2004 Lincoln Town CAR: common problems

Owners of the 2004 Lincoln Town CAR filed 83 complaints with NHTSA, most often about vehicle speed control and steering. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 83
involving a crash: 18

What fails most often

1 Vehicle speed control 23% of all complaints
2 Steering 17% of all complaints
3 Structure 13% of all complaints
4 Service brakes 12% of all complaints
5 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
6 Wheels 7% of all complaints
7 Engine and cooling 5% 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.

Vehicle speed control: 19 complaints (23% of all), 9 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Steering: 14 complaints (17% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Structure: 11 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Service brakes: 10 complaints (12% of all), 6 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 8 complaints (10% 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 83 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

door locks, latches, handles8 · 10%
smoke, burning smell, fire8 · 10%
unintended acceleration8 · 10%
steering or power steering problems7 · 8%
rust, corrosion5 · 6%
warning lights, check engine5 · 6%
windows, sunroof5 · 6%
knocking, grinding or other noise4 · 5%
brake failure3 · 4%
headlights and tail lights3 · 4%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Vehicle speed control	19	9
Steering	14	1
Structure	11	1
Service brakes	10	6
Electrical system	8	1
Wheels	6	0
Engine and cooling	4	0
Exterior lighting	4	0
Latches, locks, linkages	3	0
Tires	3	1
Visibility	3	0
Air bags	2	2
Fuel system	2	0
Suspension	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.

2004 lincoln town car, power steering failure. While driving, driver may lose control of car, just like driving on black ice. While driving making a right hand merge, steering got stuck for a few seconds. And when driver tried to correct the car was going one way while the driver was steering another.
Steering · crash · 2009-09-14 · NHTSA complaint #10283952
He attempted to shift into reverse and the vehicle automatically surged forward, crashing into the foundation. There were no warnings prior to the failure. The vehicle sustained minor damages. The contact was waiting on a response from the insurance company regarding the damages.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2008-08-26 · NHTSA complaint #10239773
2004 lincoln town car had brake failure. Consumer states that the brakes failed causing a rear-end collision. The state police told the consumer the abs failed.
Service brakes · crash · 2008-06-20 · NHTSA complaint #10231811
The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. Before the crash, new backup sensors were placed in the rear of the vehicle. The purchase date was unknown. The current and failure mileages were approximately 26,000.
Air bags · crash · 2008-02-13 · NHTSA complaint #10217969
2004 lincoln town car's brakes failed. The vehicle would not stop which resulted in an accident. Not only did the vehicle not stop but it also accelerated while the consumer's foot was on the brake. The consumer's vehicle hit the vehicle directly in front of hers pushing that vehicle off the road.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2006-08-18 · NHTSA complaint #10165881
The vehicle was in bumper to bumper traffic when all of a sudden it surged forward on its own when the brake was applied. The consumer rear ended another vehicle. The dealer concluded that the brake and accelerator pedal were too close together, so they raised the pedal.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2005-04-04 · NHTSA complaint #10117293
The right rear tire blew out while the renter was driving on a clear day at approximately 55 mph. The sidewall was damaged due to the blowout. Driver could not control vehicle. Vehicle hit mail box, crossed road and ran backwards into a ditch. The right rear tire blew out but all other tires were still inflated.
Tires · crash · 2005-03-03 · NHTSA complaint #10113391
When attempting to stop the brakes failed. As a result, vehicle crasheds into a vehicle at a red light. No injuries reported.
Service brakes · crash · 2004-09-01 · NHTSA complaint #10090224

When owners complained

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

200413
200510
20064
20072
20086
20093
20104
20113
20124
20134
201413
20157
20171
20182
20191
20203
20211
20252

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 3,991 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 11% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Town CAR has 95 complaints (35 years in the data). This year has 83, about average.

What to check before buying

Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2004 Lincoln Town CAR?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: vehicle speed control, steering, structure. Total complaints: 83. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: door locks, latches, handles (10%), smoke, burning smell, fire (10%), unintended acceleration (10%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 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 2004 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 2004 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.