The aluminum hood has started corroding; the paint is bubbled in several spots along the right front edge. The dealer said it might have been covered under the original factory warranty (48,000 miles) but the mileage is more than that. Nor is it covered under the certified pre-owned warranty for which I paid extra. From reading on-line it appears that this is a common problem with Ford products since they have started fitting their vehicles with aluminum body parts.

I haven't found many complaints about Lincolns, but plenty about Ford hoods. I took it to the dealer and they would require me to pay all of the bill. I called Lincoln concierge service and was told the same thing. The Lincoln dealer service manager told me he has seen later models than mine with the same problem. The TSB for this problem says the hood should be replaced and it is not a warrantable repair. Really? Does that mean they haven't fixed the problem of aluminum body parts corroding?

The part alone is priced at over $1,400. I got a quote on a sand and paint fix (no hood replacement) and that was over $1,300. I can only imagine the problem getting worse and when it comes time to sell or trade-in the vehicle, I imagine it will affect the value negatively. Since this seems to be such a wide-spread problem, I think Ford/Lincoln should be held accountable and offer a remedy where the vehicle owners don't have to pay for it. Furthermore, they should warranty the repairs.