On 01/12/2019 I was traveling straight down a level country road with 1 passenger in the front passenger seat at about 45 MPH when for no reason the passenger side air bag deployed without any warning. After regaining control of the vehicle we pulled to the side of the road and took a few minutes to calm down and figure out what just happened and clear all the smoke from the interior of the vehicle from the air bag. My friend in the passenger seat was sore but not injured and both our ears were ringing. It sounded like a gun fired in the car. I call lincoln customer service and was told there was not any recalls on the vehicle and due to its age they would not provide any assistance to get it repaired. The side of the passenger seat is all tore apart.
2002 Lincoln Town Car airbags problems
20 complaints (31% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 68,000. 9 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 20
- of this car's complaints
- 31%
- typical mileage
- 68,000
- crashes
- 9
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Frontal7
- Side/window6
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Lincoln Town Car airbags problems in other years
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Related investigations
Inadvertent side air bag deployment
This investigation identified a total of 182 reports alleging inadvertent or non-crash deployment of the side air bags.the data examined during the investigation suggest that the side air bag crash sensing system's algorithm may recognize certain non-crash incidents as deployable events.odi has not, however, identified any failed component that relates to the alleged defect in the subject vehicles.also, odi has not identified any trend in the manufacture dates of complaint vehicles that may indicate a component or vehicle-manufacturing problem.a safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time.further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances.see attached summary report.
EA03014
Inadvertent side air bag deployment
Odi has identified 173 complaints alleging inadvertent or non-crash deployment of side air bags on model year (my) 1999-2003 lincoln town cars.most of the complaints allege that one of the side air bags deployed while driving without any impact.analysis showed that my 2001 through early my 2003 town cars have much higher complaint and warranty claim rates (138 complaints and 120 warranty claims) than the remaining vehicles (35 complaints and 32 warranty claims).ford changed its supplier of the side crash sensors for the my 2001 town cars.ford states that the algorithm in the my 2001 town cars is different from the previous model year's design, and that it is designed to provide improved occupant protection in moderate speed side pole impacts.in december 2002 (I.e., early my 2003 vehicle production), the crash sensors were moved from the floor of vehicle to near the base of b-pillars in order to reduce the incidents of inadvertent side air bag deployments.this preliminary evaluation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea03-014) for my 2001-2003 town cars built before december 2002.
PE03011
What 2002 Lincoln Town Car owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Takata recall ? My wife and friend driving 30 MPH in no traffic, and the drivers seat air bag deployed. There was no impact to the vehicle. She said it sounded like a gun shot and the yellow bag came out of the drivers seat. Driving straight ahead on a country road.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 lincoln town car. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 MPH, the air bag deployed inadvertently. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the technician diagnosed that the air bag sensor needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 159,000. Updated 12/30/14*lj updated 05/27/2015
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 lincoln town car. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the steering wheel suddenly became loose as the vehicle became uncontrollable without warning. The vehicle also went airborne, rolled over and spun three times before coming to a stop. The front windshield was fractured and the rear windshield became detached from the vehicle. None of the air bags deployed. Three occupants and a pet dog were severely injured and were transported to the hospital for treatment. A police report was filed of the incident. The vehicle was destroyed and was inspected for the cause of the steering or air bag failures. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 129,000. Updated 08/06/13*lj the consumer stated the vehicle was inspected by herndon and associates egineering firm. The report was sent to ford, which ford dissmissed in four (4) days. Updated 08/5/2013
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 lincoln town car. While driving approximately 15 MPH, the contact drove over a pothole and the front passenger side air bag deployed. The passenger suffered minor injuries. The vehicle will be taken to the dealer. The failure mileage was 153,000 and current mileage was 154,000. Updated 5/27/09
Traveling at 65 or 70 MPH on a california highway last summer, the front passenger side air bag deployed (causing pain, bruising, etc. But nothing apparently permanent - no personal injury claim has ever been contemplated). It was shocking in that there was no crash of any kind. The passenger thought the bag deployed for no reason. The driver, not being certain, had the impression that some object (e.g., a small piece of tire rubber) was kicked up against the car from the roadway. There are no signs of any impact with anything. The bag tore part of the leather seat (beyond the seam). This occurred near the 5 year point re: warranty. The manufacturer, ford motor company, seemed responsive at first and asked that we take the car to the dealer. I did so, and was informed by the service department that ford informed them it was referred to their legal department and, thus, they could not even look at, let alone repair it. The legal department took several weeks to ultimately send a letter stating they had no responsibility. Our insurance carrier is uncertain as to how to handle the claim. The air bag system in this lincoln town car is obviously defective. Is this a known defect with this model, etc.? What recourse do we have against ford motor company for failure to fulfill its moral and legal responsibility to replace the air bag and repair the seat? Is there not a federal agency that can be helpful in such matters? Note: the damage occurred in early june, 2006 (entered 1st below to allow for transmission of claim).
On thursday, march 1, 2007, my daughter was driving my lincoln town car approximately 55 miles per hour. For no apparent reason, the passenger right side airbag inflated. Also causing injuries to my daughter, injuries includes a bruised ear drum and an asthma attack.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 30 MPH on a dry highway, another vehicle hit the contact's vehicle head on causing extensive damage to the front end. Neither the passenger nor driver's side front air bag deployed. There were minor injuries sustained and a police report was taken. Seat belts were worn during the incident and functioned properly.
Dt*: the contact stated the passenger side air bag deployed for the 2nd time. On each incident, the contact was driving 40-45 MPH on a dry country road. The dealership determined that gravel caused the deployment. The dealership also said there was a ding on the belly pan of the body of the vehicle. The contact stated there are no marks on the vehicle. There were no lights illuminated in the vehicle prior to either incident. The passenger was injured when the air bag deployed. Updated 09/05/06.
Dt*: the contact stated while turning left, the vehicle was hit in the passenger side between the tire and the door however the air bag did not deploy. There was no indication before the crash that the air bag would not deploy other than the contact stated the air bag light had been illuminating intermittently for some time. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop who determined the vehicle was totaled however; no determination was made as to why the air bag did not deploy.
Questions about the 2002 Lincoln Town Car airbags
Does the 2002 Lincoln Town Car have airbags problems?
Owners have filed 20 complaints about the airbags of the 2002 Lincoln Town Car, 31% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2002 Lincoln Town Car airbags problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 68,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Lincoln Town Car airbags?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Lincoln Town Car have bad airbags?
The Lincoln Town Car model years with the most airbags complaints are 2006 (58 complaints), 2001 (54 complaints) and 1999 (29 complaints).
Other 2002 Lincoln Town Car problems
Acceleration 12Brakes 11Engine 4Locks 4Electrical 3Steering 3Suspension 3Visibility 3Body 2Tires 2Fuel system 1Seat belts 1Seats 1
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