Lincoln Town Car Reliability
4,324 NHTSA complaints (1981–2011). Complaint rate: 1669.5 per 1,000 vehicles.
Which Years to Buy & Avoid
Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.
Bottom line: Avoid the 1990–1993 Lincoln Town Car (88 crash-related complaints). The 2008–2011 models had significantly fewer reported issues. Most common issue across all years: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL.
Avoid These Years
Average
Better Years
A model's reputation is just the start.
Even within the “good” years, individual cars can have hidden accidents, title issues, or odometer rollbacks. Check the actual VIN before you buy — full history report for $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Complaints by Model Year
NHTSA complaint count per model year
Common Lincoln Town Car Problems
Most reported component complaints to NHTSA
| Component | Complaints | Crash % |
|---|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 374 | 22.2% |
| AIR BAGS | 181 | 19.3% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 159 | 0.0% |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 143 | 17.5% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 130 | 3.1% |
| STEERING | 122 | 9.8% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | 95 | 0.0% |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 93 | 73.1% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 92 | 0.0% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 91 | 2.2% |
Year-by-Year Breakdown
NHTSA complaint count per model year — click any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
| Year | Generation | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982GOOD | — | 4 | 0 | — | View 1982View→ |
| 1983GOOD | — | 6 | 0 | 1 | View 1983View→ |
| 1984GOOD | — | 19 | 2 | 9 | View 1984View→ |
| 1985GOOD | — | 24 | 1 | 8 | View 1985View→ |
| 1986GOOD | — | 54 | 4 | 27 | View 1986View→ |
| 1987GOOD | — | 40 | 2 | 16 | View 1987View→ |
| 1988 | — | 123 | 9 | 38 | View 1988View→ |
| 1989 | — | 97 | 8 | 39 | View 1989View→ |
| 1990AVOID | — | 267 | 30 | 75 | View 1990View→ |
| 1991AVOID | — | 278 | 30 | 17 | View 1991View→ |
| 1992AVOID | — | 312 | 11 | 109 | View 1992View→ |
| 1993AVOID | — | 226 | 17 | 67 | View 1993View→ |
| 1994 | — | 212 | 21 | 30 | View 1994View→ |
| 1995AVOID | — | 241 | 17 | 13 | View 1995View→ |
| 1996AVOID | — | 316 | 15 | 14 | View 1996View→ |
| 1997AVOID | — | 395 | 14 | 6 | View 1997View→ |
| 1998 | — | 194 | 7 | 8 | View 1998View→ |
| 1999 | — | 203 | 24 | 9 | View 1999View→ |
| 2000 | — | 147 | 18 | 10 | View 2000View→ |
| 2001 | — | 207 | 31 | 5 | View 2001View→ |
| 2002GOOD | — | 70 | 17 | 1 | View 2002View→ |
| 2003AVOID | — | 242 | 15 | — | View 2003View→ |
| 2004 | — | 99 | 22 | 3 | View 2004View→ |
| 2005 | — | 161 | 23 | 2 | View 2005View→ |
| 2006 | — | 207 | 20 | 1 | View 2006View→ |
| 2007 | — | 114 | 29 | 1 | View 2007View→ |
| 2008GOOD | — | 31 | 9 | — | View 2008View→ |
| 2009GOOD | — | 6 | 0 | — | View 2009View→ |
| 2010GOOD | — | 17 | 0 | 3 | View 2010View→ |
| 2011GOOD | — | 11 | 6 | — | View 2011View→ |
See also: Lincoln Town Caraccident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.
Buying a Lincoln Town Car?
Check the specific VIN for hidden accidents, title issues, and full vehicle history — just $4.99.
Check VIN Free