2000 Lincoln Town CAR: common problems

Owners of the 2000 Lincoln Town CAR filed 108 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 108
involving a crash: 11

What fails most often

1 Electrical system 17% of all complaints
2 Air bags 16% of all complaints
3 Service brakes 12% of all complaints
4 Engine and cooling 11% of all complaints
5 Suspension 9% of all complaints
6 Vehicle speed control 8% of all complaints
7 Visibility 8% of all complaints
8 Equipment 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: 18 complaints (17% of all).
Air bags: 17 complaints (16% of all), 8 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Service brakes: 13 complaints (12% of all), 6 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine and cooling: 12 complaints (11% of all).
Suspension: 10 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 cylnamed in 1 complaints
automatic, 4-speed

Drive: RWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 108 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

smoke, burning smell, fire9 · 8%
warning lights, check engine6 · 6%
airbags did not deploy5 · 5%
seat belts5 · 5%
airbag warning light4 · 4%
brake failure4 · 4%
headlights and tail lights4 · 4%
stalls while driving4 · 4%
jerking, harsh shifts3 · 3%
infotainment or screen glitches3 · 3%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Electrical system	18	0
Air bags	17	8
Service brakes	13	6
Engine and cooling	12	0
Suspension	10	1
Vehicle speed control	9	2
Visibility	9	0
Equipment	8	0
Steering	7	0
Exterior lighting	6	0
Structure	5	1
Seat belts	4	0
Tires	3	0
Wheels	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.

2000 lincoln town car. When pulling into a parking place, the car kept going forward, over the 4' retaining wall, and into an industrial building approximately 6' away. The car was totaled, and there was damage to the building. Fortunately, the building stopped the car.
Service brakes · crash · 2014-04-08 · NHTSA complaint #10578376
The consumer took the vehicle to the dealership on several occasions and because the problem was never fix, the consumer was involved in a collision due to the brakes failing when the consumer needed to come to a stop.
Air bags · crash · 2004-12-14 · NHTSA complaint #10012352
Side air bag failed to deploy on drivers side during a side collision. My car is a lincoln town car 2000 model cartier. I was traveling less than 5 miles an hour when I was broadsided by a pickup truck traveling more than 40 miles per hour. Both vehicles were totaled.
Air bags · crash · 2003-05-25 · NHTSA complaint #10019277
Brake failure. First time I was able to stop. My husband next drove the car and could not find any fault with brakes. The car was driven to new orleans with no other problems except it had a tendency to hydroplane during a heavy rain. Several days later he was preparing to make a left turn at an intersection.
Air bags · crash · 2001-09-04 · NHTSA complaint #751402
After coming to a stop, foot on brake, vehicle will surge forward, brakes will not stop it. Happened 4 times so far, last time consumer hit another vehicle. Damage to vehicle not known.
Service brakes · crash · 2001-02-05 · NHTSA complaint #879724
The least amount of movement of the steering wheel will jerk you into another lane and it feels like the car is almost like floating out from underneath you. While on the interstate passing semis it feels as if it's going to push me off of the road.
Steering · 2019-04-08 · NHTSA complaint #11194828
I wasn't aware until recent that there had been a recall on my vehicle on october 28, 2015. I find this information on credit karma and I been having problem with loose steering I never received anything regarding a recall on my car. I would have definitely took it in for repairs.
Steering · 2019-02-04 · NHTSA complaint #11174347
Within 2 mi of driving, battery light came on, electrical issues began (radio/dome lights, etc), then smoke billowing from under hood. Immediately pulled over, turned off ignition, and entire front end was on fire.
Electrical system · 2018-06-28 · NHTSA complaint #11104464

When owners complained

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

19991
200012
200121
200212
200317
20047
20059
20064
20084
20091
20101
20113
20122
20131
20144
20151
20161
20172
20181
20192
20242

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 3,391 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 9% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Town CAR has 95 complaints (35 years in the data). This year has 108, about average.

What to check before buying

Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
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 2000 Lincoln Town CAR?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, air bags, service brakes. Total complaints: 108. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (8%), warning lights, check engine (6%), airbags did not deploy (5%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2000 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 2000 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 2000 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.