2003 Lincoln Town CAR

Typical pattern

6.8% of complaints about the 2003 Lincoln Town CAR came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2003 vehicle — around the middle of the 228 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 6.9 yr in service. The most-reported system is suspension (82 complaints), typically at 7.7 yr or about 73,000 miles.

Complaints: 234
Median age at failure: 6.9 yr
Median mileage: 69,444 n=186
Crash / fire / tow: 7.7% of reports
Safety recalls: 1

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

04V328000 2004-07-07

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.

THIS COULD LEAD TO EARLY BEARING FAILURE AND ULTIMATELY TO AXLE SHAFT FRACTURE. IN THE EVENT OF AXLE SHAFT FRACTURE, THE VEHICLE WOULD LOSE DRIVE FUNCTION AND WOULD COAST TO A STOP. LOSS OF DRIVE FUNCTION COULD LEAD TO A CRASH.

In owners’ own words

Speed control 12,000 mi 3 mo in service

DRIVER PUT VEHICLE IN DRIVE GEAR AND TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT. VEHICLES ENGINE REV UP TO FULL THROTTLE, AND ACCELERATED AT A HIGH SPEED CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THIS RESULTED IN THE DRIVER BEING INJURED. TS

Speed control 12,000 mi 3 mo in service crash / fire / tow

THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE IDLING, WHICH RESULTED IN THE VEHICLE HITTING A WALL, CONSUMER WAS INJURED.*JB

Speed control 31,000 mi 2.6 yr in service

AFTER SHIFTING THE GEAR INTO DRIVE THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED FORWARD. THE CONSUMER HAD TO APPLY THE BRAKES HARD, SHIFT THE GEAR INTO NEUTRAL AND TURN OFF THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. *JB *SB *NM

Suspension mileage not reported 1.8 yr in service

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT ANY SPEED CONSUMER HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR SUSPENSION. THE DEALERSHIP INSPECTED THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES BUT COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *JB

Other Town CAR model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2003 Lincoln Town CAR

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other Town CAR model years

How to read this