1994 Lincoln Town Car Executive
Summary:
Good engine with plush interior, but the rest of the car will suffer "death by a thousand cuts"
Faults:
The fuel line is poorly designed. Steel tubing mounted underneath the car is exposed to water and road salt. Water collects in between the parallel tube lines and behind plastic mounting clips, resulting in rust and eventual rot-through. The fuel line rotted completely through, and started pissing gasoline (at 40 PSI) at the 160,000 Km mark. Thankfully, this happened on a cold rainy day!
The brake lines are run in the same manner, and parallel to the fuel line, but at much higher pressure. They are subject to the same rusting problem. Hard braking could pop the rotten line.
Speaking of brakes. They've oscillated since the 40,000 Km mark. The dealer hasn't been able to solve the problem. I've given up on the grease-monkeys there, and now take my car to a bargain basement garage across the street. The mechanics there are far more competent, and much cheaper.
Suffice to say, the brakes on this car just aren't any good.
The fan belt, called a "serpentine belt" must be replaced ridiculously often, and tends to vibrate annoyingly.
The windshield wiper switch shorts out, most frequently in heavy downpours, leaving you to guess where the car ahead of you is--at 120 Km/h.
At 100,000 Km, the climate control system went on the fritz. The air conditioning, and even the blower, fail to work in the summertime. For highway driving you must open the windows and wear ear plugs.
At 160,000 Km, the dashboard developed a new habit of blowing a fuse and blacking out, every time I shift the car into reverse. The dash is all digital so I insert fuses on occasion just to see how much fuel I have left in my gas tank, or to check my odometer reading. Because the speedometer is black, I guess my speed by "intuition."
The rear-view mirror rattles.
The car body, in general, squeaks and rattles on cold days. It's almost as though the metal has contracted in the cold and certain parts are rubbing together.
The following repairs fall into "general maintenance."
Ignition wires had to be replaced at 60,000 Km.
The aluminum rims had to be polished at 100,000 Km, because they had corroded and the tires were constantly leaking.
General Comments:
In a nutshell:
The engine and cooling system is 100% good. The car will not give up on you in the middle of nowhere and leave you for dead. unlike a Crap-illac, Uh, sorry, I mean Cadillac.
At the very least, The Town Car will work long enough for you to get to a garage.
The car, aside from the bad climate control in the summer, is really plush and comfortable. It's a classic land yacht. The trunk is cavernous, and it seats 6 people easily.
Most of the power equipment, including the seats, antenna, locks, windows, etc. are all still good at 160,000 Km, but the wiring itself is rotten. In a Cadillac the power equipment AND the wiring would be dead at 160K.
I will dump my Town Car soon because, although I do like it, the car is slowly disintegrating. The engine, cooling, ignition and exhaust have been great. I'm sure they could go another 160,000. But the plumbing and electrical are crap. The body and paint are just so-so.
Unlike at Cadillac, in which all parts fail at 160,000 Km like clockwork, the Town Car will suffer "death by a thousand cuts."
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 9th January, 2003
16th Nov 2008, 21:34
My 1987 Cadillac Brougham went 262,000 miles and the only electrical problems I had were the auto day/night mirror, auto headlights, and the power antenna. The quality of my 87 RWD Cadillac is superior to Lincoln.
12th Sep 2012, 13:00
Thanks for the informative and hilarious review. I found myself cracking up throughout most of it and really needed a laugh. You should be a comedian... for real. But I do find it interesting that the rest of the reviews all seem to be great (they all have smiley faces anyway), so I am wondering if perhaps you got a lemon... just wondering... However, I am glad that you exposed some of the design flaws... Thanks!! :-)
13th Sep 2012, 17:36
Most positive reviews praise the ride and big size of these cars, while ignoring their listed faults.
Look up Crown Vics and Marquis; plenty of reviews that say "Nice car! Required a new muffler and tranny re build at 100k, power windows broke, etc".
14th Sep 2012, 21:38
I guess that says a lot about the cars then, if they have major faults and people still love them. Many could say the same of various Japanese models.
13th Feb 2003, 10:40
Nicely written and informative review, but don't denounce ALL Cadillacs just because of your bad experiences with one DeVille. FWD, unibody Caddys aren't exactly a paradigm of build quality. Had you owned a body-on-frame, RWD Cadillac, you might have had a different opinion. I once owned a 1995 Fleetwood Brougham that could easily put a Town Car to shame in all aspects. Comfort, ride, power, handling, you name it. Don't get me wrong. I respect Lincolns, and even own one myself, but there's just no comparison between a Town Car and the "Cadillac of Cadillacs." Truth be told, if given the choice between one Fleetwood Brougham and an entire fleet of Town Cars, I'd pick the Caddy without so much as a second thought.