1996 Lincoln Town Car Recalls, Complaints & Specs
8 safety recalls list the 1996 Lincoln Town Car, and owners have filed 259 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
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8 safety recalls for the 1996 Lincoln Town Car
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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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.
Remedy: Dealers will install a fused wiring harness. Owners of the passenger cars included in this campaign will be instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch…
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Inflator module (air bags)
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.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the driver's air bag module. Owner notification began october 5, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not…
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Anchorage (seat belts)
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,…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect these vehicles and replace the service seat belt assemblies that were installed in these vehicles from january 1 through june 13, 2000.
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Anchorage (seat belts)
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…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect these vehicles and replace the service seat belt assemblies that were installed in these vehicles from january 1 through june 13, 2000.
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Suspension: lower ball joint
Vehicle description: certain 1996-1999 ford crown victoria police, fleet, natural gas, and 1996-1999 lincoln town car limousine vehicles that were produced with a lower control arm ball joint containing a one piece bearing; and 1990-1996 ford crown victoria police, fleet, and ngv vehicles and 1990-1996 lincoln town car limousine…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the lower control arm ball joints (2).
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Linkages (steering)
The pitman arms were not fully lubricated at the assembly plant. The "ball joint" at the outer end of the pitman arm can become contaminated and corrode.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the vehicles and if the joint is found to have significant wear, the arm will be replaced. Those pitman arms not replaced will have the "ball joint" fully greased.
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Seat belts: rear/other
The elr/alr feature is used to accommodate child restraints. When servicing the rear belt assemblies, wrong parts could have been used which do not contain the automatic locking feature.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the rear belt assemblies with the appropriate design retractor and tongue assemblies.
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Latch (latches/locks/linkages)
When in the secondary latched position, the driver door latches may open when subjected to transverse loads less than that specified in FMVSS no. 206, "door locks and door retention components."
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the driver door latch.
259 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 1996 Lincoln Town Car have filed 259 complaints with NHTSA; 9 describe a crash and 11 describe a fire. Reports cite 8 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 99,741 miles. Complaints peaked in 2004 with 35 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“The contact owns a 1996 Lincoln Town Car. The contact stated while the vehicle was turned on and he was shifting the vehicle from park(P) to drive(D), with his foot on the brake pedal, the vehicle lun”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, January 26, 2023 · Vehicle speed control
“As per recall cruise control neithrt starts or works on highway”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, February 20, 2020 · Vehicle speed control
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 1996 Lincoln Town Car. Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 18 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 15 / 23 |
| Fuel | Regular |
| EPA class | Large Cars |
| Engine | 8 cyl, 4.6 L |
| Transmission | Automatic 4-spd |
Compare Lincoln Town Car model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Lincoln Town Car model year in NHTSA's database.
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 Lincoln Town Car | 0 | 1 |
| 1978 Lincoln Town Car | 0 | 1 |
| 1980 Lincoln Town Car | 0 | 1 |
| 1981 Lincoln Town Car | 0 | 1 |
| 1982 Lincoln Town Car | 0 | 2 |
| 1983 Lincoln Town Car | 3 | 4 |
| 1984 Lincoln Town Car | 1 | 15 |
| 1985 Lincoln Town Car | 1 | 21 |
| 1986 Lincoln Town Car | 4 | 50 |
| 1987 Lincoln Town Car | 6 | 32 |
| 1988 Lincoln Town Car | 5 | 99 |
| 1989 Lincoln Town Car | 5 | 89 |
| 1990 Lincoln Town Car | 4 | 209 |
| 1991 Lincoln Town Car | 5 | 155 |
| 1992 Lincoln Town Car | 4 | 249 |
| 1993 Lincoln Town Car | 4 | 176 |
| 1994 Lincoln Town Car | 5 | 155 |
| 1995 Lincoln Town Car | 6 | 165 |
| 1996 Lincoln Town Car | 8 | 259 |
| 1997 Lincoln Town Car | 6 | 314 |
| 1998 Lincoln Town Car | 7 | 154 |
| 1999 Lincoln Town Car | 5 | 148 |
| 2000 Lincoln Town Car | 8 | 108 |
| 2001 Lincoln Town Car | 5 | 161 |
| 2002 Lincoln Town Car | 0 | 65 |
| 2003 Lincoln Town Car | 1 | 201 |
| 2004 Lincoln Town Car | 0 | 83 |
| 2005 Lincoln Town Car | 3 | 119 |
| 2006 Lincoln Town Car | 2 | 143 |
| 2007 Lincoln Town Car | 3 | 84 |
| 2008 Lincoln Town Car | 3 | 20 |
| 2009 Lincoln Town Car | 3 | 5 |
| 2010 Lincoln Town Car | 3 | 13 |
| 2011 Lincoln Town Car | 3 | 6 |
Checking a specific 1996 Lincoln Town Car
How do I know if my 1996 Lincoln Town Car has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 8 campaigns currently list the 1996 Lincoln Town Car; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Lincoln dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 00V157001).
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other Lincoln models
- Continental1,678 complaints
- Mkz1,665 complaints
- Mkx1,417 complaints
- Navigator1,353 complaints
- LS982 complaints
- Mark VIII826 complaints
- Mkc599 complaints
- Aviator488 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.