1989 Lincoln Town CAR: common problems

Owners of the 1989 Lincoln Town CAR filed 89 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and vehicle speed control. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 89
involving a crash: 7

What fails most often

1 Electrical system 47% of all complaints
2 Vehicle speed control 13% of all complaints
3 Seat belts 12% of all complaints
4 Powertrain 7% of all complaints
5 Engine and cooling 6% of all complaints
6 Steering 6% of all complaints
7 Suspension 3% of all complaints
8 Service brakes 2% 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: 42 complaints (47% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Vehicle speed control: 12 complaints (13% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Seat belts: 11 complaints (12% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Powertrain: 6 complaints (7% of all).
Engine and cooling: 5 complaints (6% 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

Drive: RWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 89 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

smoke, burning smell, fire39 · 44%
seat belts9 · 10%
stalls while driving6 · 7%
unintended acceleration3 · 3%
windows, sunroof2 · 2%
battery drain1 · 1%
A/C or heater1 · 1%
engine failure or replacement1 · 1%
hesitation when accelerating1 · 1%
knocking, grinding or other noise1 · 1%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Electrical system	42	1
Vehicle speed control	12	3
Seat belts	11	2
Powertrain	6	0
Engine and cooling	5	0
Steering	5	1
Suspension	3	0
Service brakes	2	1
Tires	2	0
Exterior lighting	1	0
Fuel system	1	0
Visibility	1	0
Other	1	0

What owners report

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

While making a turn at 10 mph consumer ran through a medium and seat belts never locked in place, passenger almost went through the windshield.
Seat belts · crash · 2002-06-25 · NHTSA complaint #8012520
Seatbelt did not restrain her, she suffered head lacerations/ neck and back injuries. Driver was not wearing seatbelt due to medical reason, hit head on windshield. Damage to vehicle unknown. Jg
Seat belts · crash · 2002-06-18 · NHTSA complaint #8012055
Mid 1997, vehicle began stalling after the engine reached operating temperature. Independant mechanic-no help. Ford dealer, spent almost $1,000.00 to replace several items. Each time, I told them to check the ignition module/coil pickup. Ford dealer said that wouldn't be the problem.
Electrical system · crash · 2001-08-16 · NHTSA complaint #750296
After turning ignition and putting vehicle into drive vehicle took off and hit a store window. Driver applied brakes, and vehicle would not stop. No one has seen vehicle.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2001-01-12 · NHTSA complaint #878087
Sudden acceleration, causing accident. (1st vehicle on 506273)
Vehicle speed control · crash · 1996-07-22 · NHTSA complaint #601553
Driver lost control of vehicle at 65 mph, and rollover six times. Tt
Steering · crash · 1995-09-07 · NHTSA complaint #971732
Tl contact owns a 1998 lincoln town car. While driving approximately 65 mph, the contact stated that the screw inside the reflective cone of the bulb was loose which caused the bulb to shatter and fail.
Exterior lighting · 2010-04-02 · NHTSA complaint #10323516
While driving 35 mph rear suspension failed. As a result, the rear end dropped at least one foot to the ground.
Suspension · 2004-07-13 · NHTSA complaint #10081815

When owners complained

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

199511
199630
199710
19987
19997
20006
20017
20027
20031
20042
20101
20111

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 3,835 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 10% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Town CAR has 95 complaints (35 years in the data). This year has 89, about average.

What to check before buying

Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1989 Lincoln Town CAR?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, vehicle speed control, seat belts. Total complaints: 89. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (44%), seat belts (10%), stalls while driving (7%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1989 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 1989 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 1989 models

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.