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 1998 Lincoln Town Car owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl contact owns a 1998 Lincoln Town Car. While driving approximately 20 MPH the vehicle over heated and the manifold cracked. The vehicle was towed to his residence. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer for the failure. He called the manufacturer and was advised that he had to pay for the repairs. He referenced an unknown manufacturer's recall. The vehicle was purchased used in 2007. The vehicle had continued to overheat since he purchased it. The failure and current mileages were approximately 90,000.
Vehicle began to over heat.once it got hot, the power of Car is,was lost. After happening a few times,I found a very small [pin size] hole in the thermastate recieving unit.this is a part of the manifold it self. All attemps to repair this problem has failed.! Trying to fix this proved impossible.this part is in fact made of some type of plastic.as it heats up the plastic exspands, and re-opens the hole,which has now become a crack. All effords to find a sealent to stop the leak,has failed. To have this crack repaired means that the entire top of the motor [manifold] must be re-placed. Ford re-placed the termastate housing unit in 2000-2001, with an aluminum piece,problem solved.there are no re-calls,nor even a notification,sent out, to address this problem. …
I have a 1998 Lincoln towncar. On January 11th, my Car was being serviced for an oil change. The mechanic notified me that the headgasket was leaking at the 4th cylander and advised me to take it to the dealer. The dealer charged me $300.00 and stated in writing that nothing was wrong with the head gasket. On January 19, my Car stopped running and I had to have it towed to the dealer. The next day I was notified that it was my headgasket and they overlooked the leak at the exact location I told them based on my mechanics advise. Now they want an additional $1200.00 to fix the problem. My mechanic advised me that this is a common problem for this vehicle and to file a complaint against the dealer. My concern is now the engine May have been damaged by the lack of proper attention by the dealer.
I took my 1998 Lincoln to a dealership for diagnosis of engine noise and it was determined the intake manifold was cracked causing loss of coolant and collateral damage costing $1400.00. The dealer advised this was a recall item but expired in 2005. Customer service for Ford would not grant any concessions and being on a fixed income, I'm looking for some financial relief. I had been to the dealers in the past for service and never once did they mention a recall, even prior the expiration date. I never recalled a notice possibly buying the Car in 2000 but you would think the dealership computers would alert to the recall. Your assistance would be much appreciated.
1998 Lincoln towncar plastic intake leakage problems from cracks that originated from OEM faulty design. I would like to state, "Ford and/or his legal distributor did not disclose that the design of the plastic intake manifold was defective and did not contact me thereafter in regard to this matter when and after I purchased said vehicle". If Ford's legal distributor had disclosed the defective design I would not have bought the vehicle. The cost for the repair and the possibility of engine damage is enormous. Ford should be held liable for neglect to disclose this information for buyer's of this vehicles.
Dt*: the contact stated, while driving 45 MPH., on a clear dry day, there was a sound heard resembling the sound of a tire blow out. The vehicle was stopped and the tires were checked for a flat. When no flat tire was found, the vehicle was immediately driven to a near-by service station. On the way to the station, a recurring hissing sound was heard. The vehicle was then towed to an independent service mechanic, where it was determined the spark plug was blow out of its threading from #8 cylinder and the spark plug from #7 cylinder was also damaged. The heads were sent out to be drilled and rethreaded.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving at various speeds the vehicle began running rough and misfired. The vehicle was taken to the dealership on two occasions. On the first visit, the dealer changed the #4 coil. After the second incident the dealer determined the intake manifold was cracked which was leaking antifreeze. The spark plugs were clean and the contact was directed to have the intake manifold replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the intake manifold on this vehicle is made of plastic. The intake manifold for the model of this vehicle is no longer produced in plastic.
Tl contact owns a 1998 Lincoln Town Car. The contact noticed fluid leaking from her vehicle. She took the vehicle to a local mechanic and they stated that the thermostat failed. Repairs were made, but the failure recurred. The contact took the vehicle to another mechanic, but no repairs were made. She began looking for assistance with having her vehicle repaired. Unfortunately, the dealer was also unable to provide the assistance she needed. The failure mileage was unknown. Updated 7/3/08 the consumer stated the intake manifold was cracked. Updated 07/03/08.
Independent mechanic determined that the intake manifold cracked, and coolant spilled inside the engine, technician indicated the need to be replace the intake manifold at consumer's expense of $967.40. The consumer had an extended warranty but the technician informed the consumer that the warranty was no longer valid because the company was out of business. The consumer had the manifold replaced at a service station.
While the consumer was driving at an undetermined speed, the vehicle stalled. The consumer had the vehicle towed to a dealership and the mechanic determined the problem was due to engine failure. About an inch away on the wheel well, there was a 1/4 hole which allowed saltwater from the left front tire to be sprayed up and caused corrosion to accumulate in the fuse box.
NHTSA investigations
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 1998 Lincoln Town Car?
NHTSA has 34 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 1998 Lincoln Town Car, 22% of the model year's 154 complaints. The component named most often is engine › gasoline (8 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Lincoln Town Car engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 1998 Lincoln Town Car, though it has 7 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 1998 Lincoln Town Car engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 95,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 3 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.