RoadVitals

1988 Lincoln Town Car Driver assistance Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Driver assistance reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
17
Latest Dec 13, 2010
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
17%
of 99 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
5
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
3

What this page shows

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1988 Lincoln Town Car submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 17 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming driver-assistance

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Driver assistanceTransmission
Filed Dec 13, 2010

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1988 LINCOLN TOWNCAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE CLIP FROM THE THROTTLE BODY FRACTURED AND ACCELERATED THE VEHICLE TO 80 MPH. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BY REMOVING THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT HE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY CLIP. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 85,000. THE TRANSMISSION SELECTOR CABLE HAD TO REPLACED. UPDATED 04/25/11

NHTSA ID
10370429
Incident
Nov 22, 2010
Mileage
85,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Nov 23, 2009
Fire reported

THE LINCOLN TOWN CAR WAS PARKED OUTSIDE A RENTAL HOME AND CAUGHT FIRE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10293199
Incident
Sep 8, 2009
Driver assistance
Filed Apr 7, 2004

WHILE APPLYING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WENT DOWN TO THE FLOOR. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
10066775
Driver assistanceElectrical
Filed Jun 20, 2003

THE RELAY THAT HOOKS TO THE BATTERY STARTER] BROKE. THIS CAUSED VEHICLE TO ACCLELERATE IN FULL THROTTLE. CONSUMER CAME TO A COMPLETED STOP, BUT HAD TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY TO STOP THE ENGINE FROM RUNNING, ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF. RELAY # 1E9TZ-11450B.*AK

NHTSA ID
10024618
Mileage
112,000 mi
Driver assistanceTransmission
Filed Jul 19, 2000

THROTTLE VALVE CONTROL CABLE GROMMET MADE OUT OF PLASTIC BROKE, CAUSING TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. MANUFACTURE ALSO PRODUCES A METAL GROMMET THAT WOULD LAST LONGER.*AK

NHTSA ID
865648
Driver assistance
Filed Jun 28, 2000
Crash reported

WHILE PARKED IN DRIVEWAY VEHICLE RAPIDLY SURGED BACKWARDS, AND THEN SUDDENLY ACCELERATED INTO THE GARAGE DOOR. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK

NHTSA ID
864366
Incident
May 7, 2000
Driver assistance
Filed Sep 9, 1999
1 injury reported1 death reported

ATTORNEY PETITION TO INVESTIGATE SUDDEN ACCELERATION OF 1988 LINCOLN TOWN CAR, WHICH ACCELERATED AND RESULTED IN DEATH OF ONE CHILD AND AMPUTATION OF OTHER CHILD. (ATTORNEY FOR CONSUMER). MJS

NHTSA ID
547625
Incident
Jun 7, 1995
Driver assistance
Filed Jun 23, 1999

ACCELERATOR PEDAL GETS STUCK. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

NHTSA ID
840900
Driver assistance
Filed May 18, 1999

HAD GOTTEN IN VEHICLE TO START IT WHEN IT BEGAN TO SHIFT GEARS AND VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. HAD FOOT ON BRAKES AT THE TIME. THE WHEELS WERE SPINNING REAL FAST. WILL BE TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALER TO CHECK. *AK

NHTSA ID
836154
Incident
Jan 1, 1999
Driver assistance
Filed Sep 29, 1998

WHILE DRVING AT LOW SPEEDS THE VEHICLE WILL WITHOUT WARNING SPEED UP, OR WHEN AT A COMPLETE STOP THE VEHICLE WILL ACCELERATE. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID
828320
Driver assistance
Filed Jan 23, 1997

WHEN AT A LIGHT OR TRYING TO PARK THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATES. *AK

NHTSA ID
806582
BrakesDriver assistanceTransmission
Filed Nov 6, 1996

DRIVING 25MPH APPLIED THE BRAKES THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE; PUT IN PARK IN ORDER TO COME TO A STOP; ALSO REPAIRED TRANSMISSION/OVERDRIVE. *AK

NHTSA ID
803397
Incident
Oct 7, 1996
Driver assistance
Filed Jul 17, 1996
Crash reported

THROTTLE STUCK, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL/ACCIDENT. *DH

NHTSA ID
506511
Incident
Jun 28, 1996
Driver assistance
Filed Jun 12, 1996
Crash reported1 injury reported

AT A RED LIGHT, AS SOON AS FOOT WAS OFF THE BRAKE, CAR ACCELERATED, HIT BRAKES CAR WOULD NOT STOP, LET CAR RUN INTO RAMP TO STOP. PLESAE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID
985569
Incident
Jan 30, 1996
Driver assistanceVisibility
Filed Nov 21, 1995

CONSUMER WAS WAITING AT DRIVE UP WINDOW CAR WENT INTO SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE CAR WAS IN PARK WINDSHIELD WAS SHATTERED . TT

NHTSA ID
975274
Incident
Oct 30, 1995
Driver assistance
Filed Nov 17, 1995
Crash reported

CONSUMER STOPPED AT DRIVE THRU WINDOW STOP AND CAR ACCELERATED CAUSING AN ACCIDENT CAR WAS TOTALED . TT WINDSHIELD BROKE IN ACCIDENT. *SLC

NHTSA ID
975075
Incident
Oct 31, 1995
Driver assistance
Filed Feb 8, 1995

THROTTLE BODY/AIR BY PASS FAILURE, RESULTED IN INTERMITTENT SUDDEN ACCLERATION, ALSO PREVENTED CRUISE CONTROL FROM DISENGAGING. *SKD

NHTSA ID
480180
Incident
Feb 7, 1995

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .