2004 Lincoln Town Car: problems, recalls and reliability
0 recalls and 83 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is vehicle speed control (21% of complaints).
Data updated weekly
0
recalls
83
owner complaints
3
fire reports
69,219
typical failure mileage, mi
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
No recall campaignsWeak spot: vehicle speed control (21%)3 fire reports
Common problems
Computed from 83 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
Vehicle Speed Control (unintended acceleration, cruise control)21% · 17 complaints
Steering (steering wheel, rack, power assist)18% · 14 complaints
Structure (body, frame, doors, rust)11% · 9 complaints
Service Brakes, Hydraulic (brakes)10% · 8 complaints
Electrical System (battery, wiring, electronics)8% · 6 complaints
Engine And Engine Cooling (engine, radiator, overheating)5% · 4 complaints
“Bought a 2004 Linc Tow as a gift to my grandson. Drove it a couple of times and had no issues. After it had sat for about 2-3 weeks, I drove it to town to let it run after sitting. On my way home I was turning on to the road for home and the steering suddenly caught, I was in the middle of a turn and pulled steering wheel to straighten the car when it released. I almost hit the car next to me. I have an appointment on October 14th to have it checked out. I understand that this is a problem that has occurred often in other years and was fixed, so why not the 2004. This car only has 92,500 miles on it. I can't risk my grandson getting into an accident.”Owner report · Steering · Sep 2025
“The steering is binding really bad. Noticed it yesterday while taking hubby to docs. Much worse today. Unable to pull into parking spaces, did not dare to try to pull up to pumps. Cornering was a challenge in either direction. We do not have any Ford garages in this area. Think this is a major issue that may go with Lincolns. had 2 other ones with similar issues. It is not too bad if rolling along, but almost impossible when going slow.”Owner report · Steering · Nov 2021
“Vehicle was parked outside during rain showers and water accumulated inside the rear passenger foot area 1st and overflowed into the front passenger's foot area.”Owner report · Structure · May 2020
Show 7 more owner reports
“My steering is hard to turn. Very stiff. Bought it used and I see they repaired the upper and lower power steering shaft., all other models were being recalled for this problem. Why not this year? It only has 65,500 miles”Owner report · Steering · Mar 2020
“Tl* the contact owns a 2004 lincoln town car. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start and the battery drained intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the light control module failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.”Owner report · Electrical System · Dec 2018
“Operator experienced stuck speed control button and accelerated couldn�t stop the speed acceleration with steering wheel so operator hit breaks. Loud bang sound followed by drastic reduced speeds. Could cause loss of control. Resulted in speeding ticket during failure speeds almost up to 100mph during emergency event mode.”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Jul 2018
“Operator experienced stuck speed control button and accelerated couldn't stop the speed acceleration with steering wheel so operator hit breaks. Loud bang sound followed by drastic reduced speeds. Could cause loss of control.”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Jul 2018
“Lighting control module same part number as ford recall for marquis of same year, why isn't town cars included from same period. Possible link to left information display in dash has begun flickering, numbers phase out and eventually after a period of time, entire display disappears losing speed, odometer, warning lights, everything on that side of the display panel. Right display panel has displayed similar flickering when left side completely goes out.”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · Nov 2015
“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.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Sep 2015
“Driving slowly on a suburban street at twilight the headlights and dashboard lights went out. The same thing occurred a three times week later on the interstate at 65 mph about 10 p.m. The automatic delayed headlight off setting no longer functions. The lights can be turned on in the manual position.apparently, the light control module has faulty relays which fail suddenly during the course of normal use.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jun 2015
When filing, owners marked a crash in 18 of these complaints and injuries in 6 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
How other years compare
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Is the 2004 Lincoln Town Car reliable?
NHTSA has 83 owner complaints and 0 recall campaigns on record for the 2004 Lincoln Town Car. The most complained-about area is vehicle speed control (21% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2004 Lincoln Town Car problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 69,219 miles or less.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.