NHTSA vehicle safety data

2005 Lincoln Town Car Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

The 2005 Lincoln Town Car has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns and 119 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Lincoln dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2005 Lincoln Town Car, plus NCAP crash-test ratings. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

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2005 Lincoln Town Car owner complaints

Owners have filed 119 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 Lincoln Town Car, describing incidents dated January 14, 2005 to April 8, 2023.

Most-cited components

Vehicle Speed Control 34 complaints
Service Brakes 24 complaints
Air Bags 22 complaints
Seat Belts 11 complaints
Electrical System 8 complaints
Steering 8 complaints

Of the 119 complaints on file, 17 report a crash and 2 a fire; across all 119 complaints, owners report 18 injuries and 1 death (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

ODI #11516084 · Filed April 8, 2023
Unknown
ODI #11496036 · Filed December 5, 2022
The contact owns a 2005 Lincoln Town Car. The contact stated that the windshield wipers became inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted. The failure mileage was approximately…
ODI #11490937 · Filed October 26, 2022
While accelerating approximate @ 30 mph, vehicle speed increased without assistance nearly plummeting into a body of water at a curve... exit 77 on I-95S MD. The car could not handled the curve at that rate of speed. Town Car had to be thrown into neutral and hard press brake pedal in order to stop…

Read all 119 complaints

Improper Repair of Upper Intermediate Shaft

NHTSA #14V704000 · Steering — Rack and Pinion — Pinion Shaft · NHTSA notice

Reported November 5, 2014 · Ford Motor Company

Potentially affected: 36,888 vehicles

Repair completion: 70.57% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Manufacturer campaign 14S25 · Owners notified November 19, 2014 · Vehicles built March 8, 2004 – August 30, 2011 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 Ford Crown Victoria, 2005-2011 Mercury Grand Marquis vehicles manufactured March 23, 2004, to August 30, 2011, and 2005-2011 Lincoln Town Car vehicles manufactured March 8, 2004, to August 30, 2011, and on which the upper intermediate shaft was serviced during the course of safety recall 13V-385. The prior repairs may not have been correctly performed.

Safety consequence

Improper servicing of the upper intermediate shaft could cause the shaft to separate, which can then result in a loss of steering control, and increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Ford will notify the owners of vehicles whose repair records reflect that the upper intermediate steering shaft was repaired during the course of the prior recall 13V-385. Dealers will inspect and replace the upper immediate shaft if necessary free of charge. The recall began November 17, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 14S25.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Steering Column Lower Bearing May Separate

NHTSA #13V385000 · Steering · NHTSA notice

Reported August 29, 2013 · Ford Motor Company

Potentially affected: 355,000 vehicles

Repair completion: 60.86% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Manufacturer campaign 13S08 · Owners notified October 23, 2013 · Recall influenced by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation

Defect description

Ford is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 Ford Crown Victoria (including Crown Victoria Police Interceptors), Mercury Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car vehicles. The affected vehicles are currently registered or were originally sold in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Severe corrosion can seize the lower intermediate shaft which may cause the upper intermediate shaft to collapse and the steering column lower bearing to separate.

Safety consequence

If the lower bearing separates, the vehicle may experience a loss of steering, increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Ford will notify owners and dealers will replace the lower intermediate shaft, free of charge. The upper intermediate shaft and steering column lower bearing will be inspected to identify any damage that may have occurred as a result of lower intermediate shaft corrosion, and repaired or replaced as necessary. If the steering column lower bearing has separated, a retainer clip will be installed. The recall began on October 23, 2013. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's recall number is 13S08.

Notes

A separate service campaign applies to vehicles in non-corrosion states not addressed by this safety recall. Owners of these vehicles should contact Ford directly about these vehicles.For the safety recall, owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE

NHTSA #05V518000 · Electrical System — 12V/24V/48V Battery — Cables · NHTSA notice

Reported November 9, 2005 · FORD MOTOR COMPANY

Potentially affected: 98,836 vehicles

Manufacturer campaign 05S38 · Owners notified November 18, 2005 · Vehicles built March 8, 2004 – February 11, 2005 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE BATTERY CABLE INCLUDES A FUSIBLE LINK THAT MAY CONTACT AND SUBSEQUENTLY CHAFE ON A #2 CROSS MEMBER ATTACHING BOLT.

Safety consequence

THIS CONDITION MAY RESULT IN HEAT DAMAGE AND COULD LEAD TO A FIRE.

Manufacturer remedy

DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE FUSIBLE LINK AND POSITION IT AWAY FROM THE CROSS MEMBER BOLT. IF THE FUSIBLE LINK HAS ALREADY CHAFED AND COPPER WIRES HAVE BEEN EXPOSED, THE FUSIBLE LINK WILL BE REPLACED. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 18, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673, OR LINCOLN/MERCURY AT 1-800-521-4140.

Notes

FORD RECALL NO. 05S38. CUSTOMERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.

2005 Lincoln Town Car 4-DR. w/SAB

—

out of 5

Overall Safety Rating

Not Rated

Frontal Crash

Not Rated

Driver: 5, Passenger: 5

Side Crash

Not Rated

Driver: 5, Passenger: 5

Side Pole

Not Rated

Rollover

Not Rated

Safety Technology

119 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2005 Lincoln Town Car.

Steering; Electrical System; Forward Collision Avoidance

ODI #11516084

Incident: April 8, 2023 · Filed: April 8, 2023

Unknown

Visibility/Wiper

ODI #11496036

Incident: November 21, 2022 · Filed: December 5, 2022

The contact owns a 2005 Lincoln Town Car. The contact stated that the windshield wipers became inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000. The consumer stated wipers are only turned on when raining, back warning only works when backing up, and unsure when the air bag light came on.

Power Train; Vehicle Speed Control; Engine

ODI #11490937

Incident: September 28, 2020 · Filed: October 26, 2022

While accelerating approximate @ 30 mph, vehicle speed increased without assistance nearly plummeting into a body of water at a curve... exit 77 on I-95S MD. The car could not handled the curve at that rate of speed. Town Car had to be thrown into neutral and hard press brake pedal in order to stop. Safety issue could have been major accident or my death. I do not desire to reproduce a dangerous scenario with an accelerating vehicle. Dealership and private mechanic refused to reproduce incident. Zero warning lamps and nothing in computer to determine a problem/fix.

Vehicle Speed Control

ODI #11374430

Crash

Incident: September 1, 2020 · Filed: November 9, 2020

2005 LINCOLN TOWNCAR. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO FAULTY ACCELERATOR WHICH RESULTED IN A AUTO ACCIDENT. *LD *JS

Service Brakes

ODI #11341849

Crash

Incident: July 28, 2020 · Filed: July 28, 2020

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 LINCOLN TOWN CAR. THE CONTACT CALLED IN REGARDS TO HAVING A BRAKE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE APPROACHING A RED LIGHT AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO HIT A TRUCK AND THE CURB. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO STOP AFTER DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL MULTIPLE TIMES. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT STATED NO INJURY WERE SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR BODY DAMAGE ESTIMATE AND REPAIRS. THE CONTACT STATED A LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED AS OF YET. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, CASE WAS FILED, AND REFERRED TO CONTACT NHTSA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 126,000.

Air Bags

ODI #11290221

Incident: January 5, 2019 · Filed: December 19, 2019

AIR BAG LIGHT FLASHES 3 TIMES 5 TIMES AND THEN STAYS ON. NO ACCIDENTS 28000 ACTUAL MILES.

Air Bags

ODI #11287872

Incident: October 2, 2019 · Filed: December 9, 2019

AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ON FOR A YEAR BUT NOW ITS OFF BUT HAVE 25 BEEPS EVERYTIME I START CAR AND EVERY 20 MINUTES AFTER. FOUND IT WAS AB N AIRBAG ISSUE

Air Bags

ODI #11253948

Incident: March 16, 2019 · Filed: September 8, 2019

"TAKATA RECALL." I NOTICED A FEW WEEKS AGO THAT MY AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON. I HAVE 28000 ACTUAL MILES ON THE 2005 LINCOLN TOWN CAR THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN GARAGED. I HAVE NOT HAD A RECALL ON THE AIRBAG LIGHT AND I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO CHECK IT OUT AND LET ME KNOW OF ANY RECALLS ON THE AIRBAGS.

Steering

ODI #11242887

Incident: July 30, 2019 · Filed: August 9, 2019

BECAME HARD TO STEER WHILE DRIVING. LIKE LOSS OF POWER STEERING TO IT INTO BE CHECKED IT IS THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING. ALMOST LOST CONTROL. I WAS TOLD IT WAS RECALLED FOR SAME REASON. I CHECKED IT WAS RECALLED BUT SAYS 0 UNREPAIRED . BUT SAYS SOME WAS NOT REPAIRED CORRECTLY I HAVE LESS THAN 95,000 MILES ON THIS VEHICLE. WHAT CAN BE DONE FOR THIS VEHICLE. THIS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING DOWN A ROAD WITH OUT NOTICED

Service Brakes

ODI #11196694

Crash

Incident: April 16, 2016 · Filed: April 16, 2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 LINCOLN TOWN CAR. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP THE VEHICLE, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE INADVERTENTLY ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP AT AN EXTENDED DISTANCE. ON ANOTHER OCCASION, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE CONTACT STRUCK A GUARDRAIL IN ORDER TO AVOID CRASHING INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO GATEWAY FORD LINCOLN NISSAN (LOCATED AT 1055 W ANDREW JOHNSON HWY, GREENEVILLE, TN 37745, (423) 639-5151) TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO RETRIEVE A FAULT CODE OR DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS INTERMITTENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,000.

Other Lincoln Town Car model years

Check your 2005 Lincoln Town Car VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Lincoln Town Car at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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