no report yet
Vehicle speed control
Risk. THIS COULD RESULT IN AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.
1996 Lincoln Town CARProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 259 owner complaints about the 1996 Lincoln Town CAR, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It is covered by 8 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through January 26, 2023. Updated daily.
Complaints by system
Where the 1996 Lincoln Town CAR has problems
259 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
90Engine and engine cooling2 crash/fire/injury
33Vehicle speed control7 crash/fire/injury
27Service brakes, hydraulic2 crash/fire/injury
25Suspension1 crash/fire/injury
19Steering3 crash/fire/injury
19Electrical system3 crash/fire/injury
15Seat belts
14Exterior lighting
9Air bags
4312 other systems6 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and engine cooling | 90 | 2 |
| Vehicle speed control | 33 | 7 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 27 | 2 |
| Suspension | 25 | 1 |
| Steering | 19 | 3 |
| Electrical system | 19 | 3 |
| Seat belts | 15 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 14 | 0 |
| Air bags | 9 | 5 |
| 12 other systems | 43 | 6 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
8 recalls
1996 Lincoln Town CAR recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
no report yet
Driver side: inflator module
Risk. IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG MAY NOT PROPERLY DEPLOY WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY RESULT IN LESS THAN THE INTENDED LEVEL OF OCCUPANT PROTECTION.
no report yet
Front: anchorage
Risk. IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION, THESE SEAT BELTS MAY NOT RESTRAIN AN OCCUPANT INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY.
no report yet
Front: anchorage
Risk. IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION, THESE SEAT BELTS MAY NOT RESTRAIN AN OCCUPANT INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY.
Show 4 more recalls
no report yet
Control arm: lower ball joint
Risk. IF THIS OCCURS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS MOVING, REDUCED STEERING CONTROL COULD OCCUR, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
no report yet
Steering: linkages
Risk. SUCH CORROSION CAN RESULT IN ABNORMAL WEAR OF THE JOINT, RESULTING IN SEPARATION OF THE JOINT.
no report yet
Seat belts: rear/other
Risk. IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT, THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES MAY NOT PROPERLY SECURE THE CHILD RESTRAINT INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY TO THE SEAT OCCUPANT.
no report yet
Doors: latch
Risk. THE DRIVER'S DOOR, WHEN CLOSED ONLY TO THE SECONDARY LATCHED POSITION, MAY NOT SUSTAIN A 1,000 POUND TRANSVERSE LOAD.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Lincoln.
Mileage at failure
When do engine and engine cooling problems start?
89kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 54 engine and engine cooling complaints. 67% were reported before 100,000 miles.
Only 42% of complaints for this model year include a mileage.
1under 30k miles36under 100k miles18100k miles or more
Best & worst years
1996 vs. every other Town CAR year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Town CAR median. How we score
'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
1996 Lincoln Town CAR safety ratings
1996 Lincoln Town Car 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
- Stability control: No
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
6 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 1996 Lincoln Town CAR, and the recalls they led to.
- FUEL-FED FIRESNo recall
- SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH FIRESNo recall
- REAR BRAKE LINE FAILURELed to recall 05V-086
- BALL JOINT SEPARATIONNo recall
- REAR BRAKE LINE FAILURENo recall
- POST REAR END COLLISION FIRESLed to recall 02I003000
In owners' words
What Town CAR owners report
Recent engine and engine cooling complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 LINCOLN TOWN CAR. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH THERE WAS SMOKE EMITTING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE THE CONTACT OBSERVED THAT ANTI-FREEZE WAS COVERING THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC,…
I'VE OWNED A 96 LINCOLN TOWN CAR FOR ABOUT 2 YEARS NOW AND THE INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED RECENTLY WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT THAT CAUSE I'VE JUST RECENTLY HEARD ABOUT THE RECALL AND I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT CONSTANTLY HAPPENING, IS THERE ANY THING I CAN DO. *TR
MY VEHICLE STARTED SMOKING OUT OF THE EXHAUST. ANTI FREEZE LOSS AND SMOKE, ANYTIME IT IS RUNNING. CAR HAS BEEN IN A GARAGE, AWAITING NEW, IMPROVED INTAKE MANIFOLD TO REPLACE DEFECTIVE ORIGINAL ONE. I HAVE PURCHASED THE PARTS. HAS NOT BEEN INSTALLED YET; BIG JOB, I AM TOLD BY DEALER. FORD APPARENTLY…
Own a 1996 Town CAR?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.