1993 Lincoln Town CAR: common problems

Owners of the 1993 Lincoln Town CAR filed 176 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and vehicle speed control. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 176
involving a crash: 13

What fails most often

1 Electrical system 24% of all complaints
2 Vehicle speed control 21% of all complaints
3 Service brakes 14% of all complaints
4 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
5 Engine and cooling 10% of all complaints
6 Air bags 6% of all complaints
7 Steering 6% of all complaints
8 Suspension 6% 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: 43 complaints (24% of all).
Vehicle speed control: 37 complaints (21% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Service brakes: 25 complaints (14% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Powertrain: 19 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine and cooling: 17 complaints (10% of all).

Engines and transmissions

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

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

Drive: RWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 176 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

smoke, burning smell, fire58 · 33%
rust, corrosion7 · 4%
brake failure5 · 3%
airbags did not deploy4 · 2%
fuel system, fuel smell4 · 2%
engine failure or replacement3 · 2%
stalls while driving3 · 2%
transmission slipping3 · 2%
warning lights, check engine3 · 2%
airbag warning light2 · 1%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Electrical system	43	0
Vehicle speed control	37	2
Service brakes	25	3
Powertrain	19	1
Engine and cooling	17	0
Air bags	11	8
Steering	11	0
Suspension	11	0
Fuel system	7	0
Visibility	5	0
Seats	4	0
Exterior lighting	3	0
Latches, locks, linkages	3	1
Structure	3	0

What owners report

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

Vehicle was involved in a frontal left side collision at 32-35 mph in which driver's side air bag did not deploy. However, passenger's side air bag did deploy. Manufacturer notified. Feel free to provide any further details on this matter.
Air bags · crash · 2001-04-17 · NHTSA complaint #886135
Hood catch corroded and separated from hood, hood flew up and obscured driver's vision, consumer states hood catch is made of steel and hood is made of aluminum which created an electrolysis and caused aluminum to decompose and the hood catch to separate, causing the release of the hood.
Latches, locks, linkages · crash · 2001-01-31 · NHTSA complaint #879520
While exiting a parking lot a drunk driver hit the vehicle from behind in a high rate of speed, causing an accident. The air bags did not deploy.
Air bags · crash · 1998-10-23 · NHTSA complaint #829407
Vehicle hit deer and the passenger's side air bag deployed ,the drivers air bag never deployed.
Air bags · crash · 1997-05-14 · NHTSA complaint #812243
Abs brakes; brakes fail to respond to pedal travel. Please describe details.
Service brakes · crash · 1996-05-29 · NHTSA complaint #984954
Auto-tran:pulling out of parking lot, shifted from park to drive, foot on brakes, not touching accelerator, engine accelerated, lurched forward into building.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 1996-02-07 · NHTSA complaint #978849
Next thing I know, there's a fire. I got it out quickly enough with the original extinguisher. The speed control harness, which had a recall at one point, is burned and a brake line busted. 9f924 is the number for the part. I do not know for certain if this was ever replaced.
Vehicle speed control · 2019-08-23 · NHTSA complaint #11246137
Once the vehicle was started, it began to make a jerking motion and all of the warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle stalled. The failures recurred multiple times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failures.
Electrical system · 2015-07-28 · NHTSA complaint #10744131

When owners complained

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

199511
199615
199712
199817
199932
200014
200120
20027
20037
20048
20056
20062
200710
20085
20093
20103
20111
20141
20151
20191

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 2,291 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 6% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Town CAR has 95 complaints (35 years in the data). This year has 176, above 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.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1993 Lincoln Town CAR?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, vehicle speed control, service brakes. Total complaints: 176. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (33%), rust, corrosion (4%), brake failure (3%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1993 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 1993 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 1993 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.