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#BS-1996-LINTOW-20301996 Lincoln Town Car
Based on reports from 316 owners and 10 recalls for this exact model.
Preliminary Verdict
Red Flag
Based on 316 complaints, 15 crashes, 14 fires, and 10 recalls. Complaint rate is 2.0x the class average.
Top reported problems
steel brake lines rusted thru causing total brake loss
2 complaints β’ Severity 8/10
check engine light o2 sensor failure both banks
1 complaints β’ Severity 8/10
back of car dragging on ground
1 complaints β’ Severity 10/10
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Mechanic Inspection Checklist
42 owners reported engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe issues β failures commonly reported around 93K miles.
Failure Timeline by Mileage
Peak failure range: 60β90K miles (37 reports) β’ Median: 93K miles
30,000-Mile Cost Projection
Best Case
Most Likely
Worst Case
Top cost driver: Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:manifold/header/muffler/tail Pipe (42 reports).
Also in your report
Owner Intelligence
AI-synthesized themes from real complaints
Buyer Lot Checklist
Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers
Negotiation Talking Points
Data-backed dollar deductions
Buy / Skip Verdict
Final recommendation with conditions
Where the complaints fall
1996 Lincoln Town Car: Known Issues & Problem Areas
Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:manifold/header/muffler/tail Pipe Issues
Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:manifold/header/muffler/tail Pipe complaints account for 13% of all reports filed for the 1996 Lincoln Town Car, with 42 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 92,551 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 93K-mile mark.
Speed Control Issues
Speed Control complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 1996 Lincoln Town Car, with 22 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to speed control-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline Issues
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline complaints account for 5% of all reports filed for the 1996 Lincoln Town Car, with 17 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Engine Issues
Engine complaints account for 5% of all reports filed for the 1996 Lincoln Town Car, with 16 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.
Complaint trend by year
Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1996 Lincoln Town Car. Recent trend: stable.



Don't negotiate blind β know what this car costs to own
Repair costs β’ Negotiation scripts β’ Mechanic checklist β’ Buy/skip verdict
Recall History (10 recalls)
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES USING AFTERMARKET DRIVER'S SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES THAT WERE SOLD BY FORD PARTS DEPARTMENTS FROM JANUARY 1, THROUGH JUNE 13, 2000. THESE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 209, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES." THE EQUIPMENT INVOLVED IS SERVICE STOCK SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES, MODEL NOS. H 9977, H 9979, T 9063, AND T 9217, BUILT BY TRW VEHICLE SAFETY SYSTEMS, INC. (TRW) MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 1, 1998 THROUGH MAY 21, 2000. SOME OF THESE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES MAY HAVE BEEN INSTALLED AS SERVICE REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT ON THE VEHICLES INVOLVED IN THE RECALL.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES USING AFTERMARKET FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES THAT WERE SOLD BY FORD PARTS DEPARTMENTS FROM JANUARY 1, THROUGH JUNE 13, 2000. THESE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 209, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES." THE EQUIPMENT INVOLVED IS SERVICE STOCK SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES, MODEL NOS. H 9977, H 9979, T 9063, AND T 9217, BUILT BY TRW VEHICLE SAFETY SYSTEMS, INC. (TRW) MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 1, 1998 THROUGH MAY 21, 2000. SOME OF THESE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES MAY HAVE BEEN INSTALLED AS SERVICE REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT ON THE VEHICLES INVOLVED IN THE RECALL.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES THAT HAVE HAD THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG MODULE REPLACED AFTER APRIL 5, 2000. THE REPLACEMENT DRIVER'S AIR BAG MODULE INFLATOR MAY HAVE INSUFFICIENT WELDS THAT COULD PREVENT PROPER INFLATION OF THE AIR BAG.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
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.
STEERING
Dorman Products, Inc. (Dorman) is recalling certain model Dorman Steering Shafts, part number 425-359, Solutions Steering Shafts, part number 7-0359, and OE Solutions Steering Shafts, part number 425-359, manufactured April 17, 2014, to September 28, 2015. These aftermarket replacement steering shafts are sold for use in 1995-2002 Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car vehicles. These steering shafts may separate during operation if the integral fastener is loose or missing and if the interfacing vehicle shaft is compressed in length.
+ 5 more recalls in the full report
Recall severity analysis & seller scripts
The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
The worst model year for the Lincoln Town Car is the 1999 β worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.
1996 Lincoln Town Car vs. Class Average (Large Cars)
This vehicle
316
Class avg
155
2.0x the class average β significantly more complaints than typical large cars vehicles.
Complaint counts correlate with sales volume β popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.
About this data
NHTSA Complaints
Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 316 records for this vehicle.
NHTSA Recalls
Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 10 recalls found for this vehicle.
Repair Cost Data
Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.
Other Lincoln Town Car Model Years
1996 Lincoln Town Car: Frequently Asked Questions
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Get the Full 1996 Lincoln Town Car Report
10 sections of AI analysis based on 316 owner reports. Know before you buy.