Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
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).
Ball joint separated from control arm causing control arm to drop to the ground. The same as your recall98v322000 but calling Lincoln they said that my Car was not part of the recall. Even though it did exactly what the recall said.
On December 14, 2001, while parking my Car with my granddaughter buckled in her Car seat in the back, I suddenly heard a loud crashing sound and felt the jolt of the entire right side of my Car collapsing. I immediately removed myself and my granddaughter from the Car only to see that the suspension on the right side of the Car had simply fallen off. As a mechanic in my younger years it was very obvious that my grand daughter and I would have been severely injured-even killed- had this occurred on the highway. There were no warning signs at all. In over 50 years as a safe driver and operating a variety of trucks and automobiles, I have never before encountered such a defect with such high potential for lethality. …
Son was operating the vehicle. As he made a left turn, he heard a loud clunking sound and the right side of the vehicle crashed to the ground. Had the Car towed home and subsequently towed to the repair shop the next day. Was told that the lower right ball joint had failed, subsequently snapping the stabilizer link. This happened in August 2010. November 15, 2011, I was driving home. Stopped to air up my right rear tire. Upon re-entering the vehicle and backing out, the right front side fell to the ground. Again, the right front lower ball joint failed. This time, I had to also replace the right front lower control arm, right front stabilizer link, right front shock and right front ball joint. There is a serious problem with the 1997 Lincoln towncar's front end. …
Tl contact owns a 1997 Lincoln Town Car. While driving 50 MPH, the front passenger side of the vehicle jumped when the brake pedal was depressed. The dealer stated that the control arm and lower ball joint failed. The brake lines also failed. As of October 23, 2007, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle. There are recalls for the suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint (NHTSA campaign id number 98V322000) and service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (NHTSA campaign id number 98i001000); however, the dealer refused to repair the vehicle as part of the recalls. The failure mileage was 90,000 and current mileage was 143,000.
Tl contact owns a 1997 Lincoln Town Car. While driving at 2 MPH, the contact heard a loud sound. Seconds later, the front end of the vehicle suddenly fell to the ground. After inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the front driver side ball joint had separated from the vehicle. A few weeks prior to the failure, the contact noticed that the vehicle made a creaking sound whenever operated. The contact called the dealership and was informed that recall 98V322000 (suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint) did not include his vehicle. The vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. The current and failure mileages were approximately 175,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Lincoln Town Car. While driving approximately 20 MPH, the engine began to misfire. The check engine warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel until the engine was turned off. The failure recurred whenever the vehicle was in operation. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where they informed that the engine manifold would need to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Also, on a separate occasion the front lower control arm fractured and collapsed onto the front driver side wheel. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 137,000.
Dt: a recall was issued for the same type of vehicle the consumer owns, however his vehicle was not included in the recall. Without warning the vehicle lurched forward and the front of the vehicle collapsed and spun around. When the consumer exited the vehicle, he discovered the ball joint punctured the tire on the front passenger side. The vehicle was towed the dealer and they said the consumers vehicle should be included the recall. The manufacturer said his Car was not included in the recall. The consumer stated his vehicle had the same symptoms as stated in the recall # 98V322000.
Tl contact owns a 1997 Lincoln Town Car. While driving 30 MPH, the lower ball joint failed. The contact spoke in detail regarding the control arm. The vehicle was towed to his private mechanic and it was determined that the control arm was the cause of failure. The purchase date was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 153,000. The upper ball joints, lower control arm bushings and right lower control arm were all replaced. The mechanic also noted the rear main seal and transmission front pump seal was starting to leak. Update 09/11/07.
Tl contact owns a 1997 Lincoln Town Car. While driving 40 MPH, the vehicle vibrated on the front passenger side. The dealer stated that the control arm and lower ball joints failed. There are recalls for the suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint (NHTSA campaign id number 98V322000) and service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (NHTSA campaign id number 98i001000); however, the dealer refused to repair the vehicle as part of the recalls. The failure mileage was 85,000 and current mileage was 99,000.
Tl contact owns a 1997 Lincoln Town Car. While driving 55 MPH, the contact heard a clicking noise coming from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle began pulling to the right and became difficult to steer. She took the vehicle to the dealer and they performed a diagnostic test. The results indicated that the lower ball joints needed to be replaced. The lower ball joints were replaced three years ago. The current mileage was 80,000 and failure mileage was 78,500. The consumer provided a copy of the recall notice. Updated 10/24/07
Related recalls
Suspension › Front › Control arm › Lower ball joint
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 car…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the lower control arm ball joints (2).
NHTSA investigations
Ball joint separation
See attached report.
Suspension complaints in other Town Car years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 1997 Lincoln Town Car?
NHTSA has 50 complaints about the suspension of the 1997 Lincoln Town Car, 16% of the model year's 314 complaints. The component named most often is front › control arm › lower ball joint (23 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Lincoln Town Car suspension problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 98V-322 (lower ball joint, Dec 16, 1998). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1997 Lincoln Town Car suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 90,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to suspension 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.