Complaints
316
Crashes
15
Fires
14
Injuries
11
Fatalities
—
Recalls
0
Worst 1996 Lincoln Town Car Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
#142 complaints
Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe
Avg mileage:93,413 mi
Fires:1
#222 complaints
Unintended Acceleration
Avg mileage:106,472 mi
Fires:2
#317 complaints
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline
Fires:1
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All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 1996 Lincoln Town Car.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe | 42 | — | 1 | 93,413 mi | |
| Unintended Acceleration | 22 | — | 2 | 106,472 mi | |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | 17 | — | 1 | — | |
| Engine & Cooling | 16 | — | 1 | 76,303 mi | |
| Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower Ball Joint | 14 | — | — | 106,828 mi | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings | 11 | 1 | — | 116,135 mi | |
| Exterior Lighting:Headlights | 10 | — | — | 138,660 mi | |
| Vehicle Speed Control:Cruise Control | 10 | — | 3 | 130,000 mi | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | 9 | 1 | — | 69,000 mi | |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System | 7 | — | — | 83,208 mi | |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 7 | — | — | 78,578 mi | |
| Seat Belt Issues | 7 | — | — | 134,517 mi | |
| Electrical Faults | 6 | 1 | 2 | 164,244 mi | |
| Electrical System:Horn | 6 | — | — | 35,000 mi | |
| Steering:Linkages:Tie Rod Assembly | 6 | — | — | 94,000 mi | |
| Suspension:Front | 6 | — | — | 109,578 mi | |
| Airbags | 5 | 1 | — | 126,145 mi | |
| Fuel System, Gasoline:Carburetor System | 5 | — | — | — | |
| Steering Defects | 5 | 2 | — | 36,000 mi | |
| Air Bags:Frontal | 4 | 4 | — | — | |
| Electrical System:Ignition | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Seat Belts:Front:Retractor | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Seat Belts:Rear/Other | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Steering:Linkages | 4 | 1 | — | — | |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages:Trunk Lid:Lock | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Suspension Failures | 3 | 1 | — | — | |
| Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Upper Ball Joint | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Vehicle Speed Control:Accelerator Pedal | 3 | — | — | — |
Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe
42
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
1
Avg Miles
93,413
Unintended Acceleration
22
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
2
Avg Miles
106,472
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline
17
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
1
Avg Miles
—
Engine & Cooling
16
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
1
Avg Miles
76,303
Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower Ball Joint
14
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
—
Avg Miles
106,828
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings
11
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
—
Avg Miles
116,135
Exterior Lighting:Headlights
10
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
—
Avg Miles
138,660
Vehicle Speed Control:Cruise Control
10
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
3
Avg Miles
130,000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
9
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
—
Avg Miles
69,000
Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System
7
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
—
Avg Miles
83,208
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine
7
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
—
Avg Miles
78,578
Seat Belt Issues
7
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
—
Avg Miles
134,517
Electrical Faults
6
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
2
Avg Miles
164,244
Electrical System:Horn
6
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
—
Avg Miles
35,000
Steering:Linkages:Tie Rod Assembly
6
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
—
Avg Miles
94,000
Suspension:Front
6
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
—
Avg Miles
109,578
Airbags
5
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
—
Avg Miles
126,145
Fuel System, Gasoline:Carburetor System
5
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
—
Avg Miles
—
Steering Defects
5
complaints
Crashes
2
Fires
—
Avg Miles
36,000
Air Bags:Frontal
4
complaints
Crashes
4
Fires
—
Avg Miles
—
Electrical System:Ignition
4
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
—
Avg Miles
—
Seat Belts:Front:Retractor
4
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
—
Avg Miles
—
Seat Belts:Rear/Other
4
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
—
Avg Miles
—
Steering:Linkages
4
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
—
Avg Miles
—
Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch
3
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
—
Avg Miles
—
Latches/Locks/Linkages:Trunk Lid:Lock
3
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
—
Avg Miles
—
Suspension Failures
3
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
—
Avg Miles
—
Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Upper Ball Joint
3
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
—
Avg Miles
—
Vehicle Speed Control:Accelerator Pedal
3
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
—
Avg Miles
—
Search Owner Complaints
Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 1996 Lincoln Town Car. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.
Other Lincoln Town Car Years
1996 Lincoln Town Car — FAQ
Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.
Is the 1996 Lincoln Town Car reliable?
Verdict: High Complaint Volume. The 1996 Lincoln Town Car has 316 NHTSA complaints, 15 crash-related, and 0 recall campaigns. The most common issue is Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe with 42 complaints. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.
What are common problems with the 1996 Lincoln Town Car?
Top reported problems: Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe (42 complaints, avg 93,413 mi); Unintended Acceleration (22 complaints, avg 106,472 mi); Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline (17 complaints). Every complaint is filed by an owner with NHTSA — this is raw reported data, not editorial opinion.
At what mileage do problems start on the 1996 Lincoln Town Car?
The weighted average mileage at time of complaint is about 99,836 miles. Some components fail earlier, some later — check the "All Problems by Category" table above for per-issue averages.
How safe is the 1996 Lincoln Town Car?
NHTSA complaints for the 1996 Lincoln Town Car include 15 crash-related reports, 14 fire reports, 11 injuries, and 0 fatalities. These are owner-reported incidents, not official crash-test ratings — a complaint being filed doesn't confirm a defect, but clusters around specific components are worth investigating.
Does the 1996 Lincoln Town Car have any recalls?
No NHTSA recall campaigns have been issued for the 1996 Lincoln Town Car as of the latest data sync. Verify by VIN for the most current status — new recalls can be issued years after a model year ships.
Should I buy a 1996 Lincoln Town Car?
This year has a higher-than-normal complaint volume. It's not an automatic no, but focus inspection on the top reported issue (engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe) and verify open recalls have been addressed.
Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint and recall databases, aggregated by VinItel.
Wider context: See the full Lincoln Town Car reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.
Check Your Specific 1996 Lincoln Town Car
Real owner complaints tell you about the model. The VIN tells you about your specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud.
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