Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 4 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1983 Lincoln Town Car, most frequently naming the engine, driver assistance and interior & seats categories. 3 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 6 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 1995 | 1 | 1 |
| Feb 1996 | 1 | 2 |
| Mar 1998 | 1 | 3 |
| Sep 2000 | 1 | 4 |
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
3 campaigns cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govEQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.
PARKING BRAKE FAILURE
SUMMARY:THE SPRING UNDER INVESTIGATION CAUSES THE LATCHING PAWL TOENGAGE THE TEETH OF THE RATCHET WHEREBY THE PARKING BRAKE IS RETAINEDIN THE APPLIED POSITION.IF THE SPRING FAILS, THE PEDAL FOLLOWS THEOPERATORS FOOT BACK UP INTO THE RELEASED POSITION.FORD STATES THAT IT ISSUED THE BULLETIN IN ORDER TO INFORM DEALERSTHAT THE SPRING WAS NEWLY AVAILABLE AS A SEPARATE PART.PREVIOUSLY,IT WAS NECESSARY TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE PARKING BRAKE CONTROL ASSEMBLY INORDER TO OBTAIN A NEW SPRING.SINCE THE FAILURE OF THE SPRING WILL NOT CAUSE THE PARKING BRAKE TOSUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY RELEASE AND SINCE THERE IS ADEQUATE WARNINGOF THE FAILURE, NO SAFETY DEFECT TREND WAS FOUND.===
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
TILT YOKE IN THE STEERING WHEEL BROKE, CAUSING STEERING WHEEL NOT TO LOCK IN PLACE. MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT PART WAS NOT UNDER A RECALL, AND ANY REPAIRS WOULD BE AT CONSUMER'S COST. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
ENGINE STOPS OR REFUSES TO START.
THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR DOES NOT STAY LOCKED IN THE OPEN POSITION. TT
ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE, GASOLINE LEAK IN TOP AT ENGINE INTAKE CAUSED THE FIRE. *AK
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
INFORMATION REGARDING TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE CHARTS. *SLC
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:COOLING UNIT AND LINES
SUBJECT REGARDING CONTAMINATION FROM PRIOR TRANSMISSION CONCERNS OR EXCESS WEAR MAY BE TRAPPED IN THE TRANSMISSION FLUID COOLING SYSTEM. *TT
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
INFORMATION ON A NEW TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE CHART. *YC
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
FLUID- TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE CHARTS. *JD
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE; POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION; POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER; SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC; STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
UNKNOWN
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC
ROUGHNESS CONCERN DURING BRAKE APPLICATION. *TW
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2011 | 6 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 2010 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 45.8 |
| 2009 | 5 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 2008 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 57.1 |
| 2007 | 84 | 3 | 1 | 60.0 |
| 2006 | 143 | 2 | 0 | 47.8 |
| 2005 | 119 | 3 | 0 | 52.7 |
| 2004 | 83 | 0 | 1 | 51.8 |
| 2003 | 201 | 1 | 4 | 48.6 |
| 2002 | 65 | 1 | 3 | 60.7 |
| 2001 | 161 | 6 | 6 | 66.7 |
| 2000 | 108 | 9 | 4 | 64.8 |
| 1999 | 148 | 6 | 4 | 64.7 |
| 1998 | 154 | 8 | 5 | 60.5 |
| 1997 | 314 | 8 | 7 | 59.6 |
| 1996 | 259 | 10 | 6 | 61.3 |
| 1995 | 165 | 9 | 6 | 65.1 |
| 1994 | 155 | 5 | 4 | 68.0 |
| 1993 | 176 | 4 | 7 | 73.8 |
| 1992 | 249 | 4 | 7 | 74.5 |
| 1991 | 155 | 5 | 1 | 62.8 |
| 1990 | 209 | 4 | 2 | 71.3 |
| 1989 | 89 | 5 | 0 | 65.8 |
| 1988 | 99 | 5 | 2 | 71.8 |
| 1987 | 32 | 6 | 0 | 65.8 |
| 1986 | 50 | 4 | 1 | 70.7 |
| 1985 | 21 | 1 | 2 | 63.3 |
| 1984 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 61.6 |
| 1983Viewing | 4 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 1982 | 2 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1981 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1980 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1978 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1977 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.