1984 Lincoln Town CAR: common problems

Owners of the 1984 Lincoln Town CAR filed 15 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and tires. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 15
involving a crash: 1

What fails most often

1 Electrical system 60% of all complaints
2 Tires 13% of all complaints
3 Engine 7% of all complaints
4 Engine and cooling 7% of all complaints
5 Fuel system 7% of all complaints
6 Steering 7% of all complaints
7 Vehicle speed control 7% of all complaints

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

Electrical system: 9 complaints (60% of all).
Tires: 2 complaints (13% of all).
Engine: 1 complaints (7% of all).
Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (7% of all).
Fuel system: 1 complaints (7% of all).

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

5 L · petrol · 8 cyl
automatic, 4-speed

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 15 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

smoke, burning smell, fire8 · 53%
stalls while driving3 · 20%
overheating, coolant loss1 · 7%
loss of power / limp mode1 · 7%
unintended acceleration1 · 7%
tires: bulges, blowouts1 · 7%
warning lights, check engine1 · 7%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Electrical system	9	0
Tires	2	0
Engine	1	0
Engine and cooling	1	0
Fuel system	1	0
Steering	1	0
Vehicle speed control	1	1

What owners report

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

Vehicle experienced a fuel throttle sticking, there was a sudden acceleration of the vehicle.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 1996-02-26 · NHTSA complaint #979752
The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact was able to pull the vehicle to the side of the roadway. The contact stated that the vehicle was able to be restarted. There were no warning lights illuminated.
Engine · 2024-06-13 · NHTSA complaint #11594141
Engine stalling while driving vehicle. Dealer has been contacted. Please provide further details.
Electrical system · 2001-10-01 · NHTSA complaint #897108
While driving on highway consumer experienced a flat in which the rubber peeled from the bottom of the tire, consumer was advised by manufacturer to take tires back to retailer, consumer was then advised that the problem resulted in a defect in the tire wall, consumer states that when the rubber came off of tire it…
Tires · 2001-05-30 · NHTSA complaint #560281
Consumer was driving at 25 mph, when smelled smoke and looked up and saw heavy smoke coming from the steering column. The consumer noticed the brake light kept coming on.consumer was able to pull over to the side of the road without problem. Dealer can't determine the problem.
Steering · 1998-09-28 · NHTSA complaint #828274
(p 215/70r15) had blow outs, the right front and left front tires blew out within a mile apart.
Tires · 1997-10-09 · NHTSA complaint #521693
During vehicle operation smoke was noticed coming from the steering column. As a result the ignition switch had to be replaced. Consumer replaced switch.
Electrical system · 1996-09-16 · NHTSA complaint #802438
Vehicle caught on fire from under the dash and under the hood. Electrical related. Please describe.
Electrical system · 1996-06-03 · NHTSA complaint #985178

When owners complained

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

19951
19969
19971
19981
20012
20241

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 9,286 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 25% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Town CAR has 95 complaints (35 years in the data). This year has 15, below average.

What to check before buying

Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1984 Lincoln Town CAR?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, tires, engine. Total complaints: 15. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (53%), stalls while driving (20%), overheating, coolant loss (7%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1984 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 1984 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.

Other 1984 models

Lincoln Continental 1984

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.