Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Lincoln Town Car owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Lincoln Town Car. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator remained illuminated, which was a safety concern. The vehicle was not included in any manufacturer recalls or tsbs for the air bags. An independent mechanic inspected the vehicle, but had not determined the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Lincoln Town Car. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator was continuously illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the passenger side seat belt pretensioner failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was invalid. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. Updated 05/10/17
Just called Ford motor company and they say that NHTSA, issues the recalls ,not Ford motor company, why haven;t you issued one for this model Car? You would think Ford would be concerned about our safety, they don;t care and neither does NHTSA.....how many people , including children must die before you issue a safety recall notice? Thats why we need a change in our government, and very soon...
"Takata recall." I noticed a few weeks ago that my airbag light is on. I have 28000 actual miles on the 2005 Lincoln Town Car that has always been garaged. I have not had a recall on the airbag light and I would like for you to check it out and let me know of any recalls on the airbags.
Airbag light on dash came on while driving. Shop estimate is approximately $1300 to replace both driver and passenger seat belt tensioners. Car has only 77,000 miles on it and garage kept since have had it in the family for the past 50,000 miles.
Our Car has not been recalled by Ford or NHTSA. Numerous requests over the last (2) years have not returned a response. Why is cars from the same year being considered and not ours? Is their safety more important than ours? Why are we being ignored by the establishment? This is outright discrimination..... We have spent $1200. For the passenger airbag inflator, only to find out we need the driver side inflator also for it to work. Where are the parts? Why hasn't foqrd made these parts available? They have neglected our safety..... We can not even carry our grand children in our vehicle because of this . Where's the justice in this? This same situation applies for my 2005 Dodge Ram pickup, again no parts available. Why don't you just replace them with Takata-inflator, like we have now, if it lasts (10) more years,at least we'll be safe...does anyone in washington do their jobs anymore? …
Vehicle dashboard "air bag" light came on! Took to Lincoln dealer who stated it looked liked the passenger seat pretensioner needed to be replaced. Stated that most likely the driver side would also ultimately need replacement as well, as it is a continual and on-going problem! Cost to repair one side approx. $750.00 after discount. This Car has always been serviced by Lincoln, never in an accident, and only has 35,500 miles on it. Dealer also stated, that it is a real safety issue and if not fixed, air bags might not deploy if in an accident. Although, I have an after market service warranty - OEM bumper to bumper contract, they refuse to pay for the repairs, stating that "safety items" are not covered? …
Takata recall; again why is my Car deleted from the list of cars with the same year? Is there safety more important than my family? Ford intentionally installed a cheaper version of airbag inflator, knowing there was a problem. When is this democratic government going to go after these companies who violate the law? My 2005 Dodge truck also is under a recall for the same thing, but there are no parts available to fix it...we want action and now< quit telling us the consumer lies< like we"ll get back to you in (2) business days.this is all b.s.....a8.
Airbag complaints in other Town Car years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2005 Lincoln Town Car?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the air bags of the 2005 Lincoln Town Car, 18% of the model year's 119 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Lincoln Town Car airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2005 Lincoln Town Car, though it has 3 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 2005 Lincoln Town Car airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 4 injuries to air bags 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.