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Lincoln Town CARModel year report

2004 Lincoln Town CAR Problems

Complaints
83filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
65,500miles, 65 complaints with mileage
Recalls
0campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
18 mpgcombined, 4.6L 8-cyl RWD · 15 city / 23 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2004 Lincoln Town CAR (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2004 Lincoln Town Car most often describe unintended acceleration or a stuck cruise-control button in the sampled complaints, and many of those reports came in the first few thousand miles. A second large group describes steering that suddenly becomes stiff or stops responding, usually on higher-mileage cars, while door handles and door panels breaking can leave people unable to open a door from the inside.

  1. Vehicle speed control

    Unintended acceleration / surging when braking

    • 23 complaints (28%)
    • median 23,081 mi at 2.7 yrs old (20 state mileage)
    • 11 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2004–2018

    Owners describe the car accelerating on its own when a brake pedal is pressed, often at low speed while parking, turning or idling, and sometimes with the cruise control engaged. Several say the pedal had to be pushed hard and the gearshift forced into neutral or park to stop the car, and complaints mention hitting walls, trees or other vehicles. When the car was taken in, dealers reportedly said they could not duplicate the problem or found nothing wrong with the brakes. Reported from a few hundred to under 20,000 miles in many cases, with some reports at 30,000-100,000 miles.

    What to check: During a test drive, try light brake applications while parking and at low speed and note any rise in engine speed; ask whether the cruise control switches or the pedal assembly have been serviced. Confirming the throttle and speed-control history in service records is worthwhile.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “2004 Lincoln towncar has had four cases of sudden unintended acceleration. Have taken auto to dealer on first three occasions. They say brakes are ok. Sudden acceleration in my opinion is not related to brakes. I've already had one accident. Cost $7000.”

    NHTSA complaint #10104660, filed 2004-12, 2,388 miles

    “While turning into a parking space consumer was depressing the brakes and the vehicle surged forward. Consumer lost total control of the vehicle and collided into a wall. A bicycle rack was destroyed in the process. The seat belts were worn and the air bags did deploy. The police did arrive and cited the consumer for the collision.”

    NHTSA complaint #10083216, filed 2004-07, 3,000 miles
  2. Steering

    Steering becomes stiff or stops responding

    • 12 complaints (14%)
    • median 79,150 mi at 10.2 yrs old (10 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2009–2020

    Complaints describe the steering wheel becoming hard to turn, sometimes suddenly mid-drive, and in some cases the car turning opposite to the input. Owners who had the car inspected were often told the lower or intermediate steering shaft assembly needed replacing, and some also mention corrosion of the steering column or knuckle. Several complain that this model year was not included in a later steering recall covering similar vehicles. Mostly reported between about 37,000 and 130,000 miles, with a few reports on very low-mileage cars showing column rust.

    What to check: Turn the wheel lock to lock with the engine running and listen for binding or a stiff spot, and look at the steering column and shaft under the hood for heavy rust. Ask whether the steering shaft has been inspected or replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “My steering is hard to turn. Very stiff. Bought it used and I see they repaired the upper and lower power steering shaft., all other models were being recalled for this problem. Why not this year? It only has 65,500 miles”

    NHTSA complaint #11319767, filed 2020-03, 65,500 miles

    “I have only 20,118 original miles on my 2004 Lincoln Town Car ultimate. The steering column under the hood is terribly rusted. The corrosion looks scary. I wanted to take it to the dealer to have them tell me if I needed to replace it! Now, I wasn't looking for ford to pay for anything but get this - they want me to pay them a $100 diagnostic fee just to tell me if I need to replace the steering column! The 2005 Town Car is being recalled for the same thing yet ford is paying for this. What recourse do I have. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11301254, filed 2020-01, 20,118 miles
  3. Body and structure

    Interior door handles break, door won't open

    • 7 complaints (8%)
    • median 88,000 mi at 8.9 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2011–2015

    Owners report the interior door handle coming loose or breaking away from the door mechanism so the door cannot be opened from inside; some say the whole door trim panel or its clips break at the same time. Several were told the door panel parts are discontinued and no repair was offered. The recurring concern in complaints is being unable to exit the car quickly in an emergency. Typically reported between about 68,000 and 112,000 miles, and on cars roughly 8 to 15 years old.

    What to check: Open and close every door from the inside and outside and check each handle for wobble or a loose panel. Ask whether any door panel or latch parts have been replaced, since replacement trim can be hard to source.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “The interior door lock within the panel broke off on the drivers side & the clips broke off on the passengers side. Per Lincoln we will need to replace the whole panel. They no longer make the panel nor can we find it at anywhere else. Lincoln offered two sites to try and locate however they do not have this part either. The car hasn't even hit 10 years for us and Lincoln offers no solution. The car runs ok but it's a bit embarrassing that we cannot open the door without the panel falling down. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10561024, filed 2014-01, 88,000 miles

    “3 of 4 interior door latches broke in normal use when attempting to exit the vehicle and the part is integral to the door panel. Ford dealer says the parts are no longer available and ford has provided no other means of repair. Exiting the vehicle may not be possible in an emergency and may pose a serious threat to life & safety.”

    NHTSA complaint #10783336, filed 2015-10, 88,000 miles
  4. Electrical system

    Headlights and dash lighting fail

    • 5 complaints (6%)
    • median 154,500 mi at 12.9 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2015–2025

    Owners report the headlights or the instrument cluster display going dark, sometimes suddenly while driving, and in some cases a battery that drains overnight. Diagnosis in several complaints pointed to the lighting control module, and owners note the same part is covered by a recall on other Ford and Lincoln models of the same era. Mostly reported between about 64,000 and 220,000 miles.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Test all exterior lighting and the dash display with the switch in manual and automatic positions, and ask whether the lighting control module has ever been replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Driving slowly on a suburban street at twilight the headlights and dashboard lights went out. The same thing occurred a three times week later on the interstate at 65 MPH about 10 p.m. The automatic delayed headlight off setting no longer functions. The lights can be turned on in the manual position.apparently, the light control module has faulty relays which fail suddenly during the course of normal use.”

    NHTSA complaint #10743986, filed 2015-07, 105,000 miles

    “When lighting is switched on from the dashboard switch or from auto lamp feature, all lights come on except the headlights.. No hi or lo beam. The high beams will work from the flash to pass feature with the turn signal stalk. This failure occurred suddenly. Fortunately just before I entered the highway this seems precisely the lighting control module problem that ford covers for the crown vic and marquis vehicles under recall 15s39. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11004112, filed 2017-07, 204,000 miles

Buying note. Check the steering feel and every door handle carefully on a test drive, look for damp carpets, and ask for service records covering the throttle, steering and lighting control module. These are older cars, so condition and documented repairs matter more than the label, and a pre-purchase inspection is worth the cost.

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 83 consumer complaints for the 2004 Lincoln Town CAR. 65 of the complaints include a mileage, and 45% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 65,500 miles. Of all complaints, 18 involved a crash, 3 a fire, 6 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 29 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 (3), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (3), Air bags (2), Fuel system (2), Suspension (2), Engine (1), Equipment (1), Transmission and drivetrain (1).

Example complaints

Vehicle speed control: “Operator experienced stuck speed control button and accelerated couldn�t stop the speed acceleration with steering wheel so operator hit breaks. Loud bang sound followed by drastic reduced speeds. Could cause loss of control. Resulted in speeding ticket during failure speeds almost up to 100mph during emergency event mode.”

NHTSA complaint #11133036, filed 2018-10, 173,000 miles

Steering: “March of 2013 while driving on interstate highway I notice the steering not responding properly, I drove carefully to my destination in florida and took car to dealer who stated it was the steering rack which I had them replace, car was returned and while it still was a bit hard to steer I figured it was a new part and had to break in, back home in new york I called the dealer in florida who stated the part was warrentied for 12,000 miles or one year and I could take it to any ford dealer and it would be honored, I took it to my local ford dealer where they ran a diagnosis and stated it was…”

NHTSA complaint #10522192, filed 2013-06, 77,000 miles

Body and structure: “2004 Lincoln leaks on passenger side under glovebox area, during moderate to hard rain, seems to be much worse while standing still. Passenger carpet floods and vehicle must have 'shop vac' treatment to get all the water out of the car and carpet. Leaves the carpet stained and musty smelling. Now I must put a large trash sack under the passenger windshield wiper blade so if it rains the car won't flood. Lincoln says they are sorry but do not know what the problem is as they can see nothing wrong. I showed them pictures and Lincoln was unimpresses. …”

NHTSA complaint #10649831, filed 2014-10, 74,000 miles

Brakes: “When gas pedal was tapped to pull up into a parking space vehicle accelerated at a high speed. When this occurred brake pedal was depressed to slow and stop the vehicle, but it locked up and failed. This resulted in vehicle going over an embankment, down a 5 foot hill, and crashing into a tree. Prior to this incident, twice when making a right turn the brakes locked up. Dealership claimed they couldn't find anything wrong withthe vehicle.”

NHTSA complaint #10087346, filed 2004-09, 1,200 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

45% of the 65 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 17,000 and 98,709 miles.

25%0–106%10–2514%25–5012%50–7520%75–10011%100–15012%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (65 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 65,500 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

13’06’09’1213’15’19’25
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 2004 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 2004 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 automatic152318$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

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 2004 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.

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. 29 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 29 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 2004 Lincoln Town CAR?

Owners of the 2004 Lincoln Town Car most often describe unintended acceleration or a stuck cruise-control button in the sampled complaints, and many of those reports came in the first few thousand miles. The issues reported most often: Unintended acceleration / surging when braking; Steering becomes stiff or stops responding; Interior door handles break, door won't open.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2004 Lincoln Town CAR have?

NHTSA recorded 83 consumer complaints for the 2004 Lincoln Town CAR as of Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2004 Lincoln Town CAR is reported most often?

Vehicle speed control is named most often, in 19 complaints (23% of the total), followed by steering with 14.

Has the 2004 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 2004 Lincoln Town CAR get?

The EPA rates the 2004 Lincoln Town CAR (Town Car, 4.6L 8-cyl) at 18 mpg combined, 15 city and 23 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,700 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2004 Lincoln Town CAR reported?

Among the 65 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 65,500 miles and the middle half falls between 17,000 and 98,709 miles; 45% 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.