2002 Lincoln Town Car problems & reliability
65 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2002 Lincoln Town Car. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
10 complaints report injuries (12 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2002 Lincoln Town Car vehicles were involved in 10 fatal crashes with 5 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags → | 20 | 31% |
| Vehicle Speed Control → | 12 | 18% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 10 | 15% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 4 | 6% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 5% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 5% |
| Steering | 3 | 5% |
| Suspension | 3 | 5% |
| Visibility | 3 | 5% |
| Structure | 2 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 48,940 miles (middle 50% between 22,000 and 82,250 miles), based on 36 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Last week I blow a back tire . They said the belt broke separated. GOT a knot. This week Im having the same problem with one of my front tires. On way ro work had to pull over. Tire has a knot. I used Firestone but have had nothing but issues. Didn't tighten down my tires wore tire another store replaced the. Piedmont…”
Tires · filed May 14, 2026
“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…”
Air Bags · filed Jan 14, 2019
“Takata recall I've change the brake switch on my car over four times and it went out again. Mt car will not chage gier when this happens. I would like to know if there has been a recall with this problem. This happens after the vehicle is park.”
Service Brakes · filed May 9, 2018
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
Defect Petition DP05005 · opened Sep 22, 2005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
- INADVERTENT SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT
Engineering Analysis EA03014 · opened Aug 22, 2003 · closed Aug 12, 2004
- INADVERTENT SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT
Preliminary Evaluation PE03011 · opened Mar 14, 2003 · closed Aug 22, 2003
Technical service bulletins
59 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2002 Lincoln Town Car. The 10 most recent:
This article supersedes TSB 19-2026 to update the vehicle model years affected. Some 2000 and newer Ford/Lincoln/Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled…
TSB 20-2233 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 13, 2020
Some 2000 and newer Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. Panel…
TSB 19-2026 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 7, 2019
Some 2000 and newer Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. Panel…
TSB 19-2026 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 7, 2019
Some 1997-2008 vehicles equipped with a 4.6l 2v, 5.4l 2v, or 6.8l 2v engine--spark plug thread repair procedure--not covered under new vehicle limited warranty. *nj this includes f-53 motorhome chassis. Updated 2/23/10…
07212 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2007
Customer satisfaction program 05b31 - information only. A possibility that during a high speed / high energy rear collision, certain components have an increased risk of puncturing the fuel tank on vehicles with limo…
0531 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 8, 2007
Limited slip axle chatter, shudder, binding sensation, or vibration during low speed turning maneuvers. *tt
06216 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2006
Wds cop kit diagnostic tip - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - engine misfire or rough running. *tt
041601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 14, 2005
Safety belt retraction speed. *tt
042421 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 7, 2005
Door locks being inoperative when using the keypad and/or remote keyless entry (rke) fob - fuse 2.30 opening intermittently.
0567 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2005
Safety belt web stop button service. *eh
05310 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 21, 2005
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 2002 Lincoln Town Car in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2002 Lincoln Town Car?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 48,940 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.