IllustrationHAD PARKED VEHICLE & WENT INTO HOUSE; HEARD NOISE & LOOKED OUT & NOTICED VEHICLE ENGULFED IN FLAMES; CALLED FIRE DEPT. ; THEY ARRIVED & PUT FLAMES OUT. FIRE DEPT INFORMED OWNDER THAT IT WAS ALTERNATOR, BUT FOUND OUT LATER WAS CONNECTOR TO ALTERNATOR. *AK
1990 Lincoln Town Car
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Town Car years
Owner complaints for the 1990 Lincoln Town Car are substantially higher than the model-year median of 86.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Town Car years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 7 of 209 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 63 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 31 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Latches/locks/linkages. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
22 crash reports64 fire reports10 injury reports
What owners actually said
209 reportsPAINT FAILURE DUE TO DEFECTIVE PRIMER.
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE DOWN THE HIGHWAY SMELT A BURNING ODOR. CONSUMER PULLED THE VEHICLE TO SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND TRIED TO TAKE OUT THE METAL WHEEL COVER, AND COULDN'T BECAUSE IT WAS VERY HOT. CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS THE BRAKE BOOSTER. CONSUMER HAD THE BOOSTER REPLACED, AND HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER. *AK
WHILE PARKED AN ELECTRICAL SHORT UNDER THE HOOD CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE. CAUSE NOT DETERMINED BY FIRE MARSHALL. *AK
WHILE DRIVING SMOKE WAS COMING FROM LEFT FRONT OF ENGINE .THE CAR WAS ENGULFED IN FIRE IN THE FRONT END. *AK
ENGINE: AFTER BEING ON HIGHWAY ON AND OFF FOR ABOUT AN HOUR, DROVE VEHICLE INTO DRIVEWAY, OPENED THE DOOR AND NOTICED A SMELL.SHUT OFF THE ENGINE THEN NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD ,OPENED THE HOOD LATCH FRIEND SAID GET OUT OF CAR IT IS ON FIRE . THE ENTIRE ENGINE WENT UP IN FLAMES. CAUSE OF FIRE UNKNOWN.
VEHICLE HAD AN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE WHICH CAUSED A FIRE AFTER BEING PARKED FOR 45 MIN. THE FIRE WAS AT THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE, AND MELTED THE HOOD AND TIRES WITH NO PRIOR WARNING. *AK
BACKING PLATE ON FRONT BRAKES OVERHEATED AND CAUSED A FIRE. IT WAS THE RIGHT TIRE THAT WAS BURNED. DEALERS SAID PROBLEM OCCURRED BECAUSE OF A FAULTY POWER BRAKE UNIT.OWNER IS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. HAS ABS BRAKES. *AK
ELECTRICAL SHORT, VEHICLE FIRE , VEHICLE PARKED AND LOCKED. IN FOR REPAIRS. *AK
VEHICLE FIRE.
Official recalls
498V322000 · Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint
Dec 16, 1998
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 LIMOUSINE VEHICLES THAT HAVE BEEN SERVICED WITH EITHER A BALL JOINT CONTAINING THE ONE-PIECE BEARING OR A FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM CONTAINING A BALL JOINT WITH A ONE-PIECE BEARING. THE ONE-PIECE BEARING WITHIN THE LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINT CAN WEAKEN SLOWLY DURING USE AND EVENTUALLY CRACK. THIS COULD RESULT IN SEPARATION OF THE BALL AND CAP OF THE JOINT, ALLOWING THE CONTROL ARM TO DROP TO THE GROUND.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THIS OCCURS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS MOVING, REDUCED STEERING CONTROL COULD OCCUR, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINTS (2).
95V091000 · Latches/locks/linkages:hood:latch
May 16, 1995
CORROSION OF THE HOOD LATCH STRIKER PLATE CAUSES DETACHMENT OF THE PLATE FROM THE HOOD ASSEMBLY RESULTING IN AN UNEXPECTED OPENING OF THE HOOD WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION CAN REDUCE THE DRIVER'S VIEW OF THE ROAD INCREASING THE POTENTIAL OF A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW HOOD INNER PANEL REINFORCEMENT AND A NEW, GALVANIZED HOOD LATCH STRIKER PLATE.
90V133000 · Equipment:other:labels
Jul 27, 1990
TIRE PLACARD MAY CONTAIN INCORRECT GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATINGS AND TIRE INFORMATION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: LIMOUSINES WOULD NOT COMPLY WITH FMVSS 110 AND CONSUMERMIGHT UNKNOWINGLY OVERLOAD THE VEHICLE BECAUSE OF PLACARD MISINFORMATION.
Remedy: INSTALL REVISED TIRE PLACARDS.
90V134000 · Equipment:other:labels
Jul 27, 1990
GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATINGS AND TIRE INFORMATION MAY BE INCORRECT ON LABELS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: VEHICLES WOULD NOT COMPLY WITH 49 CFR PART 567.
Remedy: INSTALL REVISED CERTIFICATION LABELS.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2EA91021 · Hood Latch Failure
Opened Mar 29, 1991 · Closed Mar 16, 1992
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Structure
There is no summary currently available
PE91018 · Hood Latch Failure
Opened Nov 27, 1990 · Closed Mar 29, 1991
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Structure
There is no summary currently available