Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1997 Lincoln Town Car owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl contact owns a 1997 Lincoln Town Car. The contact had the vehicle repaired under the recall for the vehicle speed control. Upon leaving the dealer, she attempted to activate the cruise control, but was unsuccessful. She returned to the dealer and they stated that the cruise control motor burned out and a new one was needed at the cost of $300. Initially, the dealer stated that they would pay half; however, the manufacturer refused because the vehicle was out of warranty. The recall number was unknown. The failure and current mileages were 72,014.
Dt*: the contact stated while braking the vehicle accelerated without warning. This incident resulted in accidents on two separate occasions. One accident occurred in June of 2005 while in traffic. The other accident occurred in August of 2006 resulting in the vehilcle driving through the garage. A police report was taken at the scene of the first incident. The service dealer could not determine the cause of the problem. During each accident the air bags did not deploy. There was also no air bag light illuminated prior to each incident.
Tl contact owns a 1997 Lincoln Town Car. The vehicle caught fire under the hood while parked. The fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. Both the inside and outside of the contact's home was damaged. He received a recall letter from the manufacturer approximately 2 months prior to the fire. At that time, he called the dealer and they stated that they did not have any parts available. The powertrain and recall number were unknown. The current and failure mileages were 119,000.
The Car was sitting in the driveway unattended with no key in the ignition when the fire started. It had been driven about 3 hours before with no problems. The fire inspector said the fire started under the hood on the left side but he was unable to say exactly what caused the fire. After checking on line it was discovered the Car was on a recall list for the speed control switch which is located on the left side.
Our 1997 Lincoln Town Car that was part of the deactivation switch recall began honking as the alarm triggered on the evening of August 24, 2010 in our garage. After clearing the alarm several times, I investigated the battery voltage and all was well. The alarm triggered again and I cleared it. As I closed the hood smoke began to escape near the rear drivers side corner of the hood. I opened the hood as the smoke slowed down. The connector to the deactivation switch was very warm and the switch had brake fluid on it. The recall installed 20 amp fuse had not opened. Upon investigation I found that the fuse in the recall installed harness was in the circuit between the switch and the cruise control instead of between the battery and the switch. Hence the fuse provided no protection against the potential fire. …
Ford recall #05s28 on our 1997 Lincoln Town Car executive was issued over 5 months ago. We complied with the request to have the speed control modified, and was told we would be notified when parts were available. We have checked several times and still they are not in stock. This is totally unacceptable as a response from a reputable us manufacturer. Ford seems to be dragging their feet on this safety issue [is this a reason buyers are reluctant to buy and own us made products] ???. We are fast losing faith in the quality and concern displayed by Ford.
Approximately 1 year ago I received a letter pertaining to the recall of my Lincoln # concerning the speed control deactivation switch ( scds) upon receiving the letter I immediately contacted cooper Ford in clinton s.c to schedule the repair, I was told by katie , a service manager "they would put me on the list" this was the last quarter of last year oct nov time frame. Upon not hearing anything from the dealership in mar 08 I called again, a service manager brian, told me I was still on the list. I have not been contacted by the dealership since.
Tl contact owns a 1997 Lincoln Town Car. He received a safety recall notification in September 2007 for the vehicle speed control (NHTSA campaign id #07V336000). The dealer disconnected the vehicle speed control in August of 2007 and stated that the part would be available in October. As of January 2, 2008, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle. The current mileage was 114,957 and there had been no failure to date. Updated 01/29/08 the consumer stated still waiting to have vehicle recall performed. Updated 01/29/08
Tl contact owns a 1997 Lincoln Town Car. The contact stated that the vehicle speed control deactivation switch is attached to the reservoir for the brake fluid. The brake fluid leaks down the cable into the fuse box and causes the overdrive and speed control to fail. The vehicle is currently at the dealer for repair. The current and failure mileages were 138,000.
Failure of cruise control to kick down after reaching desired speed and to kick back in when going below desired speed. Also if cruise control is not turned off before turning engine off it will continue to draw current and run battery down. This has not caused any accidents yet but has caused two close calls. I stopped using the cruise control until it is fixed.
Related recalls
Vehicle speed control
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.
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…
NHTSA investigations
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 vehicles is set out in the closing report for sq 01-014 and that report is in the docket for this…
Acceleration complaints in other Town Car years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 1997 Lincoln Town Car?
NHTSA has 43 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 1997 Lincoln Town Car, 14% of the model year's 314 complaints. The component named most often is cruise control (11 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Lincoln Town Car acceleration problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 07V-336 (vehicle speed control, Aug 3, 2007). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1997 Lincoln Town Car acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 107,000 miles, and 8% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 3 fires and 2 injuries to speed control & acceleration 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.