Selling an old or broken Lincoln Town Car

If yours has quit for good, you can sell the whole car as it sits. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, and pickup is free anywhere in the US.

Three generations, three different complaint lists

Each number below is a Town Car report NHTSA had on October 10, 2026. It tells one owner's story and does not prove the part failed.

1984-1989: wiring first

The electrical system tops the complaint list in all six Town Car years shown here. For the 1989, that's 42 of 89. Recall 96V071000 told dealers to replace the ignition switch on 1988-1989 cars because it could short internally. That campaign counted 7,900,000 vehicles, so it reached far past the Town Car. An earlier one, 87V139000, fitted retainer clips over the spring-lock fuel couplings of 1986-1988 Town Cars, so a coupling could not separate and spill fuel. It also covered other Ford products: 3,600,000 vehicles in the whole campaign.

1990-1997: the busiest years

The second generation holds 1,682 complaints, just over half the total. It sold in big numbers too: Wikipedia lists 147,160 built for 1990.

Fire is the pattern to know on the early part of this run. Owners marked 65 complaints on the 1990 as involving a fire, 94 on the 1992 and 57 on the 1993. Recall 99V124000 covers 1992-1993 cars: the speed control deactivation switch can short and possibly start an underhood fire. Recall 07V336000 later added a fused harness on 1992-1998 cars for the same switch.

Hoods are the other early recall theme. Recall 95V091000 says corrosion can let the hood latch striker plate come loose on 1990-1991 cars, so the hood can open unexpectedly while driving. Two more campaigns, 91V147000 and 95V151000, replaced secondary hood latches that might not catch on 1991 and 1991-1992 cars. Owners filed 20 latch and lock complaints on the 1990 and 13 on the 1991.

Brakes show up mid-run: 31 hydraulic brake complaints on the 1991 and 46 on the 1995. Recall 94V152000 covers 1994 cars whose rear brake adaptor nuts and bolts can loosen, which can damage the parking brake and antilock parts.

The 1996 and 1997 lean on the engine instead. Engine and cooling complaints number 85 on the 1996 and 84 on the 1997, the model year with the most complaints of any Town Car.

1998-2011: air bags, then steering

The last generation was long. From 1997 to 2011 the Town Car was the longest mass-production car sold in North America, according to Wikipedia. Air bags lead the complaints on the 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2006 models; the 2001 has 54. The 2003 is the outlier, with 76 of its 201 complaints about the suspension.

Recall 13V385000 has dealers install a new lower intermediate steering shaft on 2005-2011 Town Cars. Its 355,000 vehicles include the Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis as well as the Town Car. Recall 98V322000 replaced lower ball joints on certain 1996-1999 Town Car limousines, along with Crown Victoria police and fleet cars.

Complaints and recalls by model year

Source: the NHTSA complaint file, pulled October 10, 2026. "Marked fire" is the number of Town Car complaints flagged for a fire. A Town Car recall is listed once for each year it covers, so adding up that column gives a lot more than 45.

The 1984 through 1993 cars hold 353 of the 442 fire complaints.

Worth fixing, or time to sell?

Compare the shop's number with what a working Town Car like yours sells for. Then work down this list:

1. Run the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup. If a campaign shows open, ask a Lincoln dealer about it.
2. On a 1992-1998 car, ask whether the speed control switch harness from recall 07V336000 was ever installed.
3. Wiring faults on an older car can take a long time to trace. Our electrical problems guide covers when that stops making sense.
4. If fixing the Town Car costs nearly what it's worth running, see when repairs cost more than it's worth.

Selling a Town Car whole

1. Note your Town Car's VIN, its miles and the problem, plus whether it rolls and steers.
2. Describe where it sits. A third-generation Town Car has a 117.7-inch wheelbase, per Wikipedia. Say whether it's in a garage, a driveway or at the curb, and how many feet of clearance it has front and back, since a car this long needs room to be pulled onto a truck.
3. Don't strip the Town Car. Keep the V8, converter and wheels on it, and mention any part already removed.
4. Get an offer online or call (877) 421-6008. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
5. Town Car pickup: the driver takes the signed title and checks your ID. Plate rules change from state to state, and after you sell explains them. Lost title? Start with selling with no title.

Looking at another Lincoln? See the Continental, LS and Navigator, or every Lincoln we cover.