1996 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL Customer Assistance Guide

Ford Motor CompanyLincoln Customer Assistance Center300 Renaissance CenterP.O. Box 43360Detroit, Ml 482431-800.521-4140TDD for the hearing impaired: 1-800-232-5952If you have any questions or concerns that the
dealership cannot answer, contact the Customer
Assistance Center.
If you still have a service or product complaint, you
may wish to contact the Dispute Settlement Board
(U.S. only) or the Lincoln Centre (in Canada),
214The Dispute Setdement Board
(U.S. Only)
The Dispute Settlement Board is a voluntary,
independent dispute-settlement program available free
to owners or lessees of qualifying Ford Motor
Company vehicles.
The Dispute Settlement Board may not be available in
all states. Ford Motor Company reserves the right to
change eligibility limitations, modify procedures
and/or to discontinue this process at any time without
notice and without incurring obligations.

What Kind of Cases Does the Board
Review?
The Board reviews all product performance and
service complaints on Ford, Mercury and Lincoln
Cars and Ford and Mercury Light Trucks under
warranty that have not been resolved by a dealer or
Ford Motor Company.
The Board does not review issues involving: A non-Ford product A non-Ford dealership A vehicle sales transaction A request for reimbursement of consequential
expenses unless incidental to a service or
product complaint being reviewed Items not covered by your warranty Alleged liability claims Property damage where such damage is significant
when compared to the economic loss alleged under
the warranty dispute Cases currently in litigation Vehicles not used primarily for personal, family, or
household purposes
NOTE: Complaints involving vehicles on which
applicable express written new vehicle warranties
have expired at receipt of your application are not
eligible. Eligibility may differ according to state law.
For example, see the unique brochure for California
purchasers/lessees.

How Does the Board Work?
The Board has four members: three consumer representatives a Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealer
Consumer candidates for Board membership are
recruited and trained by an independent consulting
firm. Dealers are chosen because of their business
leadership qualities.
If the involved vehicle is within 36 months and
36,000 miles of the date of delivery (warranty start
date), you have a right to make an oral presentation
before the Board by indicating your choice on the
application. Also, oral presentations may be
requested by the Board. A decision is made by the
Board by simple majority vote.
216Board members review all the materials related to
each complaint and, based on the available
information, arrive at a fair and impartial decision.
Decisions are based on the written statements and any
oral presentations made by each of the involved
parties.
Because the Board usually meets only once a month,
some cases will take longer than 30 days to be
reviewed. The Board will make every effort to
resolve each case within 40 days after it receives the
customer application form.
After your case has been reviewed, the Board will
mail you its decision in writing. It will also provide
you with a form to indicate your acceptance or
rejection of an award decision. The decisions of the
Board are binding on the dealer and Ford, but
customers may have other options available to them
under state or federal law.

The decisions of the Board, however, may be
introduced into evidence by any party in subsequent
legal proceedings that may be initiated.
How Do You Contact the Board?
Write to the Board at the following address to
request a brochure/apphcation. You will be sent a
brochure and a one-page customer application form.
The form should be completed and mailed to the
same address.Dispute Settlement BoardP.O. Box 5120Southfield, MI 48086-5120What is the Review Process?
Your application will be reviewed and if it is
determined to be eligible, you will receive an
acknowledgment indicating the file number assigned
to your application and the local Board address. At
the same time, your dealer and Ford Motor Company
representative are asked to submit statements.
To review your case properly, the Board needs the
following information: legible copies of all documents and maintenance
or repair orders that relate to the case the year, make, model, and vehicle identification
number the date you bought your vehicle
217

the date of repair and the mileage at the time of
repair the current mileage the name of the dealer who sold you the vehicle
or who serviced your vehicle a brief description of your unresolved complaint a brief summary of actions that were taken with
the dealer and Ford Motor Company the names (if known) of all people you contacted
at the dealership a description of the action you want done to
resolve your concern.
Should your application NOT qualify for review, an
explanation will be mailed to you.
218Reporting Safety Defects
(U.S. Only)
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect which
could cause a crash or could cause injury or death,
you should immediately inform the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in addition to
notifying Ford Motor Company.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may open an
investigation, and if it finds that a safety defect exists
in a group of vehicles, it may order a recall and
remedy campaign. However, NHTSA cannot become
involved in individual problems between you, your
dealer, or Ford Motor Company.
To contact NHTSA, you may either call the Auto
Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-800-424-9393 (or 366-
0123 in the Washington, D.C. area) or write to:
NHTSA, U.S. Department of Transportation, 400
Seventh Street, Washington D.C. 20590. You can
also obtain other information about motor vehicle
safety from the Hotline.

Ford of Canada Customer
Assistance
If you live in Canada and have any questions or
concerns that the dealership cannot answer, contact
the Lincoln Centre.The Lincoln CentreFord Motor Company of Canada, LimitedP.O. Box 1580, Station BMississauga, Ontario L4Y 4G31-800-387-9333Please have the following information available
when contacting the Lincoln Centre: your telephone number (both business and home) the name of the dealer and the city where the
dealership is located the year and make of your vehicle the date purchased the current mileage on your vehicle your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) listed
on your owner card and/or your vehicle ownership
licenseVehicle Identification Number (VIN/Serial
Number)
219

Canadian Motor Vehicle Arbitration Plan
(CAMVAP)
If a specific item of concern arises, where a solution
cannot be reached between a vehicle owner, Ford of
Canada, and/or one of its dealers (that all parties can
agree upon), the owner may wish to use the services
offered by the Canadian Motor Vehicle Arbitration
Plan (CAMVAP).
CAMVAP uses the services of Provincial
Administrators to assist consumers in scheduling and
preparing for their arbitration hearings. However,
before you can proceed with CAMVAP you must
follow your manufacturer's dispute resolution
process as outlined under "Service/Maintenance
Concerns (U.S. or Canada)" earlier in this chapter.
220Consumers wishing to obtain further information
about the program can obtain an information booklet
from your dealer or contact the Provincial
Administrator, Canadian Motor Vehicle Arbitration
Plan, at the address or telephone number shown
below.
0 & P Services
595 Bay Street - Suite 300
Toronto, Ontario
M5G 2C2
Telephone 1 (800) 207-0685

Getting Help Outside the U.S. and
Canada
Before you export your vehicle to a foreign country,
contact the appropriate foreign embassy or consulate
to make sure local regulations do not prevent you
from registering your vehicle. Officials at the
embassy can also help you decide whether you
should import your vehicle to that country.
Officials at the embassy or consulate can tell you
where to get unleaded fuel. If you cannot get
unleaded fuel or can get only fuel with an anti-knock
index that is lower than your vehicle needs, contact
a district or owner relations office before you leave
the U.S. or Canada.
Use of leaded fuel in your vehicle without a proper
conversion may damage the effectiveness of your
emissions control system and may cause engine
knocking or serious engine damage. Ford Motor
Company is not responsible for any damage that is
caused by use of improper fuel.You may also have difficulty importing your vehicle
back into the U.S. if you use leaded fuel.
If your vehicle must be serviced while you are
traveling or living in Central or South America, the
Caribbean, or the Middle East, contact the nearest
Ford dealership. If the dealership cannot help you,
write to:Ford Motor CompanyExport Operations1555 Fairlane BusinessPark #3Allen Park, MI 481 olU.S.A.Phone: 313-317-4282Fax: 313-390-0804221