Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1983 Lincoln Town Car, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Engine and engine cooling2
- Latches/locks/linkages1
- Vehicle speed control1
- Steering1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 1 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
In the United Kingdom
0 cars built in 1983 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 1 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
In New Zealand
1 1983 cars are on the New Zealand register.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls in Canada
2 Transport Canada recalls for the 1983 Lincoln Town Car.
| 1983024 3 Mar 1983 | Not Entered VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC OVER DRIVE TRANSMISSIONS. THE PARKING PAWL ACTUATING CAM RETAINER PIN ON THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ACTUATING ROD ASSEMBLY MAY … |
| 1983018 18 Feb 1983 | Not Entered THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL SELECTOR TUBE RETAINING CLIP WHICH RETAINS THE SELECTOR TUBE TO THE STEERING COLUMN LOCK CYLINDER MAY NOT BE OF ADEQUATE HARDNESS. SHO… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: LIMOUSINES BUILT BY EMPIRE COACH. VEHICLE ALTERERS LABEL MAY BE MISSING OR INCOMPLETE.
THE PARKING GEAR MAY NOT ENGAGE, EVEN THOUGH THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER IS PLACED IN THE "PARK" POSITION. THIS OCCURS IF THE LINKAGE INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION THAT ACTUATES THE PARK GEAR WAS IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED. A PIN THAT RETAINS COMPONENTS ON A LINKAGE (ACTUATING) ROD COULD BREAK AND THE LINKAGE MAY NOT ENGAGE THE PARKING GEAR.
THE SHIFT INDICATOR MAY NOT ACCURATELY REFLECT THE SHIFT SELECTOR POSITION. SOME VEHICLES WERE PRODUCED WITH TRANSMISSION CONTROL SELECTOR TUBE RETAINING CLIPS THAT MAY NOT BE HARD ENOUGH. THE CLIP MAY LOOSEN OR FALL OFF, AND THE SELECTOR TUBE MAY BECOME DISPLACED.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Lincoln told its dealers about the 1983 Lincoln Town Car: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 623988 | INFORMATION REGARDING TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE CHARTS. *SLC |
| 616522 | SUBJECT REGARDING CONTAMINATION FROM PRIOR TRANSMISSION CONCERNS OR EXCESS WEAR MAY BE TRAPPED IN THE TRANSMISSION FLUID COOLING SYSTEM. *TT |
| 601238 | INFORMATION ON A NEW TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE CHART. *YC |
| 51945 | FLUID- TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE CHARTS. *JD |
| 39900 | ROUGHNESS CONCERN DURING BRAKE APPLICATION. *TW |
| 3020103 | UNKNOWN |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
PARKING BRAKE FAILURE
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation