Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2004 Lincoln Town Car, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Vehicle speed control19
- Steering14
- Structure11
- Service brakes, hydraulic9
- Electrical system8
- Wheels6
- Engine and engine cooling4
- Exterior lighting4
- Unknown or other3
- Tires3
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 6 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 27 2004 Town Car vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 22 people died inside them, and 3 of the vehicles rolled over. 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 2004 Lincoln Town Car failed the safety check 2.53% of the time — 15% more often than the average 2004 passenger car (2.21%). Median odometer at inspection: 118,671 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In the Netherlands
20 first registered in 2004 are on Dutch roads; 95% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld10
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm9
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde6
- Uitlaatsysteem niet gasdicht / onveilige afvoer uitlaatgasse6
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen5
- Stofhoes fuseekogel beschadigd en dicht niet af5
- Dim-, grootlicht werkt niet (goed)3
- Deur niet op normale wijze te openen3
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
7 cars built in 2004 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 5 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
9 of these cars first registered in 2004 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 218,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
1 2004 cars are on the New Zealand register; 100% arrived as used imports, 0% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 1 variant: combined 13.2 L/100 km (about 18 mpg US), CO₂ 304 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Town Car · Full-size · Regular gasoline | 15.5 | 10.3 | 13.2 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
No recall campaigns cover the 2004 Lincoln Town Car.
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 2004 Lincoln Town Car: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10177863 | This article supersedes TSB 19-2026 to update the vehicle model years affected. Some 2000 and newer Ford/Lincoln/Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. Panel replacement is recommended. |
| 10156863 | Some 2000 and newer Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. Panel replacement is recommended. Follow the Service Procedure steps to correct the condition |
| 10155551 | Some 2000 and newer Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. Panel replacement is recommended. Follow the Service Procedure steps to correct the condition |
| 10109070 | The Powertrain Control/Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) manual has been revised for diagnosing electronic throttle bodies (ETBs). The ETC_ACT and ETC_DSD PIDs should not used to diagnose possible ETB concerns. The IDS has a limited refresh rate when reading these PIDs and cannot display quickly enough to validate a concern. The PCM automatically monitors these inputs more accurately and will set diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) when appropriate. Using these PIDs for diagnostics will lead to inaccurate results and improper ETB replacements. If a concern is intermittent and no DTCs are present, refer |
| 10023943 | SOME 1997-2008 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 4.6L 2V, 5.4L 2V, OR 6.8L 2V ENGINE--SPARK PLUG THREAD REPAIR PROCEDURE--NOT COVERED UNDER NEW VEHICLE LIMITED WARRANTY. *NJ THIS INCLUDES F-53 MOTORHOME CHASSIS. UPDATED 2/23/10. *PE |
| 10022299 | PARKING AID SYSTEM IS INOPERATIVE - DTC C1983. *KB |
| 10020702 | PARKING AID SYSTEM INOPERATIVE - DTC C1983. *KB |
| 10020077 | CATALYTIC CONVERTER BRICK RATTLE OR BUZZING NOISE. *TT |
| 10018968 | PARKING AID SYSTEM INOPERATIVE. *AK |
| 10018745 | WDS COP KIT DIAGNOSTIC TIP - COIL ON PLUG (COP) IGNITION SYSTEMS - ENGINE MISFIRE OR ROUGH RUNNING. *TT |
| 10018074 | CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM 05B31 - INFORMATION ONLY. A POSSIBILITY THAT DURING A HIGH SPEED / HIGH ENERGY REAR COLLISION, CERTAIN COMPONENTS HAVE AN INCREASED RISK OF PUNCTURING THE FUEL TANK ON VEHICLES WITH LIMO PREP PACKAGE LIMO PACKAGE UPGRADE KIT OFFERING. *TT SUPPLEMENT #1. *TT UPDATED SUPPLEMENT #2. *TT |
| 10017901 | DOOR LOCKS BEING INOPERATIVE WHEN USING THE KEYPAD AND/OR REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY (RKE) FOB - FUSE 2.30 OPENING INTERMITTENTLY. |
| 10014165 | ALUMINUM CORROSION - SERVICE TIP. *TT |
| 10014138 | SAFETY BELT RETRACTION SPEED. *TT |
| 10014100 | LIMITED SLIP AXLE CHATTER, SHUDDER, BINDING SENSATION, OR VIBRATION DURING LOW SPEED TURNING MANEUVERS. *TT |
| 10014086 | GENERAL (PCM) POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE PROGRAMMING PROCEDURES. *TT |
| 10014062 | REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER GRID/INTEGRAL ANTENNA DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR - TERMINAL TAB REPAIR. *TT |
| 10013381 | MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMPAND P0460 DTC IN MEMORY. *EH |
| 10013369 | GENERAL POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM) PROGRAMMING PROCEDURES. *TT |
| 10013321 | AM/FM AND CELLULAR PHONE RECEPTION INTERFERENCE - SERVICE TIP. *TT |
| 10013116 | MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) ILLUMINATED - SYSTEM LEAN DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES (DTC'S) - SERVICE TIPS. VARIOUS MODELS INCLUDING 2004 F-SERIES. *TT |
| 10012964 | AM FM AND CELLULAR PHONE RECEPTION INTERFERENCE . *EH |
| 10012954 | SAFETY BELT WEB STOP BUTTON SERVICE. *EH |
| 10012947 | MAF DIAGNOSTIC SERVICE TIP - VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH EGR SYSTEM MODULE (ESM). *TT |
| 10012937 | DELAYED REVERSE ENGAGEMENT. *EH |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation