1996 Craftsmen Lincoln Town Car Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1996 Craftsmen Lincoln Town Car, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Brakes125.0%
- Driver assistance125.0%
- Engine125.0%
- Steering125.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
BRAKE FAILURE FROM RUSTED BRAKE LINES LOSS OF 90% OF BRAKES AT TIME OF INCIDENT THIS HAS ALSO HAPPENED ON TWO OF MY OTHER LINCOLNS. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
DRIVING THROUGH A PARKING LOT . STOPPED FOR A OTHER VEHICLES , DROVE ABOUT 10 FEET AND THE RIGHT SIDE OF CAR SLAMMED TO THE GROUND IN THE MIDDLE OF PARKING LOT INTERSECTION. CAR WAS UNABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT DRAGGING FRAME , FRONT END ON PAVEMENT LEAVING DRAG MARKS IN PAVEMENT. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
I TOOK MY TOWN CAR IN, BECAUSE I COULD SMELL COOLANT IN THE CAB OF THE CAR. AFTER INSPECTION, THEY SAID IT WAS THE PLASTIC MANIFOLD HAD CRACKED AND WAS LEAKING COOLANT. THEY CALLED FORD AND FORD SAID THEY HAD A LOT OF THESE PARTS ON HAND BECAUSE THIS WAS A COMMUNE PROBLEM WITH THIS PART. I WAS TOLD THE PART ALONE WOULD BE $600. I AM ON SS AND DISABLED AND I DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO REPAIR WHAT IS A DEFECT AND SHOULD BE COVERED IN A RECALL. THERE WAS A RECALL ON DEC. 2001 FOR THIS PART PUT ONLY LIMITED TO TAXIS, POLICE, AND LIMOS, AND LIVERY PACKAGES. THIS RECALL SHOULD INCLUDE OWNERS, OR PRIVET OWNED VEHICLES, ALSO, THEY HAVE THE SAME PARTS. THERE HAS TO BE A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT TO COVER ALL OF USE PRIVET OWNERS OF THESE CARS. FORD KNOWS OF THE PROBLEM, THEY NEED TO FIX IT, NOW. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
DRIVING THROUGH A PARKING LOT . STOPPED FOR A OTHER VEHICLES , DROVE ABOUT 10 FEET AND THE RIGHT SIDE OF CAR SLAMMED TO THE GROUND IN THE MIDDLE OF PARKING LOT INTERSECTION. CAR WAS UNABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT DRAGGING FRAME , FRONT END ON PAVEMENT LEAVING DRAG MARKS IN PAVEMENT. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .