1995 Lincoln Town CAR: common problems

Owners of the 1995 Lincoln Town CAR filed 165 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and suspension. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 165
involving a crash: 16

What fails most often

1 Service brakes 32% of all complaints
2 Suspension 14% of all complaints
3 Electrical system 13% of all complaints
4 Vehicle speed control 12% of all complaints
5 Steering 9% of all complaints
6 Engine and cooling 8% of all complaints
7 Air bags 7% of all complaints
8 Exterior lighting 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.

Service brakes: 52 complaints (32% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Suspension: 23 complaints (14% of all).
Electrical system: 21 complaints (13% of all).
Vehicle speed control: 19 complaints (12% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Steering: 15 complaints (9% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

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 165 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

smoke, burning smell, fire13 · 8%
headlights and tail lights11 · 7%
rust, corrosion9 · 5%
knocking, grinding or other noise8 · 5%
warning lights, check engine6 · 4%
brake failure5 · 3%
airbags did not deploy4 · 2%
vibration4 · 2%
windows, sunroof4 · 2%
seat belts3 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Service brakes	52	3
Suspension	23	0
Electrical system	21	0
Vehicle speed control	19	4
Steering	15	1
Engine and cooling	14	0
Air bags	12	6
Exterior lighting	12	1
Powertrain	12	0
Fuel system	8	0
Visibility	7	0
Structure	6	0
Wheels	3	0
Engine	2	0

What owners report

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

The headlights have went off at night completely 4 times and back on. I was driving about 45 mph about a block from my house at 4am when the headlights marker lights and everylight except tail lights went off. I ran off the road into a ditch and back on.
Exterior lighting · crash · 2014-07-01 · NHTSA complaint #10607610
The vehicle was repaired; however, on a separate occasion, the vehicle surged and crashed into a house. The air bags deployed at the time of impact. There were no injuries. The vin was unknown. The failure and current mileages were less than 155,000.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2009-01-21 · NHTSA complaint #10255869
A state farm representative inspected the vehicle and gave the contact's mother a ticket for careless driving. Her mother continued to stress that her foot was depressing the brake pedal the entire time. The current and failure mileages were approximately 127,000.
Service brakes · crash · 2008-07-02 · NHTSA complaint #10233036
After a vehicle collision, the right rear seat belt buckle unlocked. This cause the child to be thrown to the other side of the vehicle. The child suffered minor hip injures. The cause has yet to be determine. The dealership was notified but was unable to resolve the problem. Please provide any additional information.
Seat belts · crash · 2003-12-23 · NHTSA complaint #10051972
While driving at 30 mph vehicle was involved in a frontal collision, air bags did not deploy, and vehicle was totalled. Dealer notified.
Air bags · crash · 2003-07-15 · NHTSA complaint #10027273
The brake line was rusted through below the driver seat and ruptured. The driver could not stop the vehicle in time and crashed into another vehicle at a traffic intersection. Referenced in rq03-004
Service brakes · crash · 2002-03-08 · NHTSA complaint #759033
Vehicle was involved in a frontal collision at 10mph. Upon impact, air bags did not deploy. Damage to the vehicle was $3000.
Air bags · crash · 2002-01-30 · NHTSA complaint #8003165
Upon impact, side door air bags failed to deploy. Frontal air bags deployed. Driver was knocked sideways towards door in vehicle and sustained injuries. Vehicle was totaled.
Air bags · crash · 2001-05-10 · NHTSA complaint #887952

When owners complained

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

19956
199617
199714
199812
199919
20009
200113
200215
200315
20044
20054
20065
200710
20088
20092
20101
20114
20132
20142
20182
20192

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 2,430 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 7% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Town CAR has 95 complaints (35 years in the data). This year has 165, above average.

What to check before buying

Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
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.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1995 Lincoln Town CAR?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, suspension, electrical system. Total complaints: 165. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (8%), headlights and tail lights (7%), rust, corrosion (5%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1995 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 1995 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 1995 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.