1983 Lincoln Town CAR: common problems

Owners of the 1983 Lincoln Town CAR filed 4 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and latches, locks, linkages. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 4

What fails most often

1 Engine and cooling 50% of all complaints
2 Latches, locks, linkages 25% of all complaints
3 Steering 25% of all complaints
4 Vehicle speed control 25% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Engine and cooling: 2 complaints (50% of all).
Latches, locks, linkages: 1 complaints (25% of all).
Steering: 1 complaints (25% of all).
Vehicle speed control: 1 complaints (25% of all).

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Engine and cooling	2	0	0
Latches, locks, linkages	1	0	0
Steering	1	0	0
Vehicle speed control	1	0	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

Tilt yoke in the steering wheel broke, causing steering wheel not to lock in place. Manufacturer notified, and informed consumer that part was not under a recall, and any repairs would be at consumer's cost. Please provide any further details.
Steering · 2000-09-12 · NHTSA complaint #870241
The passenger side door does not stay locked in the open position. Tt
Latches, locks, linkages · 1996-02-20 · NHTSA complaint #979394
Engine compartment fire, gasoline leak in top at engine intake caused the fire.
Engine and cooling · 1995-06-27 · NHTSA complaint #967817

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

19951
19961
19981
20001

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 15,521 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 42% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Town CAR has 95 complaints (35 years in the data). This year has 4, below average.

What to check before buying

Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Latches, locks, linkages. Door, hood and tailgate latches, especially near the impact.
Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1983 Lincoln Town CAR?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, latches, locks, linkages, steering. Total complaints: 4. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (25%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1983 Lincoln Town CAR?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 1983 Lincoln Town CAR from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.