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 2006 Lincoln Town Car owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Want to report similar problem others seem to be reporting. When starting the car you hear 5 chimes/beeps repeating five times. The airbag light remains lit the entire time. On extended trips the chimes/beeps comes on again roughly every thirty minutes. Being directly linked to the airbag I'm surprised to find that this has yet to be recalled especially since many other towncar owners are reporting the exact same problem. I discovered that others were having similar issues when I was looking for a replacement seat belt because ours is sluggish to retract, you have to help it back to starting position.
Seatbelt / airbag warning light indicator is warning about either faulty sensor or faulty belt tensioner. Began while in parked poison and continues periodically when in motion, regardless of speed. Cost to repair is exorbitant, nearly half the value of the Car and is not guaranteed to work is last. The airbags will likely not worth in the event of accident but no way to tell unless there is an accident. Serious fault regarding required safety equipment with this make/model year. Mileage is 170,100. Also, the passenger side floorboard, especial in backseat become saturated when it rains. Floor plugs are intact, the water is entering from poor design feature where the windshield/engine meet and supposedly slow for water to be channeled away from engine to ground but is actually channelling along the side into the passenger cabin footwell. …
At about the 83,500 mileage mark an airbag dash indicator illuminated and a series of 5 chimes played. The dashboard indicator remained illuminated at all times. The chimes would play periodically while the engine was running. It was diagnosed as a faulty airbag sensor in the passenger seat. That was fixed for about $780. About 1-week later it happened again. This time I was told by the same dealer service department that it was a separate issue and was the main computer control module. I'm still unclear whether it is the driver's air bag that will not, or May not, work or if it is both of them. I imagine that the side air bags are still functional. I cannot afford to repair this again for $800 and I have no way of knowing if they ever repaired it correctly the 1st time. It could be that the problem always was the main computer module. …
Airbag and seatbelt orange colored light has come on dashboard; 5 chimes x 5 times starting Car and every half hour thereafter; Car to garage, on diagnostic computer, front driver's seat removed; seat belt pretensioner bad; unknown with airbag; dealership states Car is out of warranty; mileage is 57209.3; seat belt lap and shoulder harness have locked into place after adjustment since Car purchased in August of 2006; should not lock per my mechanic; dealership and Lincoln unwilling to pay to replace pretensioner and seat belt; can't determine if airbag is defective until pretensioner and seat belt replaced; Lincoln could offer to comp dealership the costs of the pretensioner and seat belt replacement and airbag if airbag is found to be defective; have no idea if seat belt would work let alone airbag now; very concerned driving this Car going forward; current and potential costs are high …
Tl contact owns a 2006 Lincoln Town Car. While driving approximately 15-20 MPH on an icy road, the vehicle began sliding sideways. The contact lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a parked trailer on the shoulder of the road. The air bags failed to deploy. The vehicle sustained major damage to the passenger side doors, roof, and dashboard. The passenger side windows, windshield, and side view mirror were also damaged. The contact sustained major injuries due to broken glass that was embedded in his scalp, in addition to a concussion. He was transported to a hospital because he was unconscious. There were no passengers in the parked vehicle and he was the only passenger in his vehicle. A police report was filed. The manufacturer stated that they would be in contact with him. The dealer was not notified. The current and failure mileages were 36,000. …
On Friday, October 23, 2015 I backed my Car out of the garage on to the driveway. As I hooked my seat belt all the warning lights in dash went off except for the airbag light. About one-half miles later, the beeps started. 5 beeps, then pause. A total of 25 beeps in all. I see from other complaints it does that every 30 minutes. I had only 53,500 miles at the time. It is still like new and should not be having those problems. I see from all the complaints this has been going on since 2004. I would think a company as large as yours would have done something about it before now. I always thought you were 'man enough' to stand by your product. It is a crying shame!!!!! We need a recall on this. You are putting people's lives in danger!!!!! Please reconsider and take care of your customers.
I started the Car as usual and immediately the airbag light began flashing. After a couple minutes, the airbag light went from flashing to solid and the Car began a series of 5 beeps and repeated this series of beeps 5 times. A local auto shop diagnosed the problem as the driver side seatbelt pre-tensioner and said it would be around $1,000 to replace, give or take a couple hundred. The shop advised if the repair was not completed, the airbags wouldn't deploy in the event of an accident. After researching online, this safety issue appears to be a common occurrence and has not yet been recalled. This issue occurs immediately when starting the Car and the airbag light stays illuminated for the entire trip (the series of beeping seems to stop after repeating the series 5 times).
Within a mile of leaving home, the seat belt light came on & started beeping. Driver glanced down to check seatbelt only to find that it was coming unlatched. In the brief seconds that it took to glance down & back up, driver was already leaving the road and in a panic, accidentally hit gas instead of brake. Car was totalled. The only airbag that deployed was the steering wheel. Driver sustained serious trauma injuries to head, ribs, pelvis, femur as well as extensive hematomas. Driver is also suffering from stress related to accident. Driver is now recovering with the aid of physical therapy and other devices for mobility (walker, wheelchair, cane, etc.). Driver is son of owner of vehicle.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Lincoln Town Car. While driving at various speeds, the air bag warning indicator illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing where it was diagnosed that the air bags could fail to deploy if involved in a crash. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for further assessment. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 104,000.
Driver was parking Lincoln Town Car. Stepped on brake while putting Car into park position. Car suddenly accelerated over concrete parking stop and slammed into an entrance to shopping center sign that was in front of the parking space. The Car ended up with the front of the Car against the sign and the rear wheels of the Car up against the parking stop. Also, the rear door locks failed, and passengers were unable to exit the vehicle and the air bag light illuminated. Updated 06/10/14
Airbag complaints in other Town Car years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2006 Lincoln Town Car?
NHTSA has 58 complaints about the air bags of the 2006 Lincoln Town Car, 41% of the model year's 143 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Lincoln Town Car airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2006 Lincoln Town Car, though it has 2 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 2006 Lincoln Town Car airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 72,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 2 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.