2006 Lincoln Town Car problems & reliability
143 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2006 Lincoln Town Car, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. 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.
5 complaints report injuries (7 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2006 Lincoln Town Car vehicles were involved in 24 fatal crashes with 17 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 | 58 | 41% |
| Seat Belts | 35 | 24% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 26 | 18% |
| Steering | 13 | 9% |
| Service Brakes | 12 | 8% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 9 | 6% |
| Structure | 8 | 6% |
| Unknown OR Other | 8 | 6% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 7 | 5% |
| Electrical System | 6 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 65,000 miles (middle 50% between 41,000 and 103,000 miles), based on 117 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2006 Lincoln Town Car. The contact stated that after it rained, rainwater entered the vehicle, soaking the rear passenger’s and rear driver's side seats. The contact removed the debris around the doors, but the failure persisted. Additionally, the front driver's seat remained extremely hot even…”
Structure · filed Nov 20, 2024
“The contact owns a 2006 Lincoln Town Car. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, he was unable to shift into the intended gear. The contact stated that the gear shifter had seized. The contact stated the steering shaft was maneuvered until the gear shifter unlocked. There was an unknown warning light…”
Power Train · filed May 23, 2024
“The contact owns a 2006 Lincoln Town Car. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the engine made an abnormally loud sound. The contact stated upon shifting into drive(D), the vehicle accelerated unintendedly down the steep driveway. The contact continuously depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle failed to…”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Oct 20, 2023
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
23 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2006 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
This SKU is a Radiator Fan. The customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect the electrical connections. An electrical connection issue may lead to the fan not working potentially throwing a…
DOR-L2Q6V-10 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 18, 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 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
The Powertrain Control/Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) manual has been revised for diagnosing electronic throttle bodies (ETBs). The ETC_ACT and ETC_DSD PIDs should not used to diagnose possible ETB concerns. The IDS has a…
SSM 46085 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 21, 2016
Inpected or repaired under 13R01 - Requests for recall service action under 13S08
TSB160072 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 21, 2016
For 2005-2012 Crown Victoria, 2005-2011 Grand Marquis and Town Car vehicles, Regional Program 13R01 applies to vehicles not registered in corrosion states and not included in Safety Recall 13S08, where operation in high…
16-0072 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 21, 2016
Ford: the lower intermediate steering shaft, has corrosion of swing link joints, combined with collapsed upper intermediate steering shaft, resulting in steering column separation and loss of steering control. Model…
RP-13R01 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 16, 2014
Ford: swing link joints on lower intermediate steering shaft, has corrosion, and combined with collapsed upper intermediate steering shaft, on some vehicles, causes steering column to separate, leading to steering…
RP-13-R-01 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 2, 2013
Ford/lincoln/mercury: if battery was disconnected or dead, vehicles/trucks may experience hard starts and engine idle rpm fluctuation and exhibit diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) p0505, p0506, p2111 and p2112. *pe
TSB-12-7-4 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 10, 2012
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
The 2006 Lincoln Town Car has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
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 2006 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 65,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.