1999 Lincoln Town CAR Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe front-suspension ball joint and control arm problems, air bag deployment complaints (both non-deployment in crashes and unexpected deployment), and coolant leaks traced to a cracked plastic intake manifold. Many complaints come from high-mileage cars, though some suspension and brake reports appear at much lower mileage; complaints tend to describe gradual wear followed by a sudden failure rather than a single recurring pattern.

1. 1
   Suspension

   Front ball joint / control arm failure

   • 16 complaints (11%)
   • median 97,000 mi at 13.9 yrs old (14 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2002–2022

   Complaints describe front lower ball joints separating or fracturing, sometimes at low speed in a parking lot or driveway, with the front corner of the car dropping onto the wheel. Owners report hearing clunking, squealing or a loud crack beforehand, and several say a shop found worn upper and lower ball joints and tie rods. Several complaints mention that the vehicle was not covered by the front lower ball joint recall, and some describe repeat repairs where a noise returned. Reports cluster between roughly 50,000 and 180,000 miles, with several between 90,000 and 110,000 miles; a few describe noise noticed far earlier than the failure.

   Recall 98V322000

   What to check: Have the front ball joints, control arms and tie rod ends inspected on a lift, and ask whether the car was ever covered by the ball joint recall; note any clunk or squeal when turning.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While backing out of the driveway at 2 MPH, the front driver's side tie rod snapped. The left front tie rod fell to the ground. The tie had rusted and pitted. Both tie rods were replaced and the upper joint was found bad.”

   NHTSA complaint #10059845, filed 2004-04, 60,500 miles

   “The contact owns a 1999 Lincoln Town Car. While driving 30 MPH, the ball joints detached from the front passenger side of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000. The VIN was unavailable.”

   NHTSA complaint #10672229, filed 2015-01, 100,000 miles
2. 2
   Air bags

   Air bag deploys unexpectedly or fails in a crash

   • 27 complaints (18%)
   • median 100,000 mi at 8.7 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • 15 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1999–2018

   Complaints describe frontal or side air bags deploying with no impact, including when the key is turned or while driving at low speed, and in other cases air bags not deploying in a collision. Owners report warning lights coming on afterward, dealer inspections that attributed the deployment to no accident, and repairs that were often not made. Some describe minor injuries from an unexpected deployment. Filed across a wide mileage range, from about 58,000 to 183,000 miles; deployments are described as occurring while parked, at ignition, or at low speed.

   What to check: Ask whether the air bag warning lamp works and check for stored air bag fault codes; confirm the bag has not been previously deployed or replaced with salvage parts.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “1. I entered the vehicle which had been parked for approximately 90 minutes. I turned the ignition key to start the vehicle and at the moment I turned the key the driver side, seat/window side air bag deployed. The vehicle was not in motion, not in drive gear and was not struck by another vehicle. Also, there had been no warning lights staying on indicating a possible problem with the air bag system. 2. The side air bag struck my left shoulder and upper back. It was painful, but did not injure me. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10184247, filed 2007-03, 74,045 miles

   “The contact owns a 1999 Lincoln Town Car. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH and without any warning, the passenger side airbag deployed erroneously. The airbag warning light illuminated after the airbag deployed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure and the current mileage was 120,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #10450649, filed 2012-03, 120,000 miles
3. 3
   Engine cooling

   Cracked plastic intake manifold / coolant loss

   • 10 complaints (7%)
   • median 112,588 mi at 12.0 yrs old (10 state mileage)
   • filed 2003–2020

   Owners describe coolant level dropping slowly and then quickly, overheating, and a cracked plastic intake manifold that leaks coolant onto the engine; one complaint notes coolant reaching the alternator. Several mention a past settlement or notice about the manifold that they say they never received, and dealers quoting around a thousand dollars for replacement. Mostly reported between roughly 90,000 and 175,000 miles, often after years of slow coolant loss.

   What to check: Check the coolant level and look for coolant residue or staining along the plastic intake manifold and near the alternator; ask whether the manifold has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was never notified about the ford recalls on intake manifold, I recently found out that my manifold had cracked and that prior to it braking ford had settle a lawsuit regarding said problem. I have never nor has my godfather be notified about the recall item. Known ford recalls: 97m91, 99m01, 01m02 did not apply to privately owned vehicles why.”

   NHTSA complaint #10377897, filed 2011-01, 150,000 miles

   “The intake manifold on my 1999 Lincoln Town Car developed a crack and began leaking all over the engine . We bought the car in 2008 and the manifold had not been changed and we knew nothing of the settlement with ford to replace them.. I contacted ford and they told me that agreement ended march 16, 2006.. Now the ford dealer wants $1000 to replace it.. Why should the car owner have to pay an excessive amount when ford is responsible for installing plastic in an engine compartment that gets hot and is bound to crack at some point.. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10732489, filed 2015-07, 109,000 miles

Buying note. These cars are typically high-mileage now, so a pre-purchase inspection focused on the front suspension, cooling system and cabin water leaks is worth the cost. Ask for service records on the intake manifold and heater core, and confirm whether any air bag work or recalls have been completed.

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.