Most common 2005 Lincoln Town Car problems
Share of the 119 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Lincoln Town Car complaints by model year
Best Town Car years: 2009, 2011, 2010. Years to avoid: 1997, 1996, 2003, 1998, 2001. Compare all years →
2005 Lincoln Town Car recalls (3)
Steering › Rack and pinion › Pinion shaft
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 Ford Crown Victoria, 2005-2011 Mercury Grand Marquis vehicles manufactured March 23, 2004, to August 30, 2011, and 2005-2011 Lincoln Town Car vehicles manufactured March 8, 2004, to August 30, 2011, and on which the upper intermediate shaft was serviced during…
Remedy: Ford will notify the owners of vehicles whose repair records reflect that the upper intermediate steering shaft was repaired during the course of the prior recall 13V-385.
Steering
Ford is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 Ford Crown Victoria (including Crown Victoria Police Interceptors), Mercury Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car vehicles. The affected vehicles are currently registered or were originally sold in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky,…
Remedy: Ford will notify owners and dealers will replace the lower intermediate shaft, free of charge. The upper intermediate shaft and steering column lower bearing will be inspected to identify any damage that may have…
Electrical system › 12V/24V/48V battery › Cables
On certain passenger vehicles, the battery cable includes a fusible link that May contact and subsequently chafe on a #2 cross member attaching bolt.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the fusible link and position it away from the cross member bolt. If the fusible link has already chafed and copper wires have been exposed, the fusible link will be replaced.
What 2005 Lincoln Town Car owners say
Speed control & acceleration all 34 →
While accelerating approximate @ 30 mph, vehicle speed increased without assistance nearly plummeting into a body of water at a curve... exit 77 on I-95S MD. The car could not handled the curve at that rate of speed. Town Car had to be thrown into neutral and hard press brake pedal in order to stop. Safety issue could have been major accident or my death. I do not desire to reproduce a dangerous scenario with an accelerating vehicle. Dealership and private mechanic refused to reproduce incident. Zero warning lamps and nothing in computer to determine a problem/fix.
I was parking at applebees when the Car bolted and slammed in the wall. I tried to put it in park but went in reverse also at hgh speed. Finally I was able to brake and go to park. I'm concerned. I did not have my foot on the acceleator. I would like someone to check my Car out.
Brakes all 24 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Lincoln Town Car. The contact called in regards to having a brake failure. The contact stated while approaching a red light and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to stop causing the vehicle to hit a truck and the curb. The vehicle was able to stop after depressing the brake pedal multiple times. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that no air bags deployed. A police report was filed. The contact stated no injury were sustained. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for body damage estimate and repairs. The contact stated a local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired as of yet. The vehicle was not deemed a total loss. The manufacturer was contacted, case was filed, and referred to contact NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 126,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Lincoln Town Car. While attempting to stop the vehicle, the brake pedal was depressed and the vehicle inadvertently accelerated. The vehicle came to a stop at an extended distance. On another occasion, the brake pedal was depressed and the contact struck a guardrail in order to avoid crashing into another vehicle. There were no injuries. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was taken to gateway Ford Lincoln Nissan (located at 1055 w andrew johnson hwy, greeneville, tn 37745, [phone]) to be diagnosed, but the mechanic was unable to retrieve a fault code or duplicate the failure. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 93,000.
Air bags all 22 →
We have contacted Ford motor company and they still refuse to do a recall on our 2005-Lincoln Town Car.,why is this not being fixed? We have spent $1200 dollars to locate the problem and have one seat belt replaced,and airbag inflator. After replacing one side, the other side now needs replacing,which there was not another part available. So now it's all disconnected,and all we have for safety is the seat belts,which Ford said that would be safe enough. I find this unacceptable by this company and will never buy another Ford product... Why hasn't your organization done something to secure our safety? We can't even take the grand-kids in our Car ,because of this safety -hazard. We have filled a complaint with your organization last year,when is this going to be rectified ? Please notify us as to what you are going to do about this? Help!
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Lincoln Town Car. The contact stated that while driving 10 MPH, the vehicle rolled into incoming traffic as a result another vehicle crashed into the front driver's side of the vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained severe head injuries. The contact was taken from the scene my paramedics. A police report was filed. The contact was treated for brain damage, intermittent amnesia and was paralyzed from the waist down. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 190,000. Updated 09/05/14 updated 09/12/2014
2005 Lincoln Town Car engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 16 / 23 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Large car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2005 Lincoln Town Car a good car?
Based on 119 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2005 Town Car rates average: 28% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Town Car at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2005 Lincoln Town Car?
The speed control & acceleration — 34 complaints, 29% of all complaints for this model year, most often about accelerator pedal. Next are the brakes (24) and air bags (22).
How many recalls does the 2005 Lincoln Town Car have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2005 Lincoln Town Car, the most recent from November 5, 2014 (pinion shaft). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Lincoln Town Car?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2009, 2011 and 2010. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1997, 1996, 2003, 1998 and 2001. See the full Lincoln Town Car years comparison.
At what mileage do 2005 Lincoln Town Car problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 65,000 miles; 38% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 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.