Lincoln Town Car Years to Avoid — Worst & Best Years to Buy

Every Lincoln Town Car model year (19982011) ranked by recall count, complaint volume, deaths, and injuries. Data sourced directly from NHTSA.

14
Years Tracked
34
Total Recalls
0
Total Complaints
0
Reported Injuries
0
Reported Deaths

Lincoln Town Car Years to Avoid

#1 WORST
2000

8 recalls · 0 complaints

Top issue: No complaints on record

Problem score: 24

#2 WORST
1998

6 recalls · 0 complaints

Top issue: No complaints on record

Problem score: 18

#3 WORST
2001

5 recalls · 0 complaints

Top issue: No complaints on record

Problem score: 15

Best Lincoln Town Car Years to Buy

#1 BEST
2002

1 recall · 0 complaints

Main area: No significant complaints

Problem score: 3

#2 BEST
2003

1 recall · 0 complaints

Main area: No significant complaints

Problem score: 3

#3 BEST
2006

1 recall · 0 complaints

Main area: No significant complaints

Problem score: 3

Found the right year? Verify that specific Town Car with a free VIN report.

Lincoln Town Car — Year-by-Year Problem Report

YearRecallsComplaintsInjuriesDeathsProblem ScoreVerdict
201110
3
Good
201010
3
Good
200910
3
Good
200810
3
Good
200720
6
Good
200610
3
Good
200520
6
Good
200400
0
Excellent
200310
3
Good
200210
3
Good
200150
15
Caution
200080
24
Avoid
199940
12
Caution
199860
18
Avoid

All 14 model years shown. Deaths and injuries from NHTSA complaint filings. Higher problem scores indicate more reported safety issues.

Lincoln Town Car Shopping Guide by Era

Pre-2013

Proceed with Caution

Older Town Car models have more accumulated wear and a larger recall history. These are higher-risk purchases without documented maintenance records and a clean VIN history report.

Frequently Asked Questions

What year Town Car should I avoid?+

Avoid the 2000 Lincoln Town Car if possible. It has 8 recalls, 0 owner complaints. The overall problem score is 24 — the highest in our dataset.

What is the best year Town Car to buy?+

The 2002 Lincoln Town Car is the lowest-risk year in our analysis, with a problem score of 3. It has only 1 recall and 0 complaints on record with NHTSA.

Which Town Car has the fewest problems?+

The 2002, 2003, 2006 model years have the fewest documented problems. Even for low-problem years, verifying a specific vehicle's history via its VIN is always recommended before purchase.

More Lincoln Town Car Research

Check a Specific Lincoln Town Car VIN

Model-year rankings show statistical risk. A VIN-specific report reveals the individual vehicle's full history — accidents, odometer rollbacks, auction records, and open recall status.

Run a Free VIN Report →