Your vehicle report

1986 Lincoln Town CAR

The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.

NHTSA data through October 2026View original NHTSA data Change vehicle

Your vehicle at a glance

Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.

Owner complaints
50
Received Feb 1995 to Aug 2008
Official recalls listed
4
Naming this model year; check your VIN for applicability
BrakeNews flagged problems
0
Statistical signals, not official defect findings or recalls

Owner reports

Most reported problems

  1. 1
    Vehicle catches fire from wiring28 complaints · 56% of this vehicle’s complaints
See all reported problems

Official NHTSA records

Recalls to check

  • Recall #90V093000Vehicle description: limousines built by empire coach. Vehicle alterers label may be missing or incomplete.
  • Recall #90V050000Safety belts (type 1 lap belts) for rear facing seats were not installed.
View recall details

BrakeNews signals

Flagged complaint patterns

Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.

No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.

How flags are identified

Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 4 crashes, 26 fires, 4 people injured, 0 deaths.

Explore by system

Where do owners report problems?

Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.

Schematic car with five system shortcutsGeneric side view, with the front on the left. Numbered links explore engine, brakes, steering, electrical, and body complaints. Text controls below provide the same choices.12345FRONTSCHEMATIC VIEW

Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.

View selected problems

Showing all 1 listed problem by system.

Engine & powertrain

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Brakes

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Electrical & lights

Airbags, belts & seats

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Steering, suspension & tires

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Body, doors & glass

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Driver assistance

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Other

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Complaint history

When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.

Complaints received about the 1986 Lincoln Town CAR
26
Show as a table
YearComplaints
19956
199626
19974
19984
19992
20003
20011
20021
20031
20041
20050
20060
20070
20081
20090
20100
20110
20120
20130
20140
20150
20160
20170
20180
20190
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 (to Oct 2026)0
Total50

Problems owners report

Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.

ProblemComplaintsShareShare ratioStatus
Vehicle catches fire from wiring2856%–

AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.

Recalls

  • NHTSA recall #90V093000May 9, 1990544 vehicles affected

    equipment: other: labels

    Vehicle description: limousines built by empire coach. Vehicle alterers label may be missing or incomplete.

    Vehicles do not comply with part 567.

    Remedy

    ADD COMPLIANCE LABEL.

  • NHTSA recall #90V050000March 6, 1990223 vehicles affected

    seat belts: front: anchorage

    Safety belts (type 1 lap belts) for rear facing seats were not installed.

    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.

  • NHTSA recall #87V139000September 4, 19873,600,000 vehicles affected

    fuel system, gasoline: delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings

    Spring lock fuel line coupling may not be properly engaged.

    Coupling could disengage due to fuel pressure,vibration, and engine movements; this would cause loss of fuel which, inpresence of an ignition source, creates a fire risk.

    Remedy

    Install retainer clips over the couplings to prevent coupling separation and fuel leakage.

  • NHTSA recall #85V123000October 7, 1985790 vehicles affected

    power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: column shift

    Incorrect bolts were used in the transmission linkage adjustment mechanism. Consequence of defect: the transmission gear shift selector lever on the steering column would be on the wrong transmission function. Should this occur, the driver would find their Car in a gear other than the one indicated by shift lever indicator. This could cause an accident if the Car is left unattended.

    Remedy

    Replace the shift linkage trunnion, grommet and adjustment bolt.

Other model years

About this data

NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1986 Lincoln Town CAR.

Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.

Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN