1996 Lincoln Town CAR: common problems

Owners of the 1996 Lincoln Town CAR filed 259 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and vehicle speed control. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 259
involving a crash: 9

What fails most often

1 Engine and cooling 35% of all complaints
2 Vehicle speed control 13% of all complaints
3 Service brakes 12% of all complaints
4 Suspension 10% of all complaints
5 Electrical system 7% of all complaints
6 Steering 7% of all complaints
7 Seat belts 6% of all complaints
8 Exterior lighting 5% 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: 90 complaints (35% of all).
Vehicle speed control: 33 complaints (13% of all).
Service brakes: 30 complaints (12% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Suspension: 25 complaints (10% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 19 complaints (7% 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 cylnamed in 5 complaints
automatic, 4-speed

Drive: RWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 259 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

smoke, burning smell, fire23 · 9%
stalls while driving21 · 8%
overheating, coolant loss18 · 7%
brake failure16 · 6%
rust, corrosion15 · 6%
seat belts14 · 5%
headlights and tail lights13 · 5%
warning lights, check engine9 · 3%
A/C or heater6 · 2%
steering or power steering problems5 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Engine and cooling	90	0
Vehicle speed control	33	0
Service brakes	30	2
Suspension	25	1
Electrical system	19	1
Steering	19	3
Seat belts	15	0
Exterior lighting	14	0
Fuel system	10	0
Air bags	9	5
Visibility	8	1
Latches, locks, linkages	6	0
Equipment	4	0
Structure	4	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 right front window regulator broke. The interior light on the left side of the vehicle did not work.
Suspension · crash · 2005-04-20 · NHTSA complaint #10117861
On four separate occasions the consumer experienced a loss of braking due to four different sections of the metal brake line due to exterior corrosion. Each time the vehicle was taken to a repair shop to have the brake line replaced. The dealer was notified.
Service brakes · crash · 2005-03-09 · NHTSA complaint #10113761
My wife, sharon m. Davis, sustained a rear-end collision while waiting for a stoplight to change from red to green. This ocurred on 08/23/2001. Upon impact, air bags failed to deploy.
Air bags · crash · 2001-09-13 · NHTSA complaint #751972
Consumer was traveling on highway and was coming towards and intersection, went to apply brakes and there were no brakes. Also, there was no steering, forcing him into a guardrail. There were no injuries.
Service brakes · crash · 2001-01-11 · NHTSA complaint #878029
Consumer was involved in 50 mph frontal collision in which the driver air bag did not deploy, cause unknown. Please give any further details.
Air bags · crash · 1998-05-18 · NHTSA complaint #823439
Vehicle was in park position,engine on, vehicle started to move back wards, ran over consumer. Jumped out of park position. Front left wheel ran over consumer's back, causing large bruises on body.
Powertrain · crash · 1997-12-08 · NHTSA complaint #819782
The contact observed smoke coming from the rear tires as the vehicle accelerated. The contact was able to safely stop the vehicle after approximately 50 feet but had to depress the brake pedal with force. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated.
Vehicle speed control · 2023-01-26 · NHTSA complaint #11503799
When the contact poured brake fluid into the reservoir and depressed the brake pedal, smoke appeared from the engine compartment near the master cylinder. The contact also stated that the brake line corroded. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired.
Service brakes · 2017-08-24 · NHTSA complaint #11019367

When owners complained

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

19951
199615
199721
199818
199917
20005
200116
200224
200326
200436
200517
200610
200714
200817
20094
20103
20115
20121
20131
20143
20151
20162
20171
20201
20231

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 1,579 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 4% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Town CAR has 95 complaints (35 years in the data). This year has 259, above average.

What to check before buying

Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1996 Lincoln Town CAR?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, vehicle speed control, service brakes. Total complaints: 259. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (9%), stalls while driving (8%), overheating, coolant loss (7%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1996 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 1996 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 1996 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.