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Lincoln Town CARModel year report

2002 Lincoln Town CAR Problems

Complaints
65filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
48,940miles, 36 complaints with mileage
Recalls
0campaigns 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
17 mpgcombined, 4.6L 8-cyl RWD · 15 city / 21 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2002 Lincoln Town CAR (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this 2002 Town Car most often write in about air bags, either failing to deploy in a collision or deploying without a crash, and about unintended or hard-to-control acceleration. A second cluster of reports concerns the close spacing of the brake and accelerator pedals. Most sampled complaints were filed in the first years of ownership, with several air bag and brake reports arriving under 50,000 miles.

  1. Vehicle speed control

    Acceleration surges, lurching, or stuck accelerator

    Mentioned in 18 of 58 sampled complaints

    Owners describe the car revving and lunging forward while stopped, while parking at low speed, or when starting off, and in some cases the gas pedal going to the floor or sticking. Several report having to shut the engine off to stop the car, and a few describe brake or cruise control inputs that did not seem to respond. Dealers variously said no fault was found, blamed a floor mat, or said nothing could be done; one owner reports a data recorder showing no fault. Spread across the model's life from very low mileage to about 49,000 miles, with many incidents at parking-lot or stop-and-go speeds.

    What to check: Check that the floor mat is properly secured and ask whether the throttle body and pedal linkage have been inspected; drive the car at low speed with room ahead during the test drive.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Takata recall I've change the brake switch on my car over four times and it went out again. Mt car will not chage gier when this happens. I would like to know if there has been a recall with this problem. This happens after the vehicle is park.”

    NHTSA complaint #11092770, filed 2018-05, 76,000 miles

    “While driving down a mountain, the engine went into an uncontroled speed. It was if someone floored the gas and the engine screamed. The brakes did not work, nor did the emergency brake. The only was to slow it down some was to put it in neutral. When put into drive again, we fishtailed the car. Finally, my husband, turned the car off. Each time we went up a hill we slowed down but not enough to stop, then would pick up speed when we hit another hill. …”

    NHTSA complaint #764492, filed 2002-07
  2. Air bags

    Air bag deploys without a crash (side/front passenger bag)

    Mentioned in 16 of 58 sampled complaints

    Complaints describe the passenger-side or driver seat air bag inflating while the car is being driven normally on dry roads, sometimes over gravel or a pothole, with no collision beforehand. Owners describe a loud bang, smoke in the cabin, ringing ears, bruising, and damage to the seat and trim. Several say the dealer attributed it to a stone or gravel strike on the underbody, or cited the repair as not covered, while others report a sensor was replaced. Reported from roughly 6,000 to 159,000 miles, often in steady driving on country or gravel roads; several reports came in at low mileage.

    What to check: Ask whether any air bag has ever deployed or been replaced, and have the air bag warning light and sensor circuits checked by a shop familiar with this generation before buying.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “On 01/12/2019 I was traveling straight down a level country road with 1 passenger in the front passenger seat at about 45 MPH when for no reason the passenger side air bag deployed without any warning. After regaining control of the vehicle we pulled to the side of the road and took a few minutes to calm down and figure out what just happened and clear all the smoke from the interior of the vehicle from the air bag. My friend in the passenger seat was sore but not injured and both our ears were ringing. It sounded like a gun fired in the car. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11166790, filed 2019-01, 140,000 miles

    “We were traveling the I-40 in az behind a tractor/trailer rig. The rig threw up a rock. It hit our car. We looked at our windshield thinking the rock hit there and saw nothing so we proceeded. Later, we heard a strange sound. I looked in the rear view mirror and saw something fly off. We stopped and discovered part of our sunroof had broken apart and flew off. We duct tapped the remaining sunroof and proceeded at a very slow speed. It occurred to us if a motorcycle or convertible would have been behind us they could have been hit by the glass. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10168269, filed 2006-09, 77,000 miles
  3. Air bags

    Air bag does not deploy in a collision

    • 20 complaints (31%)
    • median 68,000 mi at 4.6 yrs old (15 state mileage)
    • 12 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2002–2019

    Owners report air bags that stayed folded in frontal or side impacts with substantial front-end damage, with occupants injured in some cases. A few note the air bag warning light had been flashing beforehand. According to complaints, dealers or manufacturer representatives said the sensors were functioning or that the impact fell outside a specified zone. Reported from about 6,000 miles up to around 130,000 miles, typically described as moderate-to-high-speed crash conditions.

    What to check: Have any stored air bag fault codes read and ask for the service history; a flashing or intermittent air bag light is worth having diagnosed before purchase.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Frontal collision 50mph, none of the airbags deployed on my 2002 Lincoln towncar. My insurance co. Said car is total loss accident & not repairable, when I contacted to my local ford/Lincoln dealer & the company itself, I ask my car is total loss & none of the airbags deployed, they said someone will get back to you soon, after 6 months no one get back to me, but insurance co paid the car.”

    NHTSA complaint #10062157, filed 2004-03, 35,424 miles

    “While driving at 45 MPH the vehicle was involved in a frontal collision. The front air bags failed to deploy and as a result the passenger sustained a painful bruise over the left anterior rib cage. There was sufficient frontal impact but the driver believes the air bag failure may be due to the positioning of the air bag sensor.”

    NHTSA complaint #10024817, filed 2003-08, 6,295 miles
  4. Brakes

    Brake and accelerator pedals too close together

    • 6 complaints (9%)
    • median 43,000 mi at 5.0 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2002–2009

    Complaints describe the brake and gas pedals sitting close enough that the edge of a foot catches the accelerator while braking, so the car accelerates as the driver tries to stop. Owners mention near-misses at traffic lights and low-speed impacts while parking, and say dealers told them this was normal for the design or suggested being more careful. Mostly described in low-speed, stop-and-go and parking situations; mileage in the sample ranges from near-new to about 56,000 miles.

    What to check: Sit in the car and press the brake pedal the way you normally would to see whether your foot can contact the accelerator; ask whether the adjustable pedal option is fitted.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Re 2002 Lincoln tc cartier l. The most useless and dangerous accessory on this auto is the adjustable brake & accelerator pedal. There doesn't appear that there is any way one may adjust either/or as they adjust simultaneously. Recently this accessory cost me $1000.00. My wife was stopped, waiting on the light to change and had her foot partially on the brake pedal and when she push on the brake pedal, she also pushed on the accelerator causing her to rear-end the vehicle in front of her. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10272846, filed 2009-06, 56,000 miles

    “Brake pedal and accelerator pedal are too close together. Consumer states that when pushing down on the brake pedal, the side of his foot hits the accelerator and the car may move forward. Consumer has had two close calls. Consumer is concerned with the design, to prevent touching the pedal.”

    NHTSA complaint #8016068, filed 2002-08

Buying note. Have a pre-purchase inspection focus on air bag codes and sensor condition, and check the pedals and throttle response yourself at low speed. Service records showing the door lock fuse and wiring have been addressed are a plus.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 58 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 65 consumer complaints for the 2002 Lincoln Town CAR. 36 of the complaints include a mileage, and 53% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 48,940 miles. Of all complaints, 14 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 12 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 21 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.

Also reported: Tires (2), Engine (1), Other or unknown (1), Seat belts (1), Seats (1).

Example complaints

Air bags: “At approx. 8 pm on sat. Oct.9 my wife and I were returning home, traveling on rt. 95 northbound in the center lane of 3, going at the speed limit of 70 MPH. …”

NHTSA complaint #10096396, filed 2004-10, 9,650 miles

Vehicle speed control: “The vehicle accelerated without warning. The manufacturer attached a recorder to the computer and it showed no defects. The vehicle accelerated at full throttle when first starting and would be extremely hard to stop.”

NHTSA complaint #10087977, filed 2004-11, 7,000 miles

Brakes: “I took delivery of car 2/xx/2002. When driven the first time in the rain. The car pulled to the right when braking seems ok in dry weather. I live I nj where there was a drough this year so driving in the rain was rare. However, the car has been to the dealer 3 times and they now claim the car is ok. It still exhibits the right pull when braking in the rain. I have started the dispute process. Dt”

NHTSA complaint #770740, filed 2002-12

Latches, locks and linkages: “2002 Lincoln towncar car has auto lock feature locking all doors when moving forward. After stopping those in the front seat can exit by using door handle. Those in rear seat must first use the unlock plunger. In event of accident if rear passengers do not know this they are trapped in car.”

NHTSA complaint #10302489, filed 2010-01, 6,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

53% of the 36 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 22,000 and 77,000 miles.

17%0–1014%10–2522%25–5014%50–7514%75–10014%100–1506%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (36 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 48,940 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

’0217’04’06’08’10’14’18’26
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2002 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.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Town CAR · sedan not rated5 / 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 2002 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).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Town Car RWD4.6L 8-cyl4-speed automatic152117$3,950

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

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 2002 Lincoln Town CAR in the data used here. A recall can apply to some vehicles of a model year and not others, so check a specific vehicle by 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. 21 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 21 bulletins →

Other model years of the Lincoln Town CAR

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2011653,5003—19—Not enough data
20101394,0003—19—Not enough data
2009527,4103—19—Not enough data
20082043,2003—18—Falling
20078460,0003—18Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200614362,7682—18Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200511965,0003—19Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20048365,5000—18Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200320169,0001—18Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20026548,9400—17Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200116180,0005—18Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200010868,1508—18Not compared (before 2008)Rising
1999148100,0005—18Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199815484,0007—18Not compared (before 2008)Rising
199731490,0006—18Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199625992,0008—18Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1995165103,7346—18Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1994155105,5005—18Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1993176108,5004—19Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1992249100,0004—20Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199115583,1005—18Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1990209100,0004—18Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19898996,9515—18Not compared (before 2008)Stable
198899113,5005—18Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19873234,1026—19Not compared (before 2008)Stable
198650143,0004—19Not compared (before 2008)Stable
198521—1—17—Stable
198415152,0001—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 2002 Lincoln Town CAR?

Owners of this 2002 Town Car most often write in about air bags, either failing to deploy in a collision or deploying without a crash, and about unintended or hard-to-control acceleration. The issues reported most often: Acceleration surges, lurching, or stuck accelerator; Air bag deploys without a crash (side/front passenger bag); Air bag does not deploy in a collision.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2002 Lincoln Town CAR have?

NHTSA recorded 65 consumer complaints for the 2002 Lincoln Town CAR as of Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2002 Lincoln Town CAR is reported most often?

Air bags is named most often, in 20 complaints (31% of the total), followed by vehicle speed control with 12.

Has the 2002 Lincoln Town CAR been recalled?

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year in the data used here. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2002 Lincoln Town CAR get?

The EPA rates the 2002 Lincoln Town CAR (Town Car, 4.6L 8-cyl) at 17 mpg combined, 15 city and 21 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,950 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2002 Lincoln Town CAR reported?

Among the 36 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 48,940 miles and the middle half falls between 22,000 and 77,000 miles; 53% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 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.