Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1992 Lincoln Town Car, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Electrical system73
- Engine and engine cooling48
- Vehicle speed control39
- Service brakes, hydraulic31
- Power train14
- Seats12
- Suspension12
- Visibility12
- Air bags10
- Fuel system, gasoline8
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 14 injuries and 1 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 4 1992 Town Car vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 4 people died inside them. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1992 Lincoln Town Car failed the safety check 1.36% of the time — 11% more often than the average 1992 passenger car (1.22%). Median odometer at inspection: 97,523 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In the United Kingdom
0 cars built in 1992 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 2 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 Finland
6 of these cars first registered in 1992 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 167,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
Recalls in Canada
5 Transport Canada recalls for the 1992 Lincoln Town Car.
| 2008038 6 Feb 2008 | Electrical On certain vehicles, a wiring harness that is not compatible with the vehicle circuit polarity may have been inadvertently installed during servicing for recall… |
| 2007258 7 Aug 2007 | Electrical On certain vehicles, the speed control deactivation switch may overheat, smoke, or burn, potentially resulting in an underhood fire. The failure mode appears t… |
| 1999097 19 May 1999 | Engine Certain vehicles may experience a fire originating in the left front under hood area as a result of electrical overheating of the speed control deactivation swi… |
| 1998251 22 Dec 1998 | Suspension Note: 1996-99 crown victoria police, fleet and ngv and lincoln town car limousine equipped with a lower control arm ball joint containing a one piece bearing an… |
| 1995153 25 Aug 1995 | Structure DEFECT: UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS THE SECONDARY LATCH MAY WEDGE AGAINST THE STRIKER, RESTRICTING THE DOWNWARD MOTION OF THE HOOD, WHICH MAY SUBSEQUENTLY RESULT … |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS, PASSENGER VEHICLES, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, AND MOTOR HOMES CHASSIS, THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH MAY, UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, LEAK INTERNALLY AND THEN OVERHEAT, SMOKE, OR BURN.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH CAN DEVELOP A RESISTIVE SHORT IN THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT THAT COULD POTENTIALLY RESULT IN AN UNDERHOOD FIRE. A FIRE IS POSSIBLE BOTH WHEN THE VEHICLE IS RUNNING AND WHEN THE VEHICLE ENGINE IS OFF. ALSO, THE SHORT COULD DISABLE THE SPEED CONTROL SYSTEM OR CAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHT FUSE TO OPEN.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: CERTAIN 1996-1999 FORD CROWN VICTORIA POLICE, FLEET, NATURAL GAS, AND 1996-1999 LINCOLN TOWN CAR LIMOUSINE VEHICLES THAT WERE PRODUCED WITH A LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINT CONTAINING A ONE PIECE BEARING; AND 1990-1996 FORD CROWN VICTORIA POLICE, FLEET, AND NGV VEHICLES AND 1990-1996 LINCOLN TOWN CAR LIMOUSINE VEHICLES THAT HAVE BEEN SERVICED WITH EITHER A BALL JOINT CONTAINING THE ONE-PIECE BEARING OR A FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM CONTAINING A BALL JOINT WITH A ONE-PIECE BEARING. THE ONE-PIECE BEARING WITHIN THE LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINT CAN WEAKEN SLOWLY DURING USE AND EVENTUALLY CRACK. THIS COULD RESULT IN SEPARATION OF THE BALL AND CAP OF THE JOINT, ALLOWING THE CONTROL ARM TO DROP TO THE GROUND.
THE SECONDARY HOOD LATCH MAY NOT ENGAGE WHEN THE HOOD IS CLOSED.
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 1992 Lincoln Town Car: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 636080 | TRANSFER SERVICE TIPS FOR THE FRONT WIPER MOTOR MOUNT BRACKET AND DEPRESSED PARK OUTPUT ARM. *TT |
| 630001 | SOME ENGINE ASSEMBLIES WITH ALUMINUM CYLINDER HEADS REPAIRED IN-VEHILE HAVE BEEN FOUND TO LEAK COOLANT AND/OR OIL FROM THE CYLINDER HEAD GASKET AREA. *TT |
| 627791 | PARTS AND PROCEDURE TO REDUCE THE POTENTIAL OF FUEL TANK PUNCTURES DURING RARE AND EXTREMELY HIGH-SPEED REAR IMPACTS. *TT |
| 625715 | BRAKE SHIFT INTERLOCK.*JB |
| 623988 | INFORMATION REGARDING TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE CHARTS. *SLC |
| 623944 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT HEATER CORE LEAKS. *SLC |
| 622660 | THIS INFORMATION IS A SUPPLEMENT TO THE WIPER SYSTEM SERVICE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE WORKSHOP MANUALS. THIS SERVICE INFORMATION IS INTENDED AS AN AID TO ASSIST IN DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR OF ERRATIC WIPER SYSTEM CONDITIONS. *TT |
| 619424 | SUBJECT REGARDING ENGINE OIL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR USE IN 2001 VEHICLES - SAE 5W-20 MOTOR OIL. *TT |
| 619299 | INFORMATION ON REPLACING FUEL TANK STRAP BOLTS. *TT |
| 618546 | SUBJECT REGARDING CLIMATE CONTROL - EATC - BLOWER MOTOR CONTROL SERVICE TIPS. *JB |
| 616522 | SUBJECT REGARDING CONTAMINATION FROM PRIOR TRANSMISSION CONCERNS OR EXCESS WEAR MAY BE TRAPPED IN THE TRANSMISSION FLUID COOLING SYSTEM. *TT |
| 613335 | SUBJECT REGARDING A NEW TRANSMISSION CASE AND MAIN CONTROL RELEASED FOR SERVICE ON AODE / 4R70W TRANSMISSIONS. *TT |
| 613234 | INFORMATION REGARDING TSB 98-5A-12 (TRANSAXLE/TRANSMISSION/TRANSFER CASE-VEHICLES TOWED BEHIND RECREATIONAL VEHICLES-RECOMMENDED GUIDELINES) DOES NOT LIST TOWING INFORMATION FOR CERTAIN MODEL VEHICLES. *MJS |
| 612203 | INFORMATION REGARDING THE NEW TRANSMISSION COOLER FLUSHER- SERVICE TIP. *MJS |
| 609598 | SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH FACTORY INSTALLED MOONROOF MAY EXHIBIT A BOOMING OR BUFFETING NOISE WHILE TRAVELING AT SPEEDS GREATER THAN 40 MPH WHEN THE MOONROOF IS OPEN. *TT |
| 6092191 | SOME CARS EQUIPPED WITH FACTORY INSTALLED MOONROOF MAY EXHIBIT A BOOMING OR BUFFETING NOISE WHILE TRAVELING AT SPEEDS GREATER THAN 40 MPH WHEN THE MOONROOF IS OPEN. *TT |
| 6090087 | INFORMATION ON IDENTIFYING NON-APPROVED / ALTERNATE REFRIGERANTS WHICH COULD CAUSE SAFETY, AND PERFORMANCE CONCERNS IF INSTALLED IN FORD A/C SYSTEMS. *TT |
| 6089681 | SUBJECT ON A WIRE HARNESS TERMINAL REPAIR KIT AVAILABLE FOR REPAIRING ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESSES. *TT |
| 608431 | INFORMATION ON THE NEW FLUSH AND FILL TOOL AVAILABLE THROUGH ROTUNDA. *TT |
| 607411 | CONCERNS WITH VEHICLES EXHIBITING A TORQUE CONVERTER SHUDDER. *TT |
| 606508 | CONDITIONS WITH THE BRAKE LAMPS INADVERTENTLY DISABLING THE BRAKE SHIFT INTERLOCK. *TT |
| 606460 | EXPERIENCING A WHINE / BUZZ TYPE NOISE IN THE SPEAKERS OF THE ENTERTAINMENT RADIO OR TWO-WAY RADIO ON VEHICLES WITH AN IN-TANK ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP. *TT |
| 606420 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY NOW RECOMMENDS SAE 5W-30 VISCOSITY GRADE FOR SERVICING ANY FORD GASOLINE-POWERED VEHICLE REGARDLESS OF MODEL YEAR. *TT |
| 603724 | MASS AIR FLOW (MAF)- SENSOR CONTAMINATION- SERVICE TIP. *AK |
| 601343 | A NEW SILICONE GASKET AND SEALANT. *YC |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH FIRES
FUEL-FED FIRES
POST REAR END COLLISION FIRES
ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
UNDER HOOD FIRES
UNDER HOOD FIRES
HOOD FLY-UP WHILE DRIVING
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation