Faults:

Transmission rumbles badly at under 100,000 miles.

Engine burns oil.

Air ride suspension totally shot.

Power windows either broke or won't work.

General Comments:

To anyone that knows me, knows I am one to take very good care of my cars. I use only quality oils and fluids, and change them perfectly on time.

I bought this 1995 Lincoln Town Car with only 85,000 miles from the original owner. It was always garaged and in mint condition. Soon after taking an 800 mile trip, I began to notice the transmission rumbling (almost shuddering) at times climbing hills or inclines. This was cured for a short time by totally replacing all fluids and filter. That worked for about 6 months, then came back worse than ever. At about 100,000 miles the engine starting using oil... no leaks... burning oil...

The air ride suspension now is totally failing. It's not sagging to the ground yet like a lot of them you see, but if nothing is done about it -- it will be. VERY high dollar cost to fix unless you convert it over to regular springs and shocks. The car now handles like a boat on rough waters when hitting bumps.

I have had issues with every single power window in the car... either the switches were bad, or I had to have the total power window motor replaced... again, very costly.

The car runs and drives, but is nowhere near the quality for prior years of Lincolns I have owned. Although in excellent condition still... I don't see the point in fixing all the crazy problems with burning oil, shuddering transmission and suspension issues.

I have had 70's and 80's Lincolns that have went well into the 200,000 mile range with no issues. This seems common of the 90 - 97 Town Cars. Something to be aware of before buying one.

Faults:

The heater didn't work for me last winter. Luckily in the region it was a mild, warm winter. We found out that it was a vacuum somewhere that was broken, as the heater core and the rest of the car worked fine, and the fans were blowing.

EGR valve is faulty at 180,000 kms, but the part is cheap online, and if you can do it yourself, it's a cheap fix.

The clear coat on the roof and trunk is coming off in patchy spots, due to prolonged sun exposure.

General Comments:

This is my dad's car, and he has lent it to me for 1.5 years, and it has been absolutely my favourite car that I've ever driven. The clear coat spots have gotten worse since I've had it, and when I give it back to him, I want to repaint it as a thank you.

The seats in this car are more comfortable than the couch in my living room! The interior is still in perfect shape.

No rust, and this thing is 17 years old and has been winter driven for at least 3 years.

It's big, but since the engine is powerful, gas mileage is not as awful as you might expect, though it does cost $80 to fill the tank. A full tank lasts me about a week, and I drive a half hour to and from school, 3 days a week + regular driving to work, friends, etc.

Overall, I love this car and I never want to stop driving it.