Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1996 Lincoln Town Car owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 Lincoln Town Car. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH there was smoke emitting from the engine. The vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the road where the contact observed that anti-freeze was covering the engine. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who stated that the intake manifold was cracked and would needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 101,000. Updated 10/24/2014 the consumer stated that the defective plastic intake manifold was covered in a class action lawsuit. The consumer believes that even though the date of the coverage expired the vehicle should still be covered. Updated 04/16/2015
My complaint is about the intake manifold on the 1996 Lincoln Town Car. I am a avide Car person and I have worked on Car all my life. I have come across a problem that I have found out a lot of people are having. The intake manifold on the 4.6 liter engine. This engine is common in the big Ford Car. My Car developed this problem after 136,000 miles. So when I started looking for the part I had a problem finding it. After a long search I started getting the samething, we are out of the part, and the people that had the part wanted just as much or more than the part cost new. Then I was told by a person at the junk yard that I should check to see if there was a recall because he stated that he gets a lot of calls on this same part. I called Ford and found out that there was an extended warranty on the part, seven years. My warranty expired last year. …
9/12/04 cracked "coolant crossover passage" of the intake manifold drained all coolant from my 1996 Lincoln Town Car, on to the garage floor, while smoking and smelling. I was told this has been an ongoing problem since 1996, Ford/Lincoln has replaced this part in , cruisers, fleet Car, rentals etc, what about the consumer in general. Please see 97m91 recall bullletin for further info.also TSB 02-2-2 feb 02 intake manifold-cross over channel coolant seepage. I had to have this repair done to my 1996 Lincoln Town Car mileage of 74675. The cost was $535.00. The mechanic and the service manager told me this was an on going and very prevalent problem. They have done alot of these replacements. The new part is made out of metal, ?aluminum or steel.I called customer service and was told it was my problem. I feel that I have been totally ignored and basically blown off by Ford motor co. …
I own a 1996 Lincoln Town Car v-8 4.6 engine, which has a plastic intake manifold, terrible mistake by Ford engineers, I made a temporary repair to move the vehicle from the middle of no were, it worked until I install the thermostat again to make the smog inspection to the Car, the manifold crack again, leaking the anti-freeze, I get this Car from a used Car lot dealer, it only has around 85,000 miles, I check that there is a recall in this failure for the kind of engine, but not every owner qualifies for the repair, why? I all ready run my VIN number in the Ford website and do not show anything. From my point of view, Ford motor company is liable for this engineering mistake, every body in this world that is mechanic oriented knows that plastic do not hold for temperature and pressure. My Car VIN [redacted]. …
The engine in the 1996 Lincoln Town Car is faulty and should be investigated. I had 80,000 miles on my engine when the engine threw a rod. I have spoken to several mechanics, who stated that the engine is the same as the engine placed inside of 1995 through present Ford crown victoria's. On person told me no matter how well I took care of my vehicle the engine was made to fail. I changed the oil in the vehicle every 3,000 miles and without fail. What ever my maintenance book recommended, I did. I had an extended warranty until 75,000 miles. The vehicle engine failed at exactly 80,000 miles. I contacted Lincoln Mercury division and was told, "oh well, your vehicle has 80,000 miles. This May seem like a lot of miles, but I should still be able to drive the vehicle for another 80,000 without the engine failing. I spoke to a mechanic that installs engines for yellow cab in san francisco. …
Service manager stated that the intake manifold "blew" while checking engine RPM , resulting in loss of coolant and engine failure. Further stated that his facility had replaced 30 defective plastic intake manifolds so far this year , 16 since April. He indicated that Ford motor will replace at no cost to taxicab , police,and Ford thunderbird owners , but not to individual out of warranty owners. Cost to replace by the dealers book including labor $1241.00 design defect : intake manifold in replacement part changes the front coolant transfer section with metal section instead of plastic. Rear section that transfers coolant also is not changed ,remains plastic. When is projected failure of rear plastic coolant part as this vehicle only had 59,126 miles on the odometer at the time of failure. ? …
Tl contact owns a 1996 Lincoln Town Car. While driving approximately 5 MPH, the tie rod detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a mechanic and he stated that the failure occurs frequently for that year, make, and model vehicle. He further stated that there was no lubrication in the zerks on the tie rods for that year, make, and model vehicle, which caused the failure to occur. The contact was responsible for paying $229 to repair the vehicle. The intake manifold cracked and all of the water left the exhaust system. The contact was responsible for paying $900 for that repair. The manufacturer was unable to assist. The failure mileage was 94,000 and current mileage was 100,000. Updated 02/15/08.
Dt*: the contact stated while descending a mountain at an unknown speed, steam was coming from under the hood. The vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop, where it was determined the manifold had cracked. The manifold was replaced and there have been no further problems. The contact felt that it wasn't right that Ford knowing about a serious flaw in an engine component, such as fuel/air intake manifold, should continue producing these flawed components and not have to issue a recall. For Ford to pay only for these component failures for the first seven years after original purchase is unfair to many owners of Lincoln/ Mercury vehicles.
1996 Lincoln Town Car - service tech - Car overheated - mechanic found cracked in the plastic intake manifold. Ford dealer stated no recall issued. Replacement part appox $625.00. Dealer stated intake manifold is a defective part they keep this part in stock. Major problem Ford replaced all fleet vehicles intake manifold under a agreement at no charge police vehicles showed problems quickly due to type of use. ((Ford put up a good front making these vehicles look as if there were no problems why offering to fix them at no cost but hiding the problem to the public.))) vehicle repared $650.00 (old part available) mileage 86000.
Tl contact owns a 1996 Lincoln Town Car. The contact received a recall notice regarding the cruise control. While approaching a stop or making a left or right turn, the engine shuts off. The failure was noticed while driving 15 MPH. The dealer attempted to diagnose the vehicle on four or five occasions, but was unsuccessful. The dealer also drove the vehicle and was unable to duplicate the failure. There were no warning lights present and the failure persisted intermittently. The recall number was unknown. The failure mileage was 45,000 and current mileage was 71,000.
NHTSA investigations
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 investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that no safety-related defect exists.the agency reserves…
Engine complaints in other Town Car years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 1996 Lincoln Town Car?
NHTSA has 90 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 1996 Lincoln Town Car, 35% of the model year's 259 complaints. The component named most often is exhaust system › manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe (42 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1996 Lincoln Town Car engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 1996 Lincoln Town Car, though it has 8 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1996 Lincoln Town Car engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 90,000 miles, and 2% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 2 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.