1997 Lincoln Town Car Recalls, Complaints & Specs

6 safety recalls list the 1997 Lincoln Town Car, and owners have filed 314 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

safety recalls

314

owner complaints to NHTSA

10 / 6

complaints citing a crash / fire

MPG combined (EPA)

6 safety recalls for the 1997 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.

Vehicle speed control

NHTSA 07V336000 Reported August 3, 2007 3,600,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

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…
Inflator module (air bags)

NHTSA 01V318000 Reported October 3, 2001 911 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

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…
Anchorage (seat belts)

NHTSA 00V157001 Reported June 12, 2000 1,167 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

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.
Anchorage (seat belts)

NHTSA 00V157002 Reported June 12, 2000 1,129 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

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.
Suspension: lower ball joint

NHTSA 98V322000 Reported December 16, 1998 175,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

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).
Air bags: frontal

NHTSA 96V231000 Reported November 12, 1996 742 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

Two bolts that attach the driver air bag to the steering wheel were not installed during vehicle assembly.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect the vehicles and install any bolts that are missing.

314 owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 1997 Lincoln Town Car have filed 314 complaints with NHTSA; 10 describe a crash and 6 describe a fire. Reports cite 8 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 95,023 miles. Complaints peaked in 2004 with 40 filed that year.

Most-reported components

Engine and engine cooling: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe39
Vehicle speed control33
Suspension: lower ball joint23
Engine and engine cooling20
Service brakes, hydraulic: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings17
Fuel system, gasoline: carburetor system15
Suspension: front14
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip12

What owners are reporting

“This has happened to me 3 times in the past 3 months. While driving interstate highway at night and traveling 65 to 70 miles per hr., without any warning or symptoms, the headlights turn off. They the”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, October 2, 2022 · Electrical system

“The contact owns a 1997 Lincoln Town Car. The contact stated while driving at 40 MPH, another vehicle crashed into the front passenger side of the vehicle. The vehicle that crashed into the contact wa”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, July 7, 2022 · Air bags

Fuel economy and specs

EPA ratings for the 1997 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 1997 Lincoln Town Car

How do I know if my 1997 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. 6 campaigns currently list the 1997 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.