Is the 2003 Lincoln Town Car a bad year?
201 owner complaints to NHTSA. Engine and transmission complaints are in line with other Town Car years.
Keep it
Engine and transmission complaints for the 2003 Lincoln Town Car are in line with other Town Car years. Suspension stands out for this year: see below.
The verdict moves with mileage: the same car reads differently at 30,000 and at 150,000 miles.
What 2003 Town Car owners report, by mileage
Each system owners named in five or more complaints, with the mileage range where the middle half of those complaints were filed. Read at 74,000 miles.
| SYSTEM | COMPLAINTS | MIDDLE HALF FILED AT | TYPICAL US REPAIR BILLS |
|---|---|---|---|
| SuspensionSTANDS OUT | 81 (40%) | 53k–101k miles · around this mileage | Ball joint replacement (one joint) $200–$500 · Control arm replacement (one arm) $200–$900 |
| Transmission and drivetrain | 27 (13%) | 55k–101k miles · around this mileage | CV axle / CV joint replacement (one side) $300–$1,500 · Automatic transmission replacement $2,500–$7,000 |
| Steering | 16 (8%) | 60k–135k miles · around this mileage | Steering rack and pinion replacement $700–$2,100 |
| Brakes | 13 (6%) | 2k–76k miles · around this mileage | Brake pad replacement (one axle) $115–$390 · Brake pads and rotors replacement (one axle) $200–$1,084 |
| Air bags | 10 (5%) | 33k–121k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Speed control | 18 (9%) | 4k–60k miles · mostly behind | — |
| Engine | 13 (6%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Body structure | 12 (6%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Electrical system | 8 (4%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Exterior lighting | 6 (3%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Tires | 6 (3%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Wheels | 6 (3%) | too few with a mileage | — |
Bills are typical US ranges from the sources named in the tool (J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, CarParts.com and others), printed only for systems that stand out or sit at or ahead of 74,000 miles. Not a quote.
What owners reported alongside their complaints
Of 201 complaints: 14 mention a crash · 6 report an injury · 5 say the car was towed.
No complaints in the last 12 months; the newest was filed in Apr 2024.
Counts of what owners wrote in their complaints, not verified by anyone.
In owners' own words
I have a 2003 Lincoln town Car that I bought in 2005, which was still under warranty. Over the years, I've had to pay for replacing the rear axles and axle bearings that went bad.
The rear right wheel bearing was replaced less than 2 years ago and is already bad again.
Had a premature axle failure on my 2003 Lincoln town Car, only 110k miles.
Unedited excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, chosen by mileage (nearest 74,000 miles), not by content. Unverified.
Recalls for the 2003 Lincoln Town Car: 1
Certain police, commercial, and passenger vehicles sold to fleets typically input higher loads into the vehicle chassis overloading the wheel bearings and axles. This could lead to early bearing failure and ultimately to axle shaft fracture. In the event of axle shaft fracture, the vehicle would lose drive function and would coast to a stop. Loss of drive function could lead to a crash.
A recall may cover only some cars of a model year; the campaign size counts every model and year it lists. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls: dealers fix open recalls free.
Service bulletins from Lincoln: 2
Repair instructions Lincoln sent its dealers for symptoms seen in the shop on the 2003 Lincoln Town Car. Ask a dealer or mechanic for a bulletin by its number.
NHTSA defect investigations: 4
Spark plug ejection from cylinder head
Rear axle fracture
Inadvertent side air bag deployment
Inadvertent side air bag deployment
Neighbouring years
2002 Town Car: 65 complaints, keep it · 2004 Town Car: 83 complaints, keep it.
Every Lincoln Town Car year
2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · 2011 · All Town Car years side by side
Other Lincoln models: Lincoln Aviator · Lincoln Continental · Lincoln Corsair · Lincoln LS · Lincoln MKC · Lincoln MKS · Lincoln MKT · Lincoln MKX · Lincoln MKZ · Lincoln MKZ Hybrid · Lincoln Nautilus · Lincoln Navigator · Lincoln Zephyr. All makes and models.
Questions
Is the 2003 Lincoln Town Car a bad year?
201 owner complaints to NHTSA. Engine and transmission complaints are in line with other Town Car years. At 74,000 miles the tool says: Keep it.
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Lincoln Town Car?
By owner complaints to NHTSA: suspension (81), transmission and drivetrain (27), steering (16), brakes (13), air bags (10).
How many recalls does the 2003 Lincoln Town Car have?
1 recall campaign list this model year: Suspension (NHTSA 04V-328). A recall may cover only some cars; check by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Method: counts of unverified owner complaints filed with NHTSA, compared only with other years of the same model (sales volumes are unknown, so no failure rate is computed). A system stands out at 40+ complaints and at least twice the model's quiet (lower-quartile) year, or twice the share across every vehicle of that model year. The mileage range is the 25th to 75th percentile of the mileages owners reported. Data received by NHTSA through November 5, 2026. Repair prices are typical US ranges from named sources, not quotes. Not a diagnosis and not financial advice. PulsCar is not affiliated with NHTSA. Check this car at your own mileage.