Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Lincoln Town Car owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Been trying for about a year to get this safety recall called 4 local ford dealer ships first one said my cars to old they won't fix the safety recall other don't give call back I can hear like vibrating in the back where this recall would fix it hopfully it don't break on me
I have had to replace wheel bearing and axle every few months because of premature wear and causing driving to be a safety concern. Once it wears thin, the car shakes and wobbles and the tire almost snapped off twice.
I have a 2003 Lincoln Town Car and is been having some issues with the passenger side axel, I am getting ready to replace the shaft, bearing and seal for the third time in a period of maybe four years, I'm sorry, but don't remember exactly when it was, but last time was lest than 16 months ago, on the last two there was oil leaking all around the wheel, this time there is still no oil leak but is making that kind of humming noise, and when lifted the Car you can move the wheel up and down, now I'm just waiting for the parts to do the job again. Like some other customers I found that my Car is not included on the recall, but it looks like that problem is a lot more frequent than is suppose to, and I has found that some people had reported it under the "suspension" category. Thanks god! …
I have a 2003 Lincoln Town Car that I bought in 2005, which was still under warranty. Over the years, I've had to pay for replacing the rear axles and axle bearings that went bad. I saw on the NHTSA website yesterday that this was a problem that resulted in a recall of this make/model/year. I never received a recall notice on this problem, and have paid out-of-pocket for these repairs twice, not knowing that there was ever a recall. Now, all Ford will tell me that there is not currently a recall on my Car, ignoring that I should have been sent a recall notice. I believe that Ford should replace the rear axles and bearings, which are once again needing replaced. I also believe that Ford should reimburse me for the two times already that I had to pay to have the axles and bearings replaced. The VIN of the Car is [redacted]
Looking through the list of complaints this has been reported to many times to be ignored. I counted 38 times by page 15, not even half way through the list. I have a 2003 Lincoln Town Car and is been having some issues with the driver side axle and bearings, I am getting ready to replace the shaft, bearing and seal for the third time in a period of three years. Like some other customers I found that my Car is not included on the recall, but it looks like that problem is a lot more frequent than it is supposed to be. This is a problem and alot of people have reported it under the "suspension" category.
The rear right wheel bearing was replaced less than 2 years ago and is already bad again. This specific make and model and year of Car has been recalled for the bearing issues that this Car has, and this Car was produced in the exact plant that the recall involves. However, the recall manufacture date ends on December 31, 2002 and this Car's manufacture date is February 2003. The Car has the bad parts that have been recalled and it needs to be addressed.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Lincoln Town Car. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the vehicle began to shake on the rear passenger side of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the axle/bearing was worn and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 59,000.
Very noisy rear axle bearings, Ford has a safety recall if this vehicle had been sold as a fleet vehicle,safety #04s16,they would repair it free of charge as a safety issue, I purchased this vehicle 12-20-06 in fl.it had 52,343 mi. At that time., thought the noise was coming from the type of road surface in fl. And the salesman said it was the road also, brought it to indiana and it has gotten worse, it now has of this date 11-16-2010, 59,335 miles, this vehicle sits in the garage because I fell it is unsafe to drive. It was titled in mich. And original purchaser had a home in fl. And I believe they made trips to and from there with vehicle overloaded. Ford has the recall for anyone that had a fleet vehicle but no one that has a personal vehicle, does not seem right to Ford that a personal vehicle would have this safety issue. I have had two other towncars and had no issues like this. …
Had a premature axle failure on my 2003 Lincoln Town Car, only 110K miles. Same year, model, body code, assembly plant & problem as addressed in the recall for this Car, but was told by Ford that it was not there problem because the Car is out of warranty and was built a few months outside of the date range given in the recall. A little internet research will show you that there are many of us out here that have received no remedy from Ford to correct this potentially deadly problem. Also while doing research on this Car I discovered that my driver side door handle that broke a few months ago creating another potentially deadly situation has also been well documented and ignored by Ford & the NHTSA. What are you waiting for, someone to be trapped & die because of a broken piece of plastic.
Dt: 2003 Lincoln Town Car. The consumer stated the vehicle was leaking gear oil on the rear axle. The consumer noticed it when the oil formed on the ground of his garage. The dealership did a diagnostic, and found a recall. However, this vehicle was not part of the recall due to VIN. The dealership replaced part 3w1z-aa10a-aa, the complete kit, two rear axles, two bearings, two seals, and the oil. This was the kit the recall called for. The problem did not cause any accidents of injuries. The consumer did call Lincoln, but they also said there was nothing they could do. This happened on the driver's side, but both sides were replaced. The consumer kept the parts.
NHTSA investigations
Rear axle fracture
This pe was opened after odi became aware of two allegations concerning rear axle fracture and partial wheel separation involving my 2003 Ford crown victoria police interceptors (cvpi).initially, the pe's scope involved all my 2003 grand marquis, crown victoria, and Lincoln town cars (I.e., panther platform) produced through January 2003.while gathering information about this issue, it became evident that the…
Transmission complaints in other Town Car years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2003 Lincoln Town Car?
NHTSA has 27 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2003 Lincoln Town Car, 13% of the model year's 201 complaints. The component named most often is axle assembly › axle shaft (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Lincoln Town Car transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2003 Lincoln Town Car, though it has 1 recall 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 2003 Lincoln Town Car transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 84,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
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.