2002 Lincoln Town CAR: common problems

Owners of the 2002 Lincoln Town CAR filed 65 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and vehicle speed control. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 65
involving a crash: 14

What fails most often

1 Air bags 31% of all complaints
2 Vehicle speed control 18% of all complaints
3 Service brakes 17% of all complaints
4 Latches, locks, linkages 6% of all complaints
5 Electrical system 5% of all complaints
6 Engine and cooling 5% of all complaints
7 Steering 5% of all complaints
8 Suspension 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.

Air bags: 20 complaints (31% of all), 8 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Vehicle speed control: 12 complaints (18% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Service brakes: 11 complaints (17% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Latches, locks, linkages: 4 complaints (6% of all).
Electrical system: 3 complaints (5% 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 65 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

airbags did not deploy3 · 5%
brake failure3 · 5%
door locks, latches, handles3 · 5%
seat belts3 · 5%
jerking, harsh shifts2 · 3%
smoke, burning smell, fire2 · 3%
unintended acceleration2 · 3%
windows, sunroof2 · 3%
airbag warning light1 · 2%
won't start1 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Air bags	20	8
Vehicle speed control	12	5
Service brakes	11	2
Latches, locks, linkages	4	0
Electrical system	3	0
Engine and cooling	3	0
Steering	3	1
Suspension	3	0
Visibility	3	0
Structure	2	0
Tires	2	0
Engine	1	0
Seat belts	1	0
Seats	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.

The recent sudden acceleration with toyota vehicles, I am prompted to write you again regarding the sudden acceleration with my 2002 lincoln towncar. While attempting to drive up my driveway, and park in my garage, traveling c. 5 mph, the car suddenly sounded as if were revving and lurched forward.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2010-02-03 · NHTSA complaint #10304710
Re 2002 lincoln tc cartier l. The most useless and dangerous accessory on this auto is the adjustable brake & accelerator pedal. There doesn't appear that there is any way one may adjust either/or as they adjust simultaneously. Recently this "accessory" cost me $1000.00.
Service brakes · crash · 2009-06-04 · NHTSA complaint #10272846
Tl contact owns a 2002 lincoln town car. The contact stated that the vehicle lunged forward and crashed into the rear of another vehicle. She was unable to stop the vehicle until one minute later. The mechanic and dealer were unable to diagnose the cause of the failure. The current and failure mileages were 49,000.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2007-10-29 · NHTSA complaint #10207330
Dt*: the contact stated while turning left, the vehicle was hit in the passenger side between the tire and the door however the air bag did not deploy. There was no indication before the crash that the air bag would not deploy other than the contact stated the air bag light had been illuminating intermittently for…
Air bags · crash · 2006-05-25 · NHTSA complaint #10158247
Seat belts were in use, however injuries were sustained and there was a police report filed.
Air bags · crash · 2006-03-01 · NHTSA complaint #10151562
The front air bags failed to deploy and as a result the passenger sustained a painful bruise over the left anterior rib cage. There was sufficient frontal impact but the driver believes the air bag failure may be due to the positioning of the air bag sensor.
Air bags · crash · 2003-06-24 · NHTSA complaint #10024817
Last week I blow a back tire . They said the belt broke separated. GOT a knot. This week Im having the same problem with one of my front tires. On way ro work had to pull over. Tire has a knot. I used Firestone but have had nothing but issues. Didn't tighten down my tires wore tire another store replaced the.
Tires · 2026-05-14 · NHTSA complaint #11737907
Takata recall I've change the brake switch on my car over four times and it went out again. Mt car will not chage gier when this happens. I would like to know if there has been a recall with this problem. This happens after the vehicle is park.
Service brakes · 2018-05-09 · NHTSA complaint #11092770

When owners complained

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

20011
200216
20035
200412
20053
20068
20074
20081
20094
20104
20121
20141
20161
20182
20191
20261

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 4,606 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 13% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Town CAR has 95 complaints (35 years in the data). This year has 65, below average.

What to check before buying

Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Latches, locks, linkages. Door, hood and tailgate latches, especially near the impact.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2002 Lincoln Town CAR?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, vehicle speed control, service brakes. Total complaints: 65. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbags did not deploy (5%), brake failure (5%), door locks, latches, handles (5%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 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 2002 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 2002 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.