2004 Lincoln Town Car: doors won't lock, open or latch

Filed Oct 19, 2015 · 88,000 miles · FL

3 of 4 interior door latches broke in normal use when attempting to exit the vehicle and the part is integral to the door panel. Ford dealer says the parts are no longer available and ford has provided no other means of repair. Exiting the vehicle may not be possible in an emergency and may pose a serious threat to life & safety.

Filed Feb 27, 2014 · Body, Locks · DC

Opening the driver's door normally, the door handle broke off with a piece of the door panel. The whole door assembly used to open/close the door is no longer available and has been discontinued. The only way to open the door now is to roll the window down and reach outside to open the door from the outside. This is particularly unsafe as it is the driver's main escape.

Filed Jan 22, 2014 · Body · 88,000 miles · NY

The interior door lock within the panel broke off on the drivers side & the clips broke off on the passengers side. Per lincoln we will need to replace the whole panel. They no longer make the panel nor can we find it at anywhere else. Lincoln offered two sites to try and locate however they do not have this part either. The car hasn't even hit 10 years for us and lincoln offers no solution. The car runs ok but it's a bit embarrassing that we cannot open the door without the panel falling down. I believe this is a bad business transaction from the manufacturer and had we known we would get this type of service we wouldn't of bought this make of car.

Filed Aug 6, 2012 · Body · 98,902 miles · FL

Interior door handles dislodge from door panel mechanism rendering the inside door handle inoperative. This can trap people inside of car. No way to open door from the inside.

Filed Jun 28, 2012 · Body · 68,438 miles · SC

The door handle to open the drivers door is stuck out and the door cannot be opened from the inside of the car. If in an accident, you could die. Ford dealer told me tuff luck, the part is discontinued and impossible to repair. Poor design, poor response from ford. If there is a fire or accident, you cannot exit the car. Ford needs orders to recall these cars and fix the problem so innocent people do not sacrifice their lives for fords bottom line.

Filed Feb 13, 2012 · Locks · TX

Driver's side interior door latch broke and is integral to the door panel. Ford dealer says the part is no longer available and ford has provided no other means of repair. Ford provided the following part number: 4w1z5423943eaa, which is not available. To exit the vehicle, the window must be rolled down and the outside door handle used. This is a potential safety risk if a quick exit is required during a fire, accident, or other emergency.

Filed Mar 16, 2011 · 90,000 miles · FL

The front interior door handles, on the driver and passenger sides, became dislodged from the internal door opening mechanism, cannot be returned to the original position, and do not work. The door can only be opened by rolling down the electric window and pulling the outer latch. Ford service centers can no longer procure the part (the door trim panel) to do the repair as ford has discontinued manufacturing them and has no more in stock. Another report of the same problem exists in the federal safety agency database, and it appears similar to the problem that lead ford to recall the 2008 expedition and navigator. I have contacted ford, and there is no recall on the 2004 lincoln. I have been unsuccessful finding the part in the aftermarket. It is the entire trim panel sold as one piece. Since the ford service center cannot repair the door without the part, I have resorted to removing the door panel, resetting the handle, and drilling screws through the panel to help hold the door handle in place so that it will open the door and not become dislodged from the mechanism. But this has failed repeatedly, the entire plastic holding the handle in place has broken loose, and only works now when I treat the handle in a very delicate and awkward manner. I fear that during a fire or crash I or a passenger will not be able to open the door to escape. Since the parts are not available, the ford service center cannot perform the repair. Having seen how the mechanism works, I am not completely confident that the original design was sufficient to hold the door handle in place over time, and that a replacement part may not be sufficient.

Filed Jun 22, 2009 · Locks · 112,000 miles · OH

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 lincoln town car. The contact stated that the front driver's side door would not open from the inside or outside. Occupants may not be able to safely exit the vehicle in the event of a crash. The vehicle has not been inspected to determine the cause of the failure. The failure and current mileages were 112,000.