Lincoln Town CAR Problems by Year
NHTSA has 2,048 owner complaints and 27 safety recalls on file for the Lincoln Town CAR, across 17 model years (1995–2011). The 1997 model year has the most complaints (314). The most reported problem area overall is vehicle speed control.
Lincoln Town CAR years to avoid? What the complaint data shows
These model years drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Town CAR year: 1996, 1997. Look at what owners reported before buying one, and check the VIN for open recalls.
Model years with the most complaints
- 1997 Town CAR: 314 complaints, 6 recalls
- 1996 Town CAR: 259 complaints, 8 recalls
- 2003 Town CAR: 201 complaints, 1 recall
Model years with the fewest complaints
- 2009 Town CAR: 5 complaints, 3 recalls
- 2011 Town CAR: 6 complaints, 3 recalls
- 2010 Town CAR: 13 complaints, 3 recalls
Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold or how long each year has been on the road, so newer and less popular years naturally have fewer complaints. Use them to spot problem patterns, not as a safety ranking.
Most common Lincoln Town CAR problems (all years)
| Problem area | Complaints | Model years | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 292 | 17 | 73 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 278 | 13 | 2 |
| Air Bags problems | 260 | 17 | 74 |
| Suspension problems | 249 | 14 | 9 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 236 | 14 | 33 |
| Steering problems | 186 | 17 | 16 |
| Electrical System problems | 154 | 15 | 4 |
| Structure problems | 107 | 15 | 5 |
| Visibility | 96 | 13 | 2 |
| Power Train | 87 | 14 | 8 |
| Seat Belts | 82 | 13 | 5 |
| Exterior Lighting | 80 | 11 | 1 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 52 | 11 | 0 |
| Service Brakes | 47 | 13 | 13 |
| Tires | 43 | 12 | 2 |
| Engine | 42 | 14 | 3 |
| Equipment | 35 | 9 | 0 |
| Wheels | 35 | 13 | 0 |
| Seats | 34 | 12 | 2 |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 27 | 10 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 23 | 10 | 1 |
| Visibility/wiper | 13 | 7 | 0 |
| Service Brakes, Air | 9 | 5 | 1 |
| Interior Lighting | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Parking Brake | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Back Over Prevention | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Fuel System, Other | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Trailer Hitches | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Lincoln Town CAR problems by model year
Problem areas with enough reports for their own page.
- 2006: air bags (58)
- 2003: suspension (81)
- 2001: air bags (54)
- 1997: engine and engine cooling (87) · suspension (50)
- 1996: engine and engine cooling (90)
All Lincoln Town CAR model years
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crash rating | Top problem | Compared with other years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 Town CAR | 6 | 3 | — | Steering | |
| 2010 Town CAR | 13 | 3 | — | Steering | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2009 Town CAR | 5 | 3 | — | Engine | |
| 2008 Town CAR | 20 | 3 | — | Vehicle Speed Control | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2007 Town CAR | 84 | 3 | — | Vehicle Speed Control | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2006 Town CAR | 143 | 2 | — | Air Bags | More complaints than other years |
| 2005 Town CAR | 119 | 3 | — | Vehicle Speed Control | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2004 Town CAR | 83 | 0 | — | Vehicle Speed Control | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2003 Town CAR | 201 | 1 | — | Suspension | More complaints than other years |
| 2002 Town CAR | 65 | 0 | — | Air Bags | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2001 Town CAR | 161 | 5 | — | Air Bags | More complaints than other years |
| 2000 Town CAR | 108 | 8 | — | Electrical System | About as many complaints as other years |
| 1999 Town CAR | 148 | 5 | — | Air Bags | More complaints than other years |
| 1998 Town CAR | 154 | 7 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | More complaints than other years |
| 1997 Town CAR | 314 | 6 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | Far more complaints than other years |
| 1996 Town CAR | 259 | 8 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | Far more complaints than other years |
| 1995 Town CAR | 165 | 6 | — | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | More complaints than other years |
More from Lincoln: all Lincoln models · Lincoln VIN decoder
Frequently asked questions
Which Lincoln Town CAR years should you stay away from?
By NHTSA complaints, 1996 (259), 1997 (314) drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Town CAR year. Counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, and newer years have had less time to collect complaints.
What is the biggest problem with the Lincoln Town CAR?
Vehicle Speed Control, with 292 complaints across 17 model years.
How many recalls does the Lincoln Town CAR have?
27 safety recalls across all model years. Each model year page lists its recalls and fixes.