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 1997 Lincoln Town Car owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Lincoln Town Car. The contact stated that while traveling an unknown rate of speed, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact stated that upon further inspection of the vehicle, it was noticed that the plastic piece associated with the intake manifold fractured. Also, the contact mentioned that the temperature reader and additional components May have been damaged due to the failure. The vehicle was towed to the contacts residence and was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was not included in NHTSA campaign id number: 10V638000 (engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 98,000.
Tl contact owns a 1997 Lincoln Town Car. While driving approximately 65 MPH, the engine overheated and a large amount of white smoke expelled from the exhaust. The warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and inspected under the hood. He noticed that the coolant was extremely low and allowed the engine to cool completely. He then added water to the radiator reservoir. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and he stated that the failure was related to a blown head gasket. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 105,000 and current mileage was 107,000. Updated 10-29-08 updated 10/30/08.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Lincoln Town Car. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, the vehicle stalled as the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the intake manifold needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired by the dealer however, the contact stated that he repaired the vehicle independently with aftermarket parts. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Lincoln Town Car. The contact stated that while the driver was driving at 30 MPH, steam emitted from the front end of the vehicle without warning. The vehicle was towed to the contacts residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed however, the contact stated that an after market intake manifold was replaced by an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.
The intake manifold on a 97 Lincoln Town Car was originally made of plastic. This manifold has cracked in a large number of cars that use this manifold. These cars include the crown victoria, the mustang and the Town Car. When purchasing a new manifold, it has been redesigned and a cast iron section has replaced the front plastic section. Keep in mind that the rest is still plastic. The manifold supposedly cracks under the pressure of the alternator, which is attached to the front of the manifold. A recall was issued only for fleet and police vehicles. I believe this is unfair to the consumer. Ford's engineers made a mistake and they are not claiming responsibility unless the vehicles are part of a fleet. The cost of replacement of the manifold is $975. It's not pocket change even for a Lincoln owner. …
Excessive wear on the upper and lower control arm ball joints LED to vague steering and a wandering Car path. The control arm ball joints that were replaced were rubber on metal without zerk lube fittings. They were designed to fail. The replacement control arm ball joints are metal-on-metal with zerk lube fittings. In 1999 there was a recall on Lincoln Town cars for replacement of the lower control arm ball joints. The recall numbers are NHTSA recall no. 98V322/Ford recall no. 98s37. However, we had to pay the full amount of the repair. Developed a crack in the intake manifold coolant crossover pipe and lost all engine coolant. We had to have it towed 80 miles for repair. Several Ford recalls were issued on the 4.6l v8 engine for replacement of this defective part; but they were for police cars, limo fleets, etc. I was told I am not covered. …
I had been driving some 20 miles @ 50mph on a rural highway when the overheat warning sounded. Stopping and raising the hood revealed that coolant was spraying from the front of the engine. I had the vehicle towed to the place of a certified technician who advised me that the intake manifold was cracked and that it was a common occurence on my type vehicle and that Ford motor company would cover the repairs. The local Ford dealer denied the coverage and a call to Ford customer service confirmed their decision. I learned from other sources that they would warrant this repair on vehicles in police or taxi service but no others. This is a clear admission that the produce is defective and blatant discrimination against a vast group of owners. I was able to purchase genuine parts and get the repairs made at one half the cost quoted by my local Ford agency. …
I am the owner of a 1997 Lincoln Town Car. My wife was driving the Car today with her mother and 2 children, ages 2 1/2 yrs & 4 wks. The engine suddenly began to loose coolant fluid rapidly and overheated. This left all of them stranded. After having the vehicle towed into a repair shop, we were notified it had a cracked intake manifold. It only has 99K miles. Then I was informed that this was normal considering it had a plastic manifold. After researching this issue, I have found thousands with the same problem, but of course Ford is willing to handle the big guys (I.e.; government fleets and taxis services) and get their problems fixed. Of course us little guys must spend the money to replace some guys project with plastic. They would loose money if they didn't take care of their money bag, the big guys. So tell me why I have to pay $1000 to fix their screw up. …
While on a trip from florida to illinois in mid May 2004, in a rural area about 50 miles west of chattanooga,tn, the over temp. Warning sounded. I investigated and found the whole engine compartment was covered with coolant. By allowing the engine to cool and adding water several times, I was able to "limp" to a repair shop. They found the intake manifold crossover had failed and the part was not available and would have to be ordered from out of state. This was Friday afternoon and the expensive Lincoln Town Car could not be repaired until the following Monday (if the part arrived by then) Monday evening we were on our way again - back to florida. We had missed our commitments in illinois due to the delay and had to cancel our trip. …
During start-up yesterday morning, the engine made a loud knocking sound and there was steam coming out of the passenger side tail pipe. Suspecting a blown head gasket, I removed the plugs on the right bank and found the spark plug in the #1 cylinder wet with coolant. I suspect that there was a leak that filled the cylinder with coolant and created a hydraulic lock that bent a connecting rod, thereby causing the knocking sound. On investigating this situation this morning, I found that Ford has issued three recalls (97m91, 99m01 & 01m02) regarding this situation but only covers vehicles in fleet applications. I would like to know before I tear the engine down whether this should be covered by Ford warranty. I have contacted their customer service line and they say that they will not cover it but I cannot get them one of their supervisors to return my calls.
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…
Spark plug ejection from cylinder head
On September 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 Ford vehicles with triton v-8 and v-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or…
Engine complaints in other Town Car years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 1997 Lincoln Town Car?
NHTSA has 92 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 1997 Lincoln Town Car, 29% of the model year's 314 complaints. The component named most often is exhaust system › manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe (39 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Lincoln Town Car engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 1997 Lincoln Town Car, though it has 6 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 1997 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, 1 fire and 1 injury 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.