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We are currently investigating a potential
fire hazard in the 2005 Lincoln Town Cars (Signature
Series) manufactured by Ford Motor Company. If
the automatic transmission fluid overheats in these
and similarly designed vehicles, the transmission fluid
can force its dipstick out of the fill tube far
enough to allow the transmission fluid to escape onto
the engine where it can catch on fire.
Our preliminary investigation indicates
that transmission fluid dipsticks can be designed with
a simple locking mechanism on the dipstick on the filler
tube which seals the dipstick in the filler tube
when the dipstick is under pressure from overheated
transmission fluid. This prevents the overheated
transmission fluid from escaping out of the dipstick
tube and landing on the engine where it can start a
fire. Transmission fluid dipsticks and filler
tubes designed with these locking devices are used in
other vehicles.
Our client, an 81 year old disabled veteran,
died on October 2, 2006 in his 2005 Lincoln Town Car (Signature
Series) (Vehicle Identification No. 1LNHM81W05Y621977),
when he was unable to escape from an engine fire. The
fire, which apparently resulted from the ignition of automatic
transmission fluid that had overflowed onto the engine,
could probably have been prevented if the dipstick had
been designed with a locking device.
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