IllustrationONGOING / INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY FOR 2 - 21/2 HRS. IT CAUSES ENGINE TO SHUT OFF. WITHIN 30 MINUTES OR MORE VEHICLE WOULD START UP AGAIN. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT NOTHING COULD BE FOUND. *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 reportsLED DISPLAYS ON DASHBOARD NOT LEGIBLE WHEN DRIVING IN THE SUN, ESPECIALLY THESPEEDOMETER DISPLAY. *AK
THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PARKING LOT IN PARK, TURNED THE KEY TO START SHIFTING INTO DRIVE, AND IT JUST REVVED UP. VEHICLE WAS OUT OF CONTROL, UNABLE TO STOP ON TIME. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK
WHEN DRIVING IN LOW SPEED AND MAKING A SLOW TURN VEHICLE WILL STALL. DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. ALSO, REPLACED THROTTLE BODY AND POWER STEERING PRESSURE SPRING. *AK
THE DESIGN OF THE HORN MAKES IT HARD TO USE THE HORN NORMALLY, DUE TO SMALL BUTTONS THAT ARE NOT EASILY LOCATED WHEN NECESSARY. YH
THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY. THE WINDOW GOES UP AND GETS STUCK. THE TRUCK LID IS FAILING. CLAIMS THAT CALLED WRONG AGENCY. WANTED TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER. *AK
ALL POWER ACCESSORIES, SUCH AS POWER LOCKS/ WINDOWS, AND TRUNK RELEASE STOPPED WORKING . ALSO FRONT POWER BRAKE ND CALIPERS LOCKED UP WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
THE INSTRUMENT PANEL UNIT HAS TO BE REPLACED DUE TO POOR VISIBILITY. ALSO, THE ODOMETER MILEAGE IN INCORRECT. *AK
THE PAINT ON THIS CAR IS DISAPPEARING VERY RAPIDLY. WE OWNED 2 1990 TOWN CARS AND HAD TRADED ONE OVER A YEAR AGAO BECAUSE THE PAINT WAS STARTING TO DISAPPEAR. LARGE BLOTS OF WHITE ARE APPEARING ALL OVER THE CAR. THE CARS WERE DIFFERENT COLORS AND BOTH DID THE SAME THING. ONLY THIS ONE IS REALLY BAD NOW. IT LOOKS POLKA DOTTE…
Read full complaint
THE PAINT ON THIS CAR IS DISAPPEARING VERY RAPIDLY. WE OWNED 2 1990 TOWN CARS AND HAD TRADED ONE OVER A YEAR AGAO BECAUSE THE PAINT WAS STARTING TO DISAPPEAR. LARGE BLOTS OF WHITE ARE APPEARING ALL OVER THE CAR. THE CARS WERE DIFFERENT COLORS AND BOTH DID THE SAME THING. ONLY THIS ONE IS REALLY BAD NOW. IT LOOKS POLKA DOTTED. SINCE THIS HAPPENED TO BOTH CARS OF THE SAME YEAR I CAN'T HELP BUT THINK THIS IS A PAINT DEFECT. SO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE PAINT OR HELP AVAILABLE TO HAVE THE CAR REPAINTED. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT LINCOLN WOULD WANT THEIR VECHILES TO GO DOWN THE ROAD LOOKING LIKE IT HAD BEEN BOMBED BY 5000 BIRDS FLYING OVER. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHO I CAN CONTACT TO GET SOME HELP. THANK YOU. *AK
COMPUTERIZED DASH L.E.D.S. ARE NOT BRIGHT ENOUGH DURING DAYLIGHT, CONSUMER IS NOT ABLE TO READ GAUGES PROPERLY.
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