IllustrationVEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATES AND WILL NOT STOP UNTIL IS TURNED OFF.*AK
1989 Lincoln Town Car
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1989 Lincoln Town Car do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 86.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Town Car years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 4 of 89 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 42 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seat Belts. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
7 crash reports38 fire reports6 injury reports
Vehicle Speed Control complaints
12 reportsAFTER TURNING IGNITION AND PUTTING VEHICLE INTO DRIVE VEHICLE TOOK OFF AND HIT A STORE WINDOW. DRIVER APPLIED BRAKES, AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. NO ONE HAS SEEN VEHICLE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCLERATED. BRAKES COULD NOT SLOW DOWN VEHICLE, WHICH ALMOST CAUSED A CRASH. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER INDICATED THAT THEY NEVER HAD THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION*AK.
CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGES THEN DISENGAGES BEFORE ATTAINING DESIRED SPEED. IT MAY NOT ENGAGE AT ALL AT ANY TIME, OR IT MAY DISENGAGE AT ANY TIME. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR FOR YEARS. THE DEALER SAID THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM , BUT THE RECALL WAS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. I PAID $1,000. FOR THIS REPAIR AND T…
Read full complaint
CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGES THEN DISENGAGES BEFORE ATTAINING DESIRED SPEED. IT MAY NOT ENGAGE AT ALL AT ANY TIME, OR IT MAY DISENGAGE AT ANY TIME. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR FOR YEARS. THE DEALER SAID THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM , BUT THE RECALL WAS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. I PAID $1,000. FOR THIS REPAIR AND THERE WAS IMPROVEMENT FOR THREE OR FOUR MONTHS, THEN THE PROBLEM REOCCURRED AND CONTINUES TODAY.
WHILE DRIVING CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED UNEXPECTEDLY, CAUSING LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION AND VIN#. *AK
GAS PEDAL STUCK WHEN DRIVER WAS LEAVING GARAGE, THE VEHICLE WENT THROUGH THE GARAGE AND INTO NEIGHBORS YARD, CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE.
SUDDEN ACCELERATION. (ATTORNEY FOR CLIENT)
WHEN TAKING FOOT OF ACCELERATOR, THE AUTO KEEPS ON ACCELERATING. *AK
SUDDEN ACCELERATION, CAUSING ACCIDENT. (1ST VEHICLE ON 506273)*SD
CONSUMER SET CRUISE CONTROL AND IT ACCELERATES, OPEN THE FRONT HOOD AND HOOD ALMOST FELL ON CONSUMER . TT
Official recalls
596V071000 · Electrical System:ignition
Apr 25, 1996
THE IGNITION SWITCH COULD EXPERIENCE AN INTERNAL SHORT CIRCUIT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE OVERHEATING, SMOKE, AND POSSIBLY FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN AREA OF THE VEHICLE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH.
90V133000 · Equipment:other:labels
Jul 27, 1990
TIRE PLACARD MAY CONTAIN INCORRECT GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATINGS AND TIRE INFORMATION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: LIMOUSINES WOULD NOT COMPLY WITH FMVSS 110 AND CONSUMERMIGHT UNKNOWINGLY OVERLOAD THE VEHICLE BECAUSE OF PLACARD MISINFORMATION.
Remedy: INSTALL REVISED TIRE PLACARDS.
90V134000 · Equipment:other:labels
Jul 27, 1990
GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATINGS AND TIRE INFORMATION MAY BE INCORRECT ON LABELS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: VEHICLES WOULD NOT COMPLY WITH 49 CFR PART 567.
Remedy: INSTALL REVISED CERTIFICATION LABELS.
90V093000 · Equipment:other:labels
May 9, 1990
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: LIMOUSINES BUILT BY EMPIRE COACH. VEHICLE ALTERERS LABEL MAY BE MISSING OR INCOMPLETE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: VEHICLES DO NOT COMPLY WITH PART 567.
Remedy: ADD COMPLIANCE LABEL.
90V050000 · Seat Belts:front:anchorage
Mar 6, 1990
SAFETY BELTS (TYPE 1 LAP BELTS) FOR REAR FACING SEATS WERE NOT INSTALLED.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: LACK OF RESTRAINTS COULD CONTRIBUTE TO OTHERWISE PREVENTABLE INJURY AND WOULD NOT COMPLY WITH FMVSS 209 AND 210.
Remedy: INSTALL SAFETY BELTS FOR REAR FACING SEATS.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.