42 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1997 Lincoln Town Car cite vehicle speed control, 13% of all 317 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 1 recall on this component.
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 LINCOLN TOWN CAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HORN AND CRUISE CONTROL WERE INOPERATIVE. A LOCAL MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE HORN WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,000.”
“THE OIL PAN RUSTED THROUGH AND CAUSED ALL THE OIL TO LEAK OUT ONTO THE GROUND. THE CRUISE CONTROL COMPUTER KEEPS CAUSING THE CAR TO TAKE OFF OR NOT EVEN WORK AT ALL WHEN U SET IT, WHEN THE CAR TAKES OFF AFTER SETTING IT THE GAS PEDDLE GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND IT WILL NOT DEACTIVATE UNLESS YOU SHUT THE CAR OFF WHILE DRIVING. *TR”
“THE CAR WAS SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY UNATTENDED WITH NO KEY IN THE IGNITION WHEN THE FIRE STARTED. IT HAD BEEN DRIVEN ABOUT 3 HOURS BEFORE WITH NO PROBLEMS. THE FIRE INSPECTOR SAID THE FIRE STARTED UNDER THE HOOD ON THE LEFT SIDE BUT HE WAS UNABLE TO SAY EXACTLY WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE. AFTER CHECKING ON LINE IT WAS DISCOVERED THE CAR WAS ON A RECALL LIST FOR THE SPEED CONTROL SWITCH WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE LEFT SIDE.”
“OUR 1997 LINCOLN TOWN CAR THAT WAS PART OF THE DEACTIVATION SWITCH RECALL BEGAN HONKING AS THE ALARM TRIGGERED ON THE EVENING OF AUGUST 24, 2010 IN OUR GARAGE. AFTER CLEARING THE ALARM SEVERAL TIMES, I INVESTIGATED THE BATTERY VOLTAGE AND ALL WAS WELL. THE ALARM TRIGGERED AGAIN AND I CLEARED IT. AS I CLOSED THE HOOD SMOKE BEGAN TO ESCAPE NEAR THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE CORNER OF THE HOOD. I OPENED THE HOOD AS THE SMOKE SLOWED DOWN. THE CONNECTOR TO THE DEACTIVATION SWITCH WAS VERY WARM AND THE SWITCH HAD BRAKE FLUID ON IT. THE RECALL INSTALLED 20 AMP FUSE HAD NOT OPENED. UPON INVESTIGATION I FOUND THAT THE FUSE IN THE RECALL INSTALLED HARNESS WAS IN THE CIRCUIT BETWEEN THE SWITCH AND THE CRUISE CONTROL INSTEAD OF BETWEEN THE BATTERY AND THE SWITCH. HENCE THE FUSE PROVIDED NO PROTECTION AGAINST THE POTENTIAL FIRE. THANKFULLY I WAS STANDING THERE WHEN IT HAPPENED AND COULD DISCONNECT THE CABLE FROM THE SWITCH. OTHERWISE WE WERE AT RISK OF FIRE THAT COULD HAVE SPREAD TO OUR HOUSE. *TR”
“1997 LINCOLN TOWN CAR- CRUISE CONTROL DEFECT CAUSING ENGINE FIRES. AFTER FIRST HEARING OF THE RECALL I TOOK MY LINCOLN TO SUBURBAN FORD OF WATERFORD,MI. I WAS TOLD THEY HAD NOT YET RECEIVED THE REPLACEMENT PARTS YET, 2 WEEKS LATER I AGAIN WENT BACK AND WAS TOLD THE VERY SAME THING. I WAITED ANOTHER 2 WEEKS, WENT BACK TO SUBURBAN FORD AND WAS TOLD THIS TIME THAT THE REPLACEMENT PARTS FOR THE RECALL WERE BEING RECALLED AND I WOULD AGAIN HAVE TO COME BACK. I FEEL "THIS FORD DEALER JUST DOES NOT WANT TO COMPLY WITH THE RECALL. IT HAS NOW BEEN ABOUT 9 MONTHS SINCE THE FIRST VISIT AND STILL MY CAR HAS NOT BEEN FIXED. CAN YOU HELP? *TR”
“APPROXIMATELY 1 YEAR AGO I RECEIVED A LETTER PERTAINING TO THE RECALL OF MY LINCOLN # CONCERNING THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH ( SCDS) UPON RECEIVING THE LETTER I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED COOPER FORD IN CLINTON S.C TO SCHEDULE THE REPAIR, I WAS TOLD BY KATIE , A SERVICE MANAGER "THEY WOULD PUT ME ON THE LIST" THIS WAS THE LAST QUARTER OF LAST YEAR OCT NOV TIME FRAME. UPON NOT HEARING ANYTHING FROM THE DEALERSHIP IN MAR 08 I CALLED AGAIN, A SERVICE MANAGER BRIAN, TOLD ME I WAS STILL ON THE LIST. I HAVE NOT BEEN CONTACTED BY THE DEALERSHIP SINCE. *TR”
Showing 6 of 42 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS, PASSENGER VEHICLES, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, AND MOTOR HOMES CHASSIS, THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH MAY, UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, LEAK INTERNALLY AND THEN OVERHEAT, SMOKE, OR BURN.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.