Suspension complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 1 | 5% | 487,000 miles |
| 2007 | 2 | 2% | 94,000 miles |
| 2006 | 1 | 1% | 30,000 miles |
| 2005 | 1 | 1% | 65,000 miles |
| 2004 | 2 | 2% | 153,000 miles |
| 2003 | 81 | 40% | 75,000 miles |
| 2002 | 3 | 5% | 22,000 miles |
| 2001 | 10 | 6% | 102,000 miles |
| 2000 | 10 | 9% | 200,000 miles |
| 1999 | 21 | 14% | 100,000 miles |
| 1998 | 19 | 12% | 110,000 miles |
| 1997 | 50 | 16% | 90,000 miles |
| 1996 | 25 | 10% | 92,000 miles |
| 1995 | 23 | 14% | 120,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2003 Lincoln Town Car. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 04V328000 (Suspension) however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, vibration sounds were heard coming from the rear of the vehicle. The local dealer, All American Ford of Paramus (375 NJ-17, Paramus, NJ 07652) and Mahwah Ford (55 Franklin Turnpike, Mahwah, NJ 07430) were made aware of the recall however, all three dealers informed the contact that the parts were obsolete. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to several dealers. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000. Consumer stated safety recall for a fracture in the rear axle and bearing states can cause crash still isn't resolved.
The contact owns a 2003 Lincoln Town Car. The contact stated while his son was driving on the highway, the accelerator pedal was slightly released; however, the vehicle stopped instantly. There was no warning light illuminated. The driver was able to drive to his destination safely. The vehicle was towed to the contact's workplace. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The tow truck operator stated that the rear axle was fractured. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 155,000.
Purchased new 2002 Lincoln towncar April 2002 from central florida Lincoln Mercury in orlando florida. Car is garaged all the time and now has 3000 miles on it. The chassis and various steel support and steering parts have severe and I mean severe rust. The dealer says it is more than they have seen but there is no problem. I have never seen rust as bad as this and I have seen a lot of cars in my life time as a mechanic. The rust looks like the Car was in road salt for many years even though the Car has not and only 8 months old. Ts
On July 16, 2017, I was traveling on interstate 70 east, near washington, pa. All of a sudden my 2001 Lincoln started shaking very violently. I managed to pull into a rest stop a few miles away, and noticed that the rear portion of my Lincoln was very low to the ground. I managed to drive into washington, pa, and a local mechanic told me that he suspected that the air suspension compressor, which controls the rear air suspension bags, was defective. A few weeks earlier, the "air bags" warning light relating to the rear air suspension bags had come on; my mechanic checked them out and stated that they were fine, as he had replaced both of them, in 2013. However, in retrospect, the computer was referring to the air suspension compressor and probably to the air suspension height sensor. I had my mechanic replace both of those parts. …
I lost control of the Car when it hit ice at 9:20a- 1/25/2013 on I-94 near chesterton, in, spun around and crashed twice (front/rear) into the left concrete barrier parallel to the roadway. None of the 4 air bags deployed. I (age 77) and my passenger (age 83) wore seat belts that saved us. Car front smashed; Car rear less damaged. Sides are o.k.. Isp report id:201300021141. Neither of us sought medical treatment. My chest still hurts! Air bags would have helped had they deployed. Lake shore Ford, chesterton, in [phone] said Car was "totaled." isp officer weems reported that I May receive a ticket for "too fast for conditions." tc failed the only air bag test it ever had. Seat belts did not. No other cars were involved on busy I-94. We were lucky!
Inner and outer tie rod ends, tie rod end adjusting sleeve, and sway bar link replaced after inner tie rod end pulled out of the adjusting sleeve that's on the sway bar link there's still constant pulling in the steering and is either to touchy when trying to correct vehicle back into lane or has to be turned excessively far before it even starts to correct then tries to jerk the vehicle really hard when the steering finally catches up with how far the steering wheel has been turned
Nar 03-24-2003 mr. When the consumer hit the brakes, the vehicle veered to the left and the pedal would go down low. The consumer took the vehicle to the dealership on several occasions and because the problem was never fix, the consumer was involved in a collision due to the brakes failing when the consumer needed to come to a stop. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer after the repair were made, but they were unable to find a problem, however on 7/10/02 the consumer wife was unable to stop the vehicle and rear ended a truck and the air bags did not deploy.
The contact owns a 1999 Lincoln Town Car. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the steering wheel started pulling to the left with extreme force. The contact attempted to correct the over steering and the vehicle started pulling to the right and the left. The contact stated that an unknown warning was illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle back to his residence. The contact stated that he drove the vehicle several more times and the steering failure recurred while driving at various speeds. The contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the ball joints, upper and lower control arms, and the steering gear needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000. …
Related recalls (3)
Suspension › Front › Hub
On certain passenger vehicles, a front wheel bearing and hub assembly May fracture due to improper heat treatment.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect both front wheel bearing and hub assemblies and replace them free of charge. The recall began on June 22, 2007. Owners May contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Suspension › Rear
Certain police, commercial, and passenger vehicles sold to fleets typically input higher loads into the vehicle chassis overloading the wheel bearings and axles.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the rear wheel bearings, seals,and axle shafts. The recall began on July 15, 2004. Owners should contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Suspension › Front › Control arm › Lower ball joint
Vehicle description: certain 1996-1999 Ford crown victoria police, fleet, natural gas, and 1996-1999 Lincoln town car limousine vehicles that were produced with a lower control arm ball joint containing a one piece bearing; and 1990-1996 Ford crown victoria police, fleet, and ngv vehicles and 1990-1996 Lincoln town car…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the lower control arm ball joints (2).
NHTSA investigations
Ball joint separation
See attached report.
Frequently asked questions
Which Lincoln Town Car years have suspension problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2003 (81), 1997 (50), 1996 (25), 1995 (23) and 1999 (21) model years. Suspension complaints make up 40% of all complaints for the 2003.
Is there a recall for Lincoln Town Car suspension problems?
Yes — 3 recalls, including 07V-270 (hub, Jun 26, 2007); 04V-328 (rear, Jul 7, 2004); 98V-322 (lower ball joint, Dec 16, 1998). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Lincoln Town Car suspension problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 92,000 miles; 17% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the front › control arm › lower ball joint (61 mentions), followed by the rear (56).
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.