Total Complaints
3 filings
LINCOLN LINCOLN · model year
1997 LINCOLN LINCOLN
3 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1997LINCOLNLINCOLN carries 3 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1997 LINCOLN is electrical system with 1 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling (1) and suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 10 investigation files overlapping the 1997 LINCOLN. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
3
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20051012SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT
DT: THE CONTACT OWNS 1997 LINCOLN TOWN CAR EXECUTIVE SERIES THAT EXPERIENCED AN ISSUE A LOWER BALL JOINT PROBLEM. WHILE DRIVING AND PERFORMING A RIGHT HAND TURN AT 15 MPH THE LOWER BALL JOINT SEPARATED FROM THE FRONT CONTROL ARM, CAUSING THE LEFT DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT TIRE TO FALL OFF. ALSO, THIS INVOLVED THE WHEEL WELL ALLOWING THE FRAME TO STRIKE THE PAVEMENT WHEN THIS OCCURRED, IT ABRUPTLY STOPPED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED HOME. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN TO A DEALERSHIP. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER AND THE CONTACT DETERMINED THE CAUSE FOR THIS FAILURE WAS THE LOWER BALL JOINTS. NO REPAIRS OR CORRECTIONS HAVE BEEN MADE. NHTSA RECALL 98V322000 WAS ISSUED CONCERNING THE FRONT CONTROL ARM LOWER BALL JOINTS, BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK
Mileage: 122,200
20050729ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
DEFECTIVE INTAKE MANIFOLD ON 4.6 LITER LINCOLN TOWN CAR, HAD PROBLEMS AS FAR BACK AS 2003 WITH PERFORMANCE OF ENGINE, TOOK CAR IN FOR SUSPENSION REPAIR AND WAS TOLD THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED AND SHOULD BE REPLACED, DID THAT DAY JULY 26, 2005. ASK FORD CO. FOR ASSISTANCE WAS TOLD THERE WOULD NOT BE ANY. *NM
Mileage: 109,902
20040811ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
PROBLEMS WITH HEADLIGHTS ON 1997 LINCOLN. *MR THE CONSUMER LOST BOTH THE HEADLIGHTS AND THE INTERIOR LIGHTS. THE SERVICE DEALER STATED THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. WHEN THE PROBLEM RECURRED, THE SERVICE DEALER SUGGESTED THAT THEY FIXED THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER WAS IN ACCIDENT WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE LIGHTS HAD COME BACK ON. THE CONSUMER WAS LATER INFORMED THAT THE FUSE RESISTOR WAS RECALLED AND CHANGED FROM AN 18 AMP TO A 25 AMP. ALSO, THE SECURITY ALARM WOULD ACTIVATE INTERMITTENTLY. *SC
Compare 1997LINCOLNLINCOLN to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1997 LINCOLN LINCOLN have?▼
The 1997 LINCOLN LINCOLN has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 LINCOLN LINCOLN?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 LINCOLN LINCOLN is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING and SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT.
Is the 1997 LINCOLN LINCOLN safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.