1999 Lincoln Town Car

ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2005, ODI RECEIVED A PETITION REQUESTING THAT THE AGENCY INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF ENGINE SPARK PLUG EJECTION IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1997 THROUGH 2004 FORD VEHICLES WITH TRITON V-8 AND V-10 ENGINES.ODI RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 474 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WHERE THE COMPLAINANT, OR THE DEALER REPAIRING THE VEHICLE, REPORTED THAT A SPARK PLUG DETACHED FROM THE CYLINDER AND/OR EJECTED FROM THE ENGINE.AS OF DECEMBER 8, 2005, ODI IS NOT AWARE OF ANY ALLEGATIONS WHERE THE ALLEGED DEFECT RESULTED IN A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, A CRASH, AN INJURY, OR A FATALITY IN ANY OF THE 10,319,810 SUBJECT VEHICLES.IN ADDITION, ODI IS AWARE OF ONLY TWO INCIDENTS WHERE THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT RESTART.INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE ODI CONSUMER COMPLAINTS AND OBTAINED FROM 72 TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS WITH COMPLAINANTS SHOWED THE FOLLOWING:(1) 99% OF THE COMPLAINTS WERE ON MY 1997 TO 2002 SUBJECT VEHICLES.(2) MOST THE COMPLAINANTS REPORTED HEARING A LOUD POP WHILE DRIVING OR UPON STARTING UP THE VEHICLE FOLLOWED BY A LOUD, REPETITIVE CLICKING OR POPPING SOUND.(3) MANY OF THE COMPLAINANTS REPORTED THAT THE POPPING SOUND WAS ACCOMPANIED BY SOME LOSS OF VEHICLE POWER; HOWEVER, IN 99% OF THE INCIDENTS REPORTED, THE VEHICLE DID NOT STALL.IN THE VERY FEW INCIDENTS WHERE THE VEHICLE DID STALL, MOST VEHICLES COULD BE RESTARTED.(4) ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE COMPLAINANTS CITED THAT THEY SMELLED GAS OR A SLIGHT BURNING SMELL WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED.(5) IN ALL BUT A VERY FEW INCIDENTS, VEHICLE DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO THE ENGINE.IN ONE INCIDENT, THE COMPLAINT REPORTED THAT THE FUEL RAIL WAS DAMAGED AND REPLACED AFTER ONE OF THE SPARK PLUGS EJECTED FROM THE ENGINE; HOWEVER, THE COMPLAINANT REPORTED THAT THE DAMAGE DID NOT RESULT IN ANY TYPE OF FUEL LEAK OR FIRE.IN ANOTHER INCIDENT, THE ONLY INCIDENT WHERE A FIRE WAS ALLEGED, THE COMPLAINANT REPORTED THAT NO FLUID LEAK WAS OBSERVED, BUT THAT A FIRE RESULTED AFTER THE SPARK PLUG HAD EJECTED FROM THE ENGINE AND HE HAD RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND DRIVEN TO ANOTHER LOCATION.NONE OF THE COMPLAINANTS REPORTED ANY DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE HOOD.(6) ONLY TWO COMPLAINANTS REPORTED THAT THEY OBSERVED WHAT APPEARED TO BE SOME DROPS OF FUEL COMING FROM THE CYLINDER WHERE THE SPARK PLUG HAD FAILED OR ON THE SPARK PLUG ITSELF; HOWEVER, EACH OF THESE COMPLAINANTS REPORTED THAT THERE WAS NO SMOKE OR FLAMES AS A RESULT OF HIS INCIDENT.AS THE PETITIONER NOTED, AND ODI?S ANALYSIS SHOWED, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR A SPARK PLUG TO DETACH FROM THE ENGINE CYLINDER THREADS IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.HOWEVER, ODI?S ANALYSIS OF 474 COMPLAINTS DESCRIBING SUCH INCIDENTS FOUND ONLY A VERY FEW ALLEGED ANY SAFETY-RELATED CONSEQUENCES.NONE OF THESE SHOWED ANY EVIDENCE OF A SERIOUS SAFETY CONSEQUENCE.GIVEN THE LARGE POPULATION AND RELATIVELY LONG EXPOSURE TIME OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES, THE COMPLAINT ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT THE RISK TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY FROM THE ALLEGED DEFECT IS VERY LOW.IN VIEW OF THE FOREGOING, IT IS UNLIKELY THAT NHTSA WOULD ISSUE AN ORDER FOR THE NOTIFICATION AND REMEDY OF THE ALLEGED DEFECT AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE INVESTIGATION REQUESTED IN THE PETITION.THEREFORE, IN VIEW OF THE NEED TO ALLOCATE AND PRIORITIZE NHTSA?S LIMITED RESOURCES TO BEST ACCOMPLISH THE AGENCY?S SAFETY MISSION, THE PETITION IS DENIED.

ODI HAS IDENTIFIED 173 COMPLAINTS ALLEGING INADVERTENT OR NON-CRASH DEPLOYMENT OF SIDE AIR BAGS ON MODEL YEAR (MY) 1999-2003 LINCOLN TOWN CARS.MOST OF THE COMPLAINTS ALLEGE THAT ONE OF THE SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT ANY IMPACT.ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT MY 2001 THROUGH EARLY MY 2003 TOWN CARS HAVE MUCH HIGHER COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY CLAIM RATES (138 COMPLAINTS AND 120 WARRANTY CLAIMS) THAN THE REMAINING VEHICLES (35 COMPLAINTS AND 32 WARRANTY CLAIMS).FORD CHANGED ITS SUPPLIER OF THE SIDE CRASH SENSORS FOR THE MY 2001 TOWN CARS.FORD STATES THAT THE ALGORITHM IN THE MY 2001 TOWN CARS IS DIFFERENT FROM THE PREVIOUS MODEL YEAR'S DESIGN, AND THAT IT IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE IMPROVED OCCUPANT PROTECTION IN MODERATE SPEED SIDE POLE IMPACTS.IN DECEMBER 2002 (I.E., EARLY MY 2003 VEHICLE PRODUCTION), THE CRASH SENSORS WERE MOVED FROM THE FLOOR OF VEHICLE TO NEAR THE BASE OF B-PILLARS IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE INCIDENTS OF INADVERTENT SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENTS.THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA03-014) FOR MY 2001-2003 TOWN CARS BUILT BEFORE DECEMBER 2002.

THE FARS DATA SHOWS THAT THE RISK OF FIRE FROM IMPACT IN ALL DIRECTIONS IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES IS THE SAME AS ALL OTHER SEDANS.THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE NOT OVER REPRESENTED WITH RESPECT TO THE RISK OF FIRE IN REAL-WORLD HIGH-ENERGY CRASHES.A FURTHER DISCUSSION OF ISSUES RELATED TO POST CRASH FIRES IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES IS SET OUT IN THE CLOSING REPORT FOR SQ 01-014 AND THAT REPORT IS IN THE DOCKET FOR THIS PETITION.AFTER REVIEWING THE PETITION AND ITS SUPPORTING MATERIALS, AS WELL AS INFORMATION FURNISHED BY FORD AND GM, AND INFORMATION WITHIN THE AGENCY'S POSSESSION FROM PREVIOUS INVESTIGATIONS AND OTHER RELATED ACTIONS,NHTSA HAS CONCLUDED THAT FUTHER INVESTIGATION CONCERNING POST-CRASH FIRES IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES IS NOT LIKELY TO LEAD TO A DECISION THAT THE VEHICLES CONTAIN A SAFETY DEFECT.

There is no summary currently available

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ID

11617160

Incident

Nov 18, 2018

Front driver seatbelt does not lock. Unknown when or why this occurred. All other seatbelts in car still functioning. Not repaired yet. Would this be covered under any type of federal warranty?

NHTSA ID

11519232

Incident

Apr 26, 2023

The contact owns a 1999 Lincoln Town Car. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the steering wheel started pulling to the left with extreme force. The contact attempted to correct the over steering and the vehicle started pulling to the right and the left. The contact stated that an unknown warning was illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle back to his residence. The contact stated that he drove the vehicle several more times and the steering failure recurred while driving at various speeds. The contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the ball joints, upper and lower control arms, and the steering gear needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000. The dealer is requesting the consumer get a diagnostic for $168 eventhough the consumer presented them with a safety recall via carfax.

NHTSA ID

11499152

Incident

Dec 13, 2020

Mileage

132,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 LINCOLN TOWN CAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE CONTACT FELT THE BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THE CONTACT MADE A RIGHT HAND TURN AND CRASHED INTO A PARKED TRUCK. THE CONTACT DID NOT HAVE AN INJURY THAT REQUIRED TRANSPORT TO A HOSPITAL AND NO POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CRASH HAPPENED RIGHT AT THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC'S SHOP. THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FIXED THE BRAKES WITH A FLUID LEAK FROM THE BRAKE LINE AS THE CAUSE OF THE MALFUNCTION. THE CONTACT FELT THERE ALSO WAS AN ISSUE OF THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE BEING OUT OF ALIGNMENT THAT CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO DRIFT TO ONE SIDE. THE ISSUE RECURRED WITH THE FRONT END STILL BEING OUT OF ALIGNMENT WITH A SCRAPING SOUND. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER GRIFFIN FORD: NEW FORD 511 7TH ST W, TIFTON, GA 31794 (229) 382-1300 BUT RECEIVED NO ASSISTANCE FROM THE DEALER . THE CONTACT WENT TO ANOTHER UNKNOWN DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THE ISSUE WITH THE BRAKES BUT STATED THAT THE FRONT END WAS NOT DAMAGED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS UNREPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.

NHTSA ID

11384666

Incident

Dec 1, 2020

Mileage

200,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 LINCOLN TOWN CAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WHEEL DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE FRONT UPPER CONTROL ARMS AND BALL JOINTS WERE REPLACED. THE CONTACT CALLED LAMARQUE FORD LOCATED AT 3101 WILLIAMS BLVD SUITE F, KENNER, LA 70065, (504) 443-2500, AND MADE THE DEALER AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000.*DT *AS

NHTSA ID

11329554

Incident

Jun 16, 2020

Mileage

54,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 LINCOLN TOWN CAR. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNDISCLOSED SPEED, THE CONTACT BECAME AWARE OF NOTICED LIQUID DRIPPING FROM THE AIR VENTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS A FAILURE WITH THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

NHTSA ID

11306764

Incident

Jan 8, 2020

Mileage

150,000 mi

TAKATA RECALL: STEERING WHEEL HAS SMOKED BEFORE LIGHTLY, INTERIOR LIGHTS HAVE STAYED ON,STEERING WHEEL HAS DONE A 360 TURN,CORROSION ON THE SIDE PANEL AND PANEL(CHROME) HAS FALLEN OFF. I'M NOT SURE HOW LATE A RECALL TIME FRAME IS BUT MY CAR HAPPENS TO BE VERY OLD NOW SO I'M WONDERING IF THIS IS THE CASE I HAVE PICTURES FROM WHAT THE CAR LOOKED LIKE AND UP TO NOW ALSO MY CAR IS NOW AT 366.'- MILES SO THIS MAY NOT EVEN BE SOMETHING TO BE TURNED IN, THIS STATE HAS ALSO DONE SO MUCH DAMAGE FROM THE POTHOLES..

NHTSA ID

11221391

Incident

Jan 4, 2016

Mileage

200 mi

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A PUBLIC STREET NOT EVEN GOING THE SPEED LIMIT AND I CAME TO THE STOP LIGHT MY CAR ACTED LIKE IT DIDN'T WANNA GO I GOT IT TO A PARKING SPOT AND IT BURST TO A BALL OF FLAMES I HAD NO PREVIOUS SYMPTOMS AND THE CAR WAS DRIVING FINE IT HAD JUST GOTTEN TO HALFWAY MARK ON MY HEAT GAUGE. I THINK IT MAY HAVE BEEN THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD MELTED MAYBE? ANY WAYS THOUGHT I WOULD REPORT THAT THIS IS ACTUALLY A VERY DANGEROUS THING IT ALMOST BURNT ME ALIVE GOING DOWN THE ROAD AND THEN ALMOST BURNT A BUSINESS DOWN AND I'M HOPING TO GET SOME SORT OF COMPENSATION BECAUSE NO ONE TOLD ME TILL JUST NOW. IF I COULD GET SOME INFO ON WHO TO CALL AT FORD THAT'D BE GREAT

NHTSA ID

11196539

Incident

Apr 13, 2019

Mileage

161,000 mi

FORD/LINCOLN MERCURY: CERTAIN 1992-2001 MODEL YEAR CROWN VICTORIA, GRAND MARQUIS, AND TOWN CAR VEHICLES REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF WISCONSIN AND CONNECTICUT UPGRADE MODIFICATIONS FOR HIGH SPEED REAR IMPACTS. *PE

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

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

EXTENDED COVERAGE PROGRAM 05N04 - EXTENDED COVERAGE FOR COMPOSITE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THIS PROGRAM IS BEING PROVIDED AS A SETTLEMENT TO A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. THE TERMS OF THE SETTLEMENT EXTEND THE COVERAGE OF THE ALL-COMPOSITE INTAKE MANIFOLD TO 7 YEARS FROM THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY START DATE OF THE VEHICLE, WITH NO LIMIT ON THE NUMBER OF MILES THAT THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DRIVEN. *TT

WDS COP KIT DIAGNOSTIC TIP - COIL ON PLUG (COP) IGNITION SYSTEMS - ENGINE MISFIRE OR ROUGH RUNNING. *TT

REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER GRID/INTEGRAL ANTENNA DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR - TERMINAL TAB REPAIR. *TT