. Cadillac simply had a leg-up. That's about it.
 
#75 ·
I'm not sure that the comparison is between Lincoln and Cadillac. The LS was the only car Lincoln offered that Ford did not have. And, yes, it was far better than the CTS. The problem is that there was a second generation CTS while Ford allowed the LS to die on the vine. So now every Lincoln is a Ford clone. Cadillac doesn't have a leg-up; it was given a boost by Ford.

In order to gain market share, Lincoln needs to compare itself with Ford and with itself. If Lincoln is not given the freedom to offer something other than clones of what Ford offers, it will never get its leg-up. There are ways to share platforms without duplicating counterparts. We'll see if Ford has the wisdom to allow that.

Street cred is important. There is a reason BMW has M and supports Alpina. Mercedes has AMG. Their cars are luxurious and supremely capable even without the aftermarket. That means something to customers who currently ignore Lincoln. Wouldn't Lincoln love to see them visit their showrooms?
 
#83 ·
I have a 2005 Five Hundred with 184,000 miles and other than being underpowered with 3.0L engine (the next model year or so they popped a 3.5L in), of all the Lincolns, Jags, and Fords I've owned, it's been my favorite long term car - although the LS hugged the road the best and my 1990s era Towncars were great (and I hauled my kids around in those during my 30s:)). I've held on to it because it sits high - "command view" - has tremendous interior room, front and rear, and many other great features, especially for the price. Until the Continental appeared, I could not find a car with the room (including the later Tauruses) that would satisfy me. The 2010 Taurus has great styling, yes. So my car is Passat-like, but that was the hottest car out there in the early 2000s, so I thought Ford was smart to come out with it. Unfortunately, Mullaly put Homer Simpson in it on a PPT slide and he killed it, before it had a chance. Many people still complement me on it. So after the Five Hundred approaches 200,000 miles next Summer, I'll gladly go back to "American Luxury" - the new fantastic Continental!:)


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