[xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)
The worst 2003 Lincoln Town Car problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Suspension81
- Transmission27
- Acceleration18
- Steering16
- Brakes15
- Engine14
- Body12
- Airbags10
- Electrical8
- Lights6
- Tires6
- Wheels6
- Locks4
- Seats4
- Fuel system2
- Driver assistance1
- Visibility1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2003 Lincoln Town Car
Recalls 1
Suspension: rear
- What is wrong
- Certain police, commercial, and passenger vehicles sold to fleets typically input higher loads into the vehicle chassis overloading the wheel bearings and axles.
- Risk
- 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.
- 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.
Recall number 04V328000 · Recall details
See all 1 recalls for the 2003 Lincoln Town Car
Defect investigations
Spark plug ejection from cylinder head
On september 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 ford vehicles with triton v-8 and v-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or ejected from the engine.as of december 8, 2005, odi is not aware of any allegations where the alleged defect resulted in a loss of vehicle control, a crash, an injury, or a fatality in any of the 10,319,810 subject vehicles.in addition, odi is aware of only two incidents where the vehicle stalled without restart.information contained in the odi consumer complaints and obtained from 72 telephone interviews with complainants showed the following:(1) 99% of the complaints were on my 1997 to 2002 subject vehicles.(2) most the complainants reported hearing a loud pop while driving or upon starting up the vehicle followed by a loud, repetitive clicking or popping sound.(3) many of the complainants reported that the popping sound was accompanied by some loss of vehicle power; however, in 99% of the incidents reported, the vehicle did not stall.in the very few incidents where the vehicle did stall, most vehicles could be restarted.(4) only a small percentage of the complainants cited that they smelled gas or a slight burning smell when the incident occurred.(5) in all but a very few incidents, vehicle damage was limited to the engine.in one incident, the complaint reported that the fuel rail was damaged and replaced after one of the spark plugs ejected from the engine; however, the complainant reported that the damage did not result in any type of fuel leak or fire.in another incident, the only incident where a fire was alleged, the complainant reported that no fluid leak was observed, but that a fire resulted after the spark plug had ejected from the engine and he had restarted the vehicle and driven to another location.none of the complainants reported any damage to the vehicle hood.(6) only two complainants reported that they observed what appeared to be some drops of fuel coming from the cylinder where the spark plug had failed or on the spark plug itself; however, each of these complainants reported that there was no smoke or flames as a result of his incident.as the petitioner noted, and odi?s analysis showed, it is possible for a spark plug to detach from the engine cylinder threads in the subject vehicles.however, odi?s analysis of 474 complaints describing such incidents found only a very few alleged any safety-related consequences.none of these showed any evidence of a serious safety consequence.given the large population and relatively long exposure time of the subject vehicles, the complaint analysis indicates that the risk to motor vehicle safety from the alleged defect is very low.in view of the foregoing, it is unlikely that the federal safety agency would issue an order for the notification and remedy of the alleged defect at the conclusion of the investigation requested in the petition.therefore, in view of the need to allocate and prioritize the federal safety agency?s limited resources to best accomplish the agency?s safety mission, the petition is denied.
DP05005
Rear axle fracture
This pe was opened after odi became aware of two allegations concerning rear axle fracture and partial wheel separation involving my 2003 ford crown victoria police interceptors (cvpi).initially, the pe's scope involved all my 2003 grand marquis, crown victoria, and lincoln town cars (I.e., panther platform) produced through january 2003.while gathering information about this issue, it became evident that the failures were confined to long-wheelbase lincoln town cars and the cvpi's due to their unique weight distribution and usage profiles.ford's recall addresses these vehicles.both the company and odi are continuing to monitor the field performance of the axles and will take appropriate action as required.
PE04010
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
Technical service bulletins for the 2003 Lincoln Town Car 83
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This article supersedes TSB 19-2026 to update the vehicle model years affected
- Corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust
- Some 1997-2008 vehicles equipped with a 4.6L 2V, 5.4L 2V, or 6.8L 2V engine--spark plug thread repair...
- Parking aid system is inoperative - DTC C1983
- Customer satisfaction program 05B31 - information only
- Parking aid system inoperative - DTC C1983
- Limited slip axle chatter, shudder, binding sensation, or vibration during low speed turning maneuvers
- Wds cop kit diagnostic tip - coil on plug (COP) ignition systems - engine misfire or rough running
- Safety belt retraction speed
- Door locks being inoperative when using the keypad and/or remote keyless entry (RKE) fob - fuse 2.30...
2003 Lincoln Town Car fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.6L 8‑cyl | RWD | 16 | 23 | 18 |
What 2003 Lincoln Town Car owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The contact owns a 2003 Lincoln Town Car. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the vehicle experienced rough idling. Additionally, the headlights were flickering, and the alternator failed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the powertrain control module (PCM) was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 140,000.
I have had to replace wheel bearing and axle every few months because of premature wear and causing driving to be a safety concern. Once it wears thin, the car shakes and wobbles and the tire almost snapped off twice.
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.
The rear-end failed does not have tempered axle There was a recall on 2003 lincolns with same problem but when I enter vin It does not pull anything up Lost control of car and had to be towed home have not had it to the dealer yet
Been trying for about a year to get this safety recall called 4 local ford dealer ships first one said my cars to old they won’t fix the safety recall other don’t give call back I can hear like vibrating in the back where this recall would fix it hopfully it don’t break on me
Rear end started a sudden howell and shaking and grinding and the Abs and traction control light came on and brakes and suspension did not want to function properly while driving in traffic as quick as I could I pulled over and it looked like one tire was sticking out of the axel way far So I just pulled over and called for my AAA to to and got towed home thats it
The contact owns a 2003 Lincoln Town Car. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency 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 that he noticed fuel on the pavement in the driveway at his residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the intake manifold was faulty. The mechanic also confirmed that the manifold was leaking and needed to be replaced. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 85,800.
The rear right wheel bearing was replaced less than 2 years ago and is already bad again. This specific make and model and year of car has been recalled for the bearing issues that this car has, and this car was produced in the exact plant that the recall involves. However, the recall manufacture date ends on december 31, 2002 and this car's manufacture date is february 2003. The car has the bad parts that have been recalled and it needs to be addressed.
Compare the 2003 Lincoln Town Car
Other model years
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Questions about the 2003 Lincoln Town Car
Is the 2003 Lincoln Town Car reliable?
Owners have filed 201 complaints about the 2003 Lincoln Town Car, 2.4 times a typical Town Car model year. It is one of the years we flag to avoid.
What is the 2003 Lincoln Town Car year score?
The 2003 Lincoln Town Car scores 43 out of 100 (below average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Lincoln Town Car: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2003 Lincoln Town Car?
Suspension, with 81 complaints, typically around 73,000 miles. Next is transmission (27).
How many recalls does the 2003 Lincoln Town Car have?
1 recall, covering suspension.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Lincoln Town Car suspension?
Yes, 1 recall: 04V328000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Lincoln Town Car have bad suspension?
The Lincoln Town Car model years with the most suspension complaints are 2003 (81 complaints), 1997 (50 complaints) and 1996 (24 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2003 Lincoln Town Car get?
Official estimates for the 2003 Lincoln Town Car range from 18 mpg combined. The most efficient version (4.6L 8-cyl, RWD) gets 16 city and 23 highway.
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