The 1992 Lincoln Town Car has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 4,111,532 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 312 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and engine cooling. Last updated July 5, 2026.
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.
Consequence
THIS COULD RESULT IN AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.
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 DISCONNECTED AS AN INTERIM REPAIR. AS SOON AS REPAIR PARTS ARE AVAILABLE (EXPECTED OCTOBER 2007), OWNERS WILL…
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 VEHICLE ENGINE IS OFF. ALSO, THE SHORT COULD DISABLE THE SPEED…
Consequence
A FIRE CAN ORIGINATE IN THE LEFT FRONT UNDERHOOD AREA.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH AND CONNECTOR SHELL. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MAY 20, 1999.
SUSPENSION98V3220001998-12-16175,000 affected
Defect
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…
Consequence
IF THIS OCCURS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS MOVING, REDUCED STEERING CONTROL COULD OCCUR, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINTS (2).
THE SECONDARY HOOD LATCH MAY NOT ENGAGE WHEN THE HOOD IS CLOSED.
Consequence
IN THE EVENT THE PRIMARY HOOD LATCH RELEASES OR IS NOT PROPERLY LATCHED WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, THE HOOD COULD FLY UP OBSTRUCTING THE OPERATOR'S VISION, AND INCREASING THE POTENTIAL FOR A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HOOD LATCH ASSEMBLY.
Complaints by component
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
37
24fires1injuries1deaths
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
29
2crashes7fires2injuries
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
23
20fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
20
18fires
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
13
3crashes1fires1injuries
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
11
7fires
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
11
1fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
10
4fires3injuries
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
9
5fires
SEATS
9
1injuries
Total complaints312
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“Tl* the contact owns a 1992 lincoln town car. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted. The failure mileage was 75,000.”
“Tl* the contact owns a 1992 lincoln town car with a set of goodyear arriviva 2 tires, line size p205/75 r15. The contact stated that the tires were ordered from the manufacturer and after receiving the tires, the contact noticed wrinkles on the side wall. He then returned all of the tires to the…”
“Driving at about 25 mph turning onto an entrance ramp to the highway my car suddenly accelerated to speeds surpassing 85 and I could not make it stop. I tried stomping on the brakes and it first slowed the car but the acceleration overpowered them, I had to throw my car in neutral and turn it off…”
“Lincoln, town car,1992, manual says to turn off air suspension before jacking automobile. Not when tire go flat . When tire is flat for 30+ minutes. The air suspension pump continues to pump till it destroys the rear suspension. There by lowering the automobiles rear end to a dangerous level.(…”
“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. *tr”
“Tl*the contact owns a 1992 lincoln town car. The contact received a recall notice in september of 2007 for the vehicle speed cruise control switch. At that time, she did not take the vehicle to the dealer to have the switch deactivated or repaired. The vehicle caught fire and the wiring harness…”
“Tl*the contact owns a 1992 lincoln town car. While driving between 25-45 mph, the vehicle began smoking. Fifteen minutes after the vehicle had been parked, it caught fire. The vehicle was destroyed, the vehicle port was damaged, and the siding on the contact's home melted. Pictures are available…”
“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. *tr”
Defect investigations
InvestigationDP02007 Opened 2002-08-22 · closed 2002-12-04
FUEL-FED FIRES
THE FARS DATA SHOWS THAT THE RISK OF FIRE FROM IMPACT IN ALL DIRECTIONS IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES IS THE SAME AS ALL OTHER SEDANS.THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE NOT OVER REPRESENTED WITH RESPECT TO THE RISK OF FIRE IN REAL-WORLD HIGH-ENERGY CRASHES.A FURTHER DISCUSSION OF ISSUES RELATED TO POST CRASH FIRES IN THE SUBJECT…
InvestigationEA02025 Opened 2002-09-06 · closed 2004-06-30
SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH FIRES
BASED ON THE LOW RATE OF FIRE INCIDENTS (2.5 INCIDENTS PER 100,000 VEHICLES SOLD) WHERE FAILURE OF THE SCDS IS INVOLVED AND THE AGE OF THE VEHICLES ? 7 TO 11 YEARS ? A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT TREND HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.THE CLOSING OF THIS…
InvestigationEA99006 Opened 1999-03-11 · closed 1999-05-19
UNDER HOOD FIRES
ALLEGED THAT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE IN THE AREA OF THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL WELL AND THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER
InvestigationPE93086 Opened 1993-10-01 · closed 1994-02-28
HOOD FLY-UP WHILE DRIVING
There is no summary currently available
InvestigationPE98055 Opened 1998-10-27 · closed 1999-03-11
UNDER HOOD FIRES
ALLEGED ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE IN THE AREA OF THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL WELL AND THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINER.
InvestigationRQ01002 Opened 2001-09-20 · closed 2002-09-06
ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
InvestigationSQ01014 Opened 2001-11-27 · closed 2002-10-03
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1992 Lincoln Town Car as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
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