Acceleration complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 1 | 17% | 92,000 miles |
| 2010 | 1 | 8% | 88,000 miles |
| 2009 | 2 | 40% | 75,000 miles |
| 2008 | 5 | 25% | 26,000 miles |
| 2007 | 32 | 38% | 29,000 miles |
| 2006 | 26 | 18% | 31,000 miles |
| 2005 | 34 | 29% | 53,000 miles |
| 2004 | 19 | 23% | 4,000 miles |
| 2003 | 18 | 9% | 44,000 miles |
| 2002 | 12 | 18% | 22,000 miles |
| 2001 | 26 | 16% | 32,000 miles |
| 2000 | 9 | 8% | 55,000 miles |
| 1999 | 5 | 3% | 70,000 miles |
| 1998 | 7 | 5% | 73,000 miles |
| 1997 | 43 | 14% | 107,000 miles |
| 1996 | 33 | 13% | 107,000 miles |
| 1995 | 19 | 12% | 140,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Tl contact owns a 2008 Lincoln Town Car. The contact stated that when he depressed the brake pedal at a slow speed, the vehicle suddenly accelerated. The contact experienced the failure and rear ended another vehicle. There were no injuries and no police report was filed. The contact believed that the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal were too close which May have caused the failure. The contact also noticed the same failure with the 2004 Lincoln towncar he previously owned. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership but the dealer stated that they could not find any problems. The contact called the manufacturer who assigned him a case number and stated that someone would contact him. The vehicle had not been repaired. The current mileage was approximately 8,300. The failure mileage was approximately 6,500. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Lincoln Town Car. While driving at any speed and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle accelerated. The contact depressed the brake pedal a couple of times and regained control of the vehicle. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The failure recurred four times. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000. Updated 10/26/17
The contact owns a 2007 Lincoln Town Car. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the driver pressed the accelerator pedal the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration, causing the vehicle's speed to suddenly increase above 65 MPH. The driver shifted the transmission to the neutral position, but the vehicle continued to increase speed. The driver then pressed the brake pedal, causing the vehicle to spin multiple times before crashing into a ditch. During the incident, no injuries were reported. A police report was taken at the scene, and the vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTS Hotline. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 140,000.
Unintended/Unexpected acceleration, even while brake pedal is pressed. Happens intermittently. Most scary time for me happened in Publix parking lot at crosswalk for pedestrians. I thought I was going to hit the pedestrians. There are two drivers for this car and has happened to both of us. Just now, [redacted] around [redacted] it happened again when the other driver was driving out of Subway parking lot near St. Johns river into right lane of 3 lanes of traffic near an intersection with a car tuning left right in front of us. Very scary and glad no collision. No, to dealer or independent service dealer question. No, to the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others question No, to the warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem question
The contact owns a 2006 Lincoln Town Car. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the engine made an abnormally loud sound. The contact stated upon shifting into drive(D), the vehicle accelerated unintendedly down the steep driveway. The contact continuously depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact then turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring intermittently while driving. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
On the 2006 Lincoln Town Car signature limited, the accelerator and brake pedals are adjustable. The pedals are close together, therefore, leaving little space between the brake and accelerator. When trying to stop, the brake and, unfortunately, accelerator pedals were both being pressed at the same time. This has almost caused accidents when trying to stop for my spouse and me. This has been a problem since the Car was purchased in feb 2006. The vehicle was not diagnosed or serviced. On June 3, 2014, I was leaving my driveway and saw a tractor-trailer coming down the road. Trying to stop, I pressed the brake and accelerator pedals at the same time. I pressed on the brake harder to stop; however, I was also pressing on the accelerator harder. This caused a terrible accident between the tractor-trailer and me. I was air lifted to a trauma center. The truck driver was also injured. …
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.
Related recalls (1)
Vehicle speed control
On certain pickup trucks, passenger vehicles, sport utility vehicles, and motor homes chassis, the speed control deactivation switch May, under certain conditions, leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.
Remedy: Dealers will install a fused wiring harness. Owners of the passenger cars included in this campaign will be instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected…
NHTSA investigations
Fuel-fed fires
The fars data shows that the risk of fire from impact in all directions in the subject vehicles is the same as all other sedans.the subject vehicles are not over represented with respect to the risk of fire in real-world high-energy crashes.a further discussion of issues related to post crash fires in the subject vehicles is set out in the closing report for sq 01-014 and that report is in the docket for this…
Fuel spit back during refueling
The subject vehicle is fitted with an onboard refuelig vapor recovery (orvr) system, as required by the epa.the epa safety requirements, prepared in cooperation with ,and approved by NHTSA, require vehicles to be refueled at a rate of 10 gallons per minute (the maximum rate allowed to be used in refueling stations, by epa regulation) without fuel being forced out the fuel filler pipe.this requirement was based on a…
Fuel spit back during refueling
There is no summary currently available
Frequently asked questions
Which Lincoln Town Car years have acceleration problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1997 (43), 2005 (34), 1996 (33), 2007 (32) and 2001 (26) model years. Acceleration complaints make up 14% of all complaints for the 1997.
Is there a recall for Lincoln Town Car acceleration problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 07V-336 (vehicle speed control, Aug 3, 2007). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Lincoln Town Car acceleration problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 51,000 miles; 52% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the cruise control (34 mentions), followed by the accelerator pedal (19).
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.