1992 Lincoln Town CAR Problems
- Complaints
- 249filed with NHTSA
- Median mileage
- 100,000miles, 29 complaints with mileage
- Recalls
- 4campaigns on record
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
- NHTSA crash rating
- —overall rating starts with 2011 models
- EPA fuel economy
- 20 mpgcombined, 4.6L 8-cyl RWD · 17 city / 24 hwy
Sources: NHTSA records for the 1992 Lincoln Town CAR (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error
What owners report
Owners of this model year most often report underhood fires that start while the car is parked and switched off, and many of those complaints connect the fire to the cruise-control switch or the wiring around it. Steering, brake and air-suspension complaints also appear, usually on cars with well over 100,000 miles.
- Electrical system
Engine-compartment fire while parked
- 97 complaints (39%)
- median 96,000 mi at 13.7 yrs old (17 state mileage)
- 91 mention a crash, fire or injury
- filed 1995–2012
Complaints describe smoke or flames from the front of the engine compartment, or from the driver's side near the steering column, after the car had been sitting — sometimes for hours, sometimes for days, with the engine off and keys removed. Several owners say neighbors or coworkers spotted the fire and called the fire department, and that the vehicle was a total loss, with damage to a garage, carport or nearby vehicle. A number of these owners state they never received a recall notice, and some say the dealer told them the switch could only be deactivated or that nothing could be done. Reported across a wide mileage range, from very low mileage cars to those over 150,000 miles, and typically with the car parked and shut off.
Recall 99V124000Recall 07V336000
What to check: Ask whether the speed-control deactivation switch recall work was ever done and whether any switch is still live under the hood; have a technician inspect the cruise-control switch and nearby wiring before parking the car in an attached garage.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“The car had been driven on a trip of approximately 450 miles and was then parked in our driveway where it sat without being entered, cranked or driven for 2 weeks. At around midnight, while my family was sleeping, a neighbor came beating on our door to tell us that the car was on fire. At that point, the fire was completely involved under the hood of the car, with smoke getting into the cabin of the car. The front tires melted to the ground. The car was a total loss. …”
NHTSA complaint #10455992, filed 2012-04, 87,000 miles“Our 1992 Lincoln Town Car caught on fire inside our shop. The car was off with the keys removed from the ignition. Fire started in the engine compartment.”
NHTSA complaint #10249755, filed 2008-11, 67,656 miles - Vehicle speed control
Cruise control will not disengage or is dead
- 42 complaints (17%)
- median 102,000 mi at 13.8 yrs old (10 state mileage)
- 26 mention a crash, fire or injury
- filed 1997–2008
Owners describe the cruise control failing to release when the brake pedal is pressed, with the car continuing to hold speed while braking, and in other cases the system simply stops working after wiring is pinched at the pedal or the switch fails. Complaints also describe waiting months for recall parts while the system remained on the car, with dealers saying no parts were available yet or that the dealer did not know when they would arrive. Mileage varies widely; complaints cluster around cars over 70,000 miles and appear across the whole production span.
Recall 99V124000Recall 07V336000
What to check: Test the cruise control: set it, then tap the brake and confirm it releases; ask for documentation that the speed-control recall was completed.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“The consumer was unable to put the vehicle into gear. After contacting a mechanic, who came over, he checked the fuses and replaced them. The consumer was notified by her neighbor that garage was on fire. The fire department arrived, and had to break the garage door open to put the fire out. The cruise control had gone out.”
NHTSA complaint #10117628, filed 2005-05, 87,000 miles“Received recall notice #99v124000 in mail & contacted dealer. Was informed by mechanic that no parts were available for the speed control. Would be notified when parts came in. So far has not heard anything & has been checking off & on.”
NHTSA complaint #844398, filed 1999-08 - Electrical system
Intermittent no-start and stalling
- 31 complaints (12%)
- median 90,500 mi at 16.2 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
- 11 mention a crash, fire or injury
- filed 1995–2014
Owners describe the engine cranking but not catching, or dying at road speed without warning, then restarting after a cooldown; some report the problem repeating several times. Complaints note batteries, starters, fuses and ignition switches tested as good, and dealers unable to duplicate the fault. One complaint ties a stall to a temperature sensor. Reported from about 75,000 miles upward, with several owners of cars over 100,000 miles.
What to check: Ask whether the car has ever stalled or failed to restart, and have the ignition and crank circuits checked; a cold and a warm restart on the test drive is worth doing.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“Parked car. Attempted to start car and the dash board lights lit as normal, but the starter did not start. After many attempts car motor turned over but because I let off starting too soon car did not start and problem resumed. Battery good. Starter good. Fuses good. Ignition switch good. This is the second 1992 Town Car in which this problem has occurred. Both cars have over 100,000 miles.”
NHTSA complaint #10183522, filed 2007-02, 106,000 miles“Driving 40mph when vehicle stalled out without any warning. Towed to dealer & nothing was found by mechanic. Vehicle was restarted by mechanic. Stalled a second time & was able to restart after 30 minutes. This would happened at least 3-4 times since at the dealer. Stalling problem could not be duplicated. Had repairs done on vehicle & has not stalled since then. .”
NHTSA complaint #873225, filed 2000-10 - Brakes
Brake pedal or ABS problems and rusted lines
- 27 complaints (11%)
- median 82,500 mi at 15.0 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
- 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
- filed 1995–2007
Complaints describe the brake pedal failing to hold pressure on long downhill grades, ABS engagement on wet pavement that ends in loss of control, and wheels locking at low speed. One owner of two cars reports both brake lines rusting through under the driver's seat area, and another reports sticking calipers and metal-on-metal noise when hot. Several owners say the dealer could not find a fault. Mostly reported on higher-mileage cars, with several complaints from owners of vehicles around or above 100,000 miles.
What to check: Have the steel brake lines under the driver's floor section inspected for rust, and check that the pedal holds firm on a long downhill stop.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“I own 2 1992 Lincoln town cars. In the first week of oct.,2007, the brakes on both cars failed. The brake lines under the drivers seat area rusted through. My new Lincoln has a ceramic coating. The lines are badly rusted all along the exposed area under the middle of the car.”
NHTSA complaint #10212105, filed 2007-12, 100,000 miles“Dt: the contact stated that the brakes were not stopping the vehicle. This occured while driving at a low speeds of 20 MPH of less on 9-04-05. She reported this being the first time she had a brake problem. A month ago the ABS light came on so the consumer took the vehicle to dealer and they said there was no problem with the brakes. She did not hear any kind of noise when she applied the brakes. She then took vehicle to a service dealer and they told her to call NHTSA vehicle safety hot line.”
NHTSA complaint #10135530, filed 2005-09, 65,000 miles
Buying note. These cars are old enough that recall completion matters more than anything else — confirm the speed-control switch work was done, then budget for brake-line, seat-frame and suspension inspection. Maintenance history and a pre-purchase inspection will tell you more than the odometer on a car this age.
Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.
NHTSA recorded 249 consumer complaints for the 1992 Lincoln Town CAR. 29 of the complaints include a mileage, and 10% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 100,000 miles. Of all complaints, 11 involved a crash, 93 a fire, 14 an injury, 1 a death, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns and 2 technical service bulletins for this model year.
Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.
Which parts are reported most
Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.
- Electrical system73 29%
- Engine cooling48 19%
- Vehicle speed control39 16%
- Brakes32 13%
- Transmission and drivetrain14 5.6%
- Seats12 4.8%
- Suspension12 4.8%
- Air bags10 4.0%
- Fuel system8 3.2%
Also reported: Equipment (7), Latches, locks and linkages (6), Body and structure (4), Other or unknown (3), Seat belts (3), Steering (3), Exterior lighting (2), Interior lighting (2), Tires (2).
Example complaints
Electrical system: “Dt: friday night at 1:00 am callers car burned up. He had no problem that day with the car. Dealer or manufacturer have not been contacted yet. Caller did not know what started the fire. Consumer's neighbor called fire department and said that the fire was coming from the lower part of the engine.”
NHTSA complaint #10125769, filed 2005-06, 141,463 milesEngine cooling: “1992 Lincoln towncar signature edition. Car parked in carport 4pm thursday afternoon, engine burst into flames 5am friday morning. Car completely destroyed, causing major damage to carport.”
NHTSA complaint #10069288, filed 2004-01, 94,000 milesVehicle speed control: “Dt: had just parked car in driveway and car was turned off. 15 minutes later there were 4 explosions and the car had blown up, and house caught on fire. There was no indication that there was any kind of problem. There were no signs of any problems. Consumer talked the dealer today, and they said there was a recall on the cruise control activation switch, recall 99s15. No recall notice was received by the consumer..no recall noticed received!!! …”
NHTSA complaint #10120555, filed 2005-05, 96,000 milesBrakes: “I have never been notified of any recalls on this vehicle. The name and address on the title is no longer my last name or my address. How can I get t he recall repairs made, how can I find the recalls, and how can I get notices of recalls in the future? No safety defect listed in the summary.”
NHTSA complaint #724455, filed 2000-06Mileage when problems were reported
10% of the 29 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 87,000 and 134,000 miles.
Complaints by year filed
Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 1992 Lincoln Town CAR. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Side pole | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Town CAR · sedan | not rated | 5 / – | — | — | — |
Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.
Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.
Fuel economy and running cost
EPA ratings for each 1992 Lincoln Town CAR version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).
| Version | Engine | Transmission | City | Hwy | Comb. | Fuel / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Town Car RWD | 4.6L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 17 | 24 | 20 | $3,350 |
| Town Car RWD | 4.6L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 15 | 22 | 18 | $3,700 |
Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.
Recalls and investigations
- 07V336000Aug 3, 2007Vehicle speed controlCovers: Lincoln Town CAR 1992–1998, Ford E-150 1992–1993, 1997–2003, E-350 1992–1993, 1997–2003 +18 more
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.
- 99V124000May 19, 1999Electrical systemCovers: Lincoln Town CAR 1992–1993, Mercury Grand Marquis 1992–1993, Ford Crown Victoria 1992–1993
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The speed control deactivation switch can develop a resistive short in the electrical circuit that could potentially result in an underhood fire. A fire is possible both when the vehicle is running and when the…
- 98V322000Dec 16, 1998Suspension › Front › Control arm › Lower ball jointCovers: Lincoln Town CAR 1990–1999, Ford Crown Victoria 1990–1999
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…
- 95V151000Aug 7, 1995Latches/locks/linkages › Hood › LatchCovers: Lincoln Town CAR 1991–1992
The secondary hood latch may not engage when the hood is closed.
Recall details for the 1992 Lincoln Town CAR → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls
NHTSA investigations
Technical service bulletins
TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 2 on record; the latest 2 are shown.
- 10026401May 15, 2008Fuel system. 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…
- 10013060Oct 14, 2002Equipment. Climate control a/c service tech tips.
Other model years of the Lincoln Town CAR
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | Crash ★ | MPG | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 6 | 53,500 | 3 | — | 19 | — | Not enough data |
| 2010 | 13 | 94,000 | 3 | — | 19 | — | Not enough data |
| 2009 | 5 | 27,410 | 3 | — | 19 | — | Not enough data |
| 2008 | 20 | 43,200 | 3 | — | 18 | — | Falling |
| 2007 | 84 | 60,000 | 3 | — | 18 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2006 | 143 | 62,768 | 2 | — | 18 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2005 | 119 | 65,000 | 3 | — | 19 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2004 | 83 | 65,500 | 0 | — | 18 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2003 | 201 | 69,000 | 1 | — | 18 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2002 | 65 | 48,940 | 0 | — | 17 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2001 | 161 | 80,000 | 5 | — | 18 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2000 | 108 | 68,150 | 8 | — | 18 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 1999 | 148 | 100,000 | 5 | — | 18 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1998 | 154 | 84,000 | 7 | — | 18 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 1997 | 314 | 90,000 | 6 | — | 18 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1996 | 259 | 92,000 | 8 | — | 18 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1995 | 165 | 103,734 | 6 | — | 18 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1994 | 155 | 105,500 | 5 | — | 18 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1993 | 176 | 108,500 | 4 | — | 19 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1992 | 249 | 100,000 | 4 | — | 20 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1991 | 155 | 83,100 | 5 | — | 18 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1990 | 209 | 100,000 | 4 | — | 18 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1989 | 89 | 96,951 | 5 | — | 18 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1988 | 99 | 113,500 | 5 | — | 18 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1987 | 32 | 34,102 | 6 | — | 19 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1986 | 50 | 143,000 | 4 | — | 19 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1985 | 21 | — | 1 | — | 17 | — | Stable |
| 1984 | 15 | 152,000 | 1 | — | 16 | — | Rising |
All Lincoln Town CAR model years · Best and worst years by complaints
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1992 Lincoln Town CAR?
Owners of this model year most often report underhood fires that start while the car is parked and switched off, and many of those complaints connect the fire to the cruise-control switch or the wiring around it. The issues reported most often: Engine-compartment fire while parked; Cruise control will not disengage or is dead; Intermittent no-start and stalling.
How many NHTSA complaints does the 1992 Lincoln Town CAR have?
NHTSA recorded 249 consumer complaints for the 1992 Lincoln Town CAR as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
What part of the 1992 Lincoln Town CAR is reported most often?
Electrical system is named most often, in 73 complaints (29% of the total), followed by engine cooling with 48.
Has the 1992 Lincoln Town CAR been recalled?
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What gas mileage does the 1992 Lincoln Town CAR get?
The EPA rates the 1992 Lincoln Town CAR (Town Car, 4.6L 8-cyl) at 20 mpg combined, 17 city and 24 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,350 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.
At what mileage are problems with the 1992 Lincoln Town CAR reported?
Among the 29 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 100,000 miles and the middle half falls between 87,000 and 134,000 miles; 10% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).
Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.