Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (buckles, retractors, anchors and pretensioners).
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. …
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 …
Seat belt/air bag light came on. Vehicle purchased new, original dealer diagnosed bad seat belt pre tensioner internally faulted on drivers side. Out of warranty, and vehicle was repaired at a cost of $354 parts and $305 labor. Seat belt/air bag light came on again jan 8, 2015. Original dealer diagnosed bad seat belt pre tensioner on the passenger side. Parts on order and to be repaired feb 26, 2015. Parts cost $507 and $305 labor. This is a definite safety item that has a history with this vehicle year and model. Cost to customer is excessive and unacceptable considering this item must be repaired to insure a functional seat belt and air bag in the event of an accident. The excessive costs appears to be discouraging some owners from repairing this safety item according to other complaints to NHTSA. …
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 parked, the seat belt and air bag warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the driver side seat belt sensor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred on the passenger side seat belt sensor. The failure mileage was 46,300. Updated 8/10/15
Chimes 5 times and repeats 5 times. This occurs every 30 minutes once Car is started and seat belt/aibag light continuously on. Diagnosed by Ford dealer as driver's seat belt retracror. Replaced and chime and light will not go off. Happens while stationary and while Car is in motion. Haven't attempted to repair again due to cost and have read that this doesn't necessarily fix the problem.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Lincoln Town Car. While driving 35 MPH, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the front seat belt retraction system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 52,000.
Seatbelt sensor on our 06 Lincoln Town Car failed and replacement cost to replace the sensor is very prohibitive. I read many complaints with this same issue, so I believe Ford/Lincoln should be required to recall and replace said equipment.
Seat Belt complaints in other Town Car years
Frequently asked questions
How common are seat belt problems on the 2006 Lincoln Town Car?
NHTSA has 35 complaints about the seat belts of the 2006 Lincoln Town Car, 24% of the model year's 143 complaints. The component named most often is rear/other (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Lincoln Town Car seat belt problems?
No. NHTSA lists no seat belts 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 seat belt problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 79,000 miles, and 3% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury to seat belts 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.