OTHER ISSUES FORGOTTEN POST HERE - Saggy Seat Bottom - there was a tsb on it but most guys just restuff their seats The air ride had some issues at times but not terrible Air leveling sensors in rear need lubed to keep them from rusting up The aftermarket world has made tons of parts for the air ride thay is really reliable now so it's fairly cheap to keep the air ride fixed Keep the tray under the airbox clean and free of debris seeing as that's where the air compressor for the car sits and the drains need to stay free of water
Just a tip for y'all that have sunroofs: First of all make sure your drains are clear. One of my front drains was clogged and the water overflowed and rolled down the headliner, down the A pillar, down the dash and would drip onto my feet near the fuse box and emergency brake release. Second: MAKE SURE YOUR REAR DRAINS ARE HOOKED UP!!! When I was clearing the drains on my car, both rear drains were not hooked up to the rear quarter panels. If I would have left it like that, the water would have collected in between the trunk pan and quarter panel. -Remove the clips and Pull the carpeted trunk liner out on the left and right side of the trunk along with the spare tire, then you can clearly see the drain tubes and the 90 degree rubber grommet that connects the drain tube from the inside of the fender to the outside. Mine were cut at an angle and were not secure at all, so I just cut the end straight and it is 1000 percent tighter now.
Also, don't forget about siliconing the windshield cowl seal. It's cheap insurance. I did a before and after test on my car and it actually helped a lot.
I have lost count of how many grand Marquis that I have sold and I have changed wiper motors because of the center drain being clogged . I had a customer bring a grand Marquis to me and the wipers would not turn off 😂😂 I pulled it apart and the wiper power plug burned up and melted to the motor . motor and pigtail replacement all good . I have a mercury marauder that when you drive for a while and go to stop and park turn the wheel all the way it almost feels like the brakes are stuck on slightly and you hit the gas the car makes a groaning kinda humming noise . I don't think at all that it's the brakes . kinda sounds like the rear or mabey the U joints ????? like I said only happens after driving 15mins home from work and stopping to park . any ideas ??? this is the car I told you about that sat for 12 years . I asked you last year about the blinking oD light and starting out in 2nd gear . I fixed that by running a new wire from PCM to trans plug for the 1st gear shift solenoid
There’s no better car platform the panther platform. A perfect combination of reliability, comfort, efficiency, and a joy to ride. I used to put an average of 20k a year in a Crown Vic. Runs like a top with just fluid maintenance.
@@jeffreyklein4248 heck yeah the lsc have a 5.0 electric fuel injected! I don't know if they had the police package though! Is like to find one! Those ltd's were tough
Great video Rich, I am typing as the video is playing, so I am hearing you mention some of these as I type... All 1998+ Town Cars reseal the fresh air intake at age 10-13 to prevent rain water leaks into the front passenger floor pan, the water can run to the rear floor pan depending on how the car is parked. Just scrap off the old foam gasket and reseal it with RTV or a new foam gasket... With the easy exit seat, where the seat moves back on its own when you pull the key out of the ignition, these are usually the wooden steering wheel cars, but deactivate the easy exit with Forscan or some advanced scan tool to save the seat track gears from wearing out, or just leave the key in the ignition if you live in a crime free city like me. 2003+ spray the steering shaft u-joints at the exhaust manifold at age 10-13 with each oil change or replace this steering shaft section. These u-joints get rusty and old and will make the steering stiff and then easy and hard again turning it lock to lock... also on 2002 and older smear a huge glob of chassis grease on the bump stops at each oil change to prevent the loud popping and screeching sounds in parking lots with the steering wheel cut as sharp as it can turn. also for any car over age 10-13 either replace the entire suspension joints(ball joints, tie rod ends, etc) or at a minimum buy a needle adapter for your grease gun and inject new full synthetic grease into each joint twice a year, if the joint is lube for life... life is about 10-12 years. Plan on a new intake manifold every 10-13 years with avg use...in salt states replace the under intake heater hose and nipple behind the water pump that the metal pipe slides on. Watch the rear axle for axle oil leaks at the wheels, the 2003, 04s can grind down the axle shafts and cause an opening at the 6 o'clock position at the bearings, get all the metal shavings out and replace the shaft and bearing with a new seal, do not use the axle repair bearings.. keep your spark plugs tight, 20-25 ft-lbs, Ford revised the torque specifications from 14 to at least 20-25 or so.. I say to do a timing set on these 2001+, especially 2001 and 02s, but do a timing set every 15 years with a minimum of 175,000 miles. yes, these timing sets are good for 250,000-300,000 miles, but I have seen a good number of them come apart before 200,000 miles with poor oil changes. 2000 and older really never need a timing set under normal use.. 2001+ lost the metal spines on the chain guides-they'll bust. 2003+ can have the power steering pressure switch rupture suddenly around 150,000 miles with at least age 15, I would replace this power steering pressure switch at age 15 if you had over 150,000 miles. It is under the AC compressor area. I would replace the engine at 1-M miles and transmission at 500,000 miles for maximum reliability. Salt state cars replace the AC accumulator on 2003+ every 12-14 years. Clear the 1 inch gap between the radiator and AC condenser on the radiator side at 175,000 miles to prevent summer time overheating. 2003-05 the instrument cluster digital parts can start to flicker, so re-solder the joints at age 15 or 125,000 miles. On salt state cars I would replace all the valve cover bolts before they start to crumble making it impossible/nightmare to remove the bolts in the future. rear air suspension bladders every 15-20 years with avg use... Great Video Rich...yes these are amazing cars... I have about 15 panthers and I have built up modules and parts to last me for the rest of my life and I am 46 and have no plans to get a new car.. I will be that old guy driving up in a 50 year old car when everyone else is in new EV SUVs....hopefully I can find gas in the future...
RIP panther platform 1979-2011 😕 My favorite panther I ever owned was a 82 crown vic baby blue with a white landau top got it for $600 from an old lady with only 40k miles on it. God I miss that thing. Water leaks were never a problem if you kept the windows down or the A/C cranked lol. Never got into the "new" panthers as much but always enjoyed the originals with the 302 and 351s. The TBI was guttless but dead nuts reliable and dirt cheap to maintain
I remember those old 302 cars. They'd light up the tires at a stop light, but 0-60 was dismal. Definitely bullet proof, comfortable and got decent mileage for a big tank.
What an informative video. I got a 95 grand marquos with 57k original miles almost felt new the old lady never drove it she was the original owner. This is such a perfect video to delay that rust as much as possible
This is going to sound stupid, but this is probably one of your best auto related videos I've seen. I had a '92 Crown Vic and it was wonderful. I attribute that car to saving my wife's (now ex) life. Now that the secret is out, I hope it doesn't drive the prices through the roof, lol. I'd like to get a Town Car or maybe a Grand Marquis. Thanks Rich.
Just scrapped n '04 CVPI daily runner of 16 years ownership, served well but too many accumulted issues for me to deal with hope someone else benefits from its availability for pick off components. Last month acquired an '05 Lincoln Town Car Signature, getting to know it, the upgrade in creature features and comfort is astonishing and worth the swap. But I do miss the Crown Vic's superior engine performance over the LTC quiet smooth ride, and things like the larger rear window better view, ticket light, and having an oil and voltage gauge on the dash cluster. Will remove the ngine air intake tiny snorkel to see if that helps the pep and pickup, if not its easily refitted. Drive Safe & Happy Motoring everyone.
I got feed this video from the RU-vid algorithum and i was like amazed. The creator of this channel explained more about the weaknesses of these Town Car than most will know in a lifetime. The knowledge in this one video will help people understand everything they need to know or what to look for if they own one. Super highly impressed. If you own a Panther platform you NEED to subscribe to this channel.
GREAT video! Found your channel after wifey sent me after a well-maintained 2001 garage-kept & driven by elderly folks, 76K miles. very low purchase price. The Panther information you share with all here is priceless, THANK YOU for all you give to the Panthers!
I am 20 years old and i have bought a grand marquis. I got my car when it had 73k miles on it and it is an 06. Three days after i got it the check light came on. Turns out two coil packs and one catalytic converter went out so i gotten them replaced and so far no issues. Apparently ford doesn’t make cats for my car so they got an aftermarket cat.
Keep it things get weird your generation is needed more than we thought. Try to copy Ford Boss not me I like to say that cuz your future is priceless he is a leader. Take his hints as life lessons when it comes about your memory is good keep it.
Ngl I love watching your videos about your town car and your history with it i wish if I had a town car but it sucks that the black mustang rims aren’t on the car anymore I found it very interesting to see but keep up the good work and never let the town car die ❤
LOVE the panther platform! The car that turned me from a bowtie til I die to a blue oval guy. My 99 crown vic is my work horse and daily driver. My wife is disabled and with 190k, get driven many, many miles with plenty of 180 mile round trip doc visits. Have had two and love them. Thank you for these tips and will keep an eye on these things. Love to see these tips. I hope I can avoid all these things but will definitely keep all these on my watch list.
Had a 74 Cadillac sedan and other than a tuneup and tires I had to replace the timing chain for $300 back then. Nothing else failed and I scrapped it after well over 300,000 miles because the body was rotting away. One heck of a comfy car
I have a 1998 LTC Executive with 115,000 miles, average 2,500 miles per year, just hoping these many issues do not arise. I'm the 4th owner acquiring it with 80,000 miles. It's being serviced annually following many of your advisories to include High Mileage Pennzoil Ultimate 0W20 annually. A few of these issues were fixed: actuator door, leaking passenger side and heater core replacement. Cost of parts is reasonable but the labor costs are significant. With recent high turnover with new technicians at dealership I'm not confident they are as aware as you are Rick. However I do trust their integrity. Thank you for sharing your wisdom.
Don’t feel to bad for hiding them 95 percent of mechanics are new as you mentioned and are as incompetent as they are corrupt in pricing, charging us for heavy labor price for equipment they don’t know how to fix and it takes longer, combined with heavy lines for them of other cars they are rushed, the goal is to get a hydraulic press and do it ourselves
h ford boss me i told you once before i have a 2003 grand marquis LSE model bought new always garaged with 23,000 miles still has the original tires!! i love panthers!!
I found and purchased a 2011 Grand Marquis with 71,000 miles on it a year ago. Absolutely the best car we've ever had. They made only 248 of them that year. Everything is pristine, and our only repair has been an alternator and battery. Your list of things to watch for was helpful. So far, it rides and runs like new. The plan is to go to dual exhaust (maybe a Borla system) and upgrade the air intake.
You talk about all the problems with that car then say it is the most reliable car on the road.With all those problems I don;t thank so. Was thinking of getting a 2004 Town Car but you talked me right out of it.Thank you for that.
I got lucky with my 2007 Lincoln Town Car. I haven't had too much go wrong with it other than the dipstick tube rusted out on it. I was able to get 464000 Mi out of it. Without anything majorly going wrong with it. I still love these cars explanation point
Rich- after watching this video it brought back some memories of when my grandmother had a i believe 97' grand marquee red in color with the tan cloth interior, i loved that car. Ive always had a soft spot for these cars specifically the grand marquee. Id agree with ya on this being 1 of the best cars on the road, the only one id say goes neck n neck with is the old Buick 3800 series cars like the park avenue and lesabre, century, and regal.
Beautiful car you have there Sir. I have two low mileage LeSabres, a 98 and an 04. Love them both. But I’m really hoping to find a low mileage Town Car sometime soon. They just look so nice, and every time I’ve ridden in one, it was just so so comfortable. Great video.
The heating/AC temperature blend door actuator. It's under the dashboard, at the very top, center, almost against the base of the windshield. Impossible to get in or out without taking the dash almost out. Twenty buck part, $300+ in labor. You can just reach it with your fingertips without taking out the dash, by going in through the glove box, but swapping it out from there is just not possible. So I jammed it one way for hot air during winter and swing it around for AC in summer.
Wish you were closer to me. Being in Oklahoma makes it hard. Need a complete a/c system. Last shop quoted 1300 to replace the system. Nice video Rich! Nothing like a full size car!
I agree Boss, those were great cars, My Buddies dad gave him one of those cars, he had bought brand new but he wanted to get a new one so he gave him the car with similar mileage, and he drove it for years.
Id love to have a Town Car. Always loved them since I was a kid. Had a die cast model of a town car limo I got off the street of NYC when I was 10. Wish I still had it.
Seems like you could put a piece of screen on the windshield cowl to help keep debris out of the trough. My 03 F150 has had a bunch of leaks over the past few years as well, I don't drive it much anymore and noticed I was feeling cold symptoms after driving it every time. I went to clean it one day and the passenger side footwell was soaked and had black mold all over the glovebox door and lower panels (black interior, couldn't see it). It had 2" of water the floor trough along the edge of the cab. The grommet around the AC drain had rotted away and the condensate was capilating right back into the cab under the sound barrier/carpet. Next one was sliding rear window, the seal was leaking and in hard rains would allow water to overrun the little drains around it. Then the rear window itself was leaking, had to remove and re-seal it. Re-sealed the 3rd brake light as preventive maintenance. Then the sunroof drain clogged up and had water dripping from the "oh shit handle" on the A pillar. Cleared that and then it dripped again from the same spot and found the windshield seal had dried up right where the roof seam runs into it. That is a horrible design as it is like a gutter that runs right up and under the windshield trim. Pulled that apart and found that it has a little drain trough in it that was packed with pollen and dirt, so it was holding water right against the seal, and rotted it away. Re-sealed the windshield and it's been doing ok. Now I've found some rust forming along that trough and it was recently dripping in the back from the headliner, so I think the roof is perforated. I need to get time to repair it. My truck is still in nice shape (Harley Edition) and has zero rust on the bottom side, but parking it outside in Florida is rotting all of the plastic and seals from the top down. It doesn't fit in my garage, the door won't close by 1/2 inch (plus I have too much crap in it). Engine is getting tired but doesn't leak a drop of oil, still has the original AC, water pump and all drivetrain components. Alternator is still working but doesn't get over 13.5 when driving, drops to 13 with a load on it. Dreading changing it for the same reason you had with yours. Slowly fixing everything and probably going to change the engine at some point soon (maybe Coyote or Godzilla, but not decided yet). I can drop $15K into this thing and it'll run forever. It lacks the luxury features of the new ones, but nothing built today is this reliable.
Sounds like alot of issues. Honestly its cheaper to fix than new vehicles. My philosophy to repair things as they arise. Do not wait until you have dozens of the issues.
Lots of good comments here. ...Another thing to remember is that there are quite a reasonable number of heavy duty parts for these Panther Platform cars. On my 96 TC I replaced the rear air springs with police springs from the Crown Vic back about 6 years ago & they fit well (did lift the car rear about 3/4 inch) and a nice firmer ride. Plus I added police shocks front and rear. Yes it makes it rides firmer but on the slightly heavier than Crown Vic Town Car it made me happy and those shocks will really last (got them from Japan). There are also hd air springs for the rear if you want them... I know most desire the soft comfy ride but a few of you may want to firm it up somewhat. I have police shocks on the rear of my 2007 now. I will do the front struts with police struts in Spring. There is also good decent room for a separate trans cooler attached to the radiator (if you look underneath the plastic lower panel under the front of the car). That way if you tow anything you can be assured of trans health... Servicing the car has been quite easy for the do-it-yourself man: Trans fluid change, rear axle lube, change p steering fluid, etc. I like to do those at least once in the life of the vehicle...
i had 2 panthers. a 99 P74 and a 03 job 2 P71 (retired las vegas PD patrol vehicle). the 99 was a florida car and the 03 was a desert car. so i didnt have lots of the midwestern issues. the 99 was known for having pinging issues (ECU issue on that year), and of course the plastic intake manifold (all plastic) and the spark plug ejection and the ejection happened when the coolant leaked into the sparkplug well. the 03 was flawless for me. when i went to get rid of it the AC evaporator was farting (maybe it was because of that AC thing you talked about). also 00-03 job 1 were known for timing chain failures 06 iirc the PS pump was an issue job 1 03s had issues with the rear axles. light control modules were known to fail 98-03 (maybe later) pass front window regulators were known to get lazy rear air suspension with age would have issues (wear item) headlights were trash IIRc those throttle body codes were on the CAN bus years 05 and up.
I have a 2006 LTC Signature Limited… 88,000 miles on it . I did have the blend door replaced a few years ago … very costly !!$$$$ and the garage who did the job had the car over a week… but I decided to go ahead and have the job done because I don’t have plans to get rid of the car.
God I love these cars. Sold mine recently after almost 2 years of ownership and I wholeheartedly agree that they are one of the most reliable and comfortable cars ive ever driven. I already have a feeling I am going to regret selling mine.
Recently got a '06 Town car for my dad with 132K on it for 5K, it needed tires and the paint is faded on the hood from living at altitude for all of its life, and also had a couple little issues soon after I got it. The rear air suspension blew out Right after I got it when it finally put some weight in the trunk, so I put new air springs and solenoids on it. I siliconed the windshield cowl as well along with clearing my sunroof drains. We serviced the transmission and changed the oil and just drove it 1500 miles from colorado to Georgia to visit family for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Funny enough I've got someone giving me an 01 with 108k on it as soon as i get back to Colorado.
Agree 💯. I have a 08 grand marquis same Color as ur Lincoln and own a 05 deville as well now the deville is for sale and looking for a Lincoln like urs to park beside my mercury wished I’d known about these sooner but was always a fan of Cadillac until now. These being fleet cars and dead nuts reliable and beautiful automobiles has won me over nothing like American iron
I’m on my fourth alternator including a working one from a Grand Marquis. No light on the dash and charges when I disconnect it from the computer…had the computer checked. It didn’t have an issue. Watched your other video and decided to try a Napa premium alternator…there isn’t one available in Canada. Btw mine is an 04 and I get better hwy mpg than my fathers’ Grand Marquis. Other than the alternator the only other issue I’ve had was the back up sensors …the mirrors still work though!
ONE OF THE BEST CARS OF THE CENTURY!! I have owned 18 of these vic's last 13 years and i'm not even a Ford guy!!! lol I currently own 2 P71 vics!! A 04 and 09 and my dad drives a '11 P7B with the C6 3:55 rear end!! Do proper maintenance with these cars and they will TAKE CARE OF YOUR NEEDS x1000!!!
Today because of the car journalist, the auto industry seems to think everyone wants sporty handling with recaro seats - so gone are the days of a plush ride and plush seat.
My 03 Harley F150 has cylinder scoring and timing chain rattle when cold started. I've found metal debris in the intake "Turkey Pan" all 3 times I've removed the supercharger to clean the intercooler. It's coming from the vacuum line at the bottom which appears to go to the PCV valve, so no idea where it came from. Might have had engine work before I bought it in 2006 and they didn't clean the vac lines out, but just a guess. It appears to have sucked a piece into the cylinder once as it got a misfire at WOT and the spark plug was found to have no gap, something hit it. Shorted the COP so replaced plugs and that COP and no further issues (I've put 110K hard miles and quite a few redline burnouts on it since that happened). Found the debris in the intake 50k later and put 2+2 together. I bought it from a dealer who was going to auction it due to sloppy mods and later suspected the odometer was turned back-a lot. Had it gone through by a local tuner and it's been dead reliable. It'll still start up and go anywhere but is down on power from it's heyday, and has a toe in (light throttle) stumble that nobody can find the cause of (not a misfire). It has about 100hp of mods (SC pulley, headers, injectors, widemouth throttle body, etc.), but doesn't go like it used to. I'm guessing it has at least 250K miles on it, transmission still chirps tires into 2nd gear (perf. valve body upgrade a decade ago). The 5.4 2v is very similar to the 4.6 in reliability. The only downside is the fuel economy sucks and it only drinks premium on the SC models. I don't think I'm going to do chains on it since I don't know where the metal chunks came from and it has a lot of cylinder wear. I wanted to drop the pan on it to see if I can find debris in the pan, but it's a PITA in the 2wd models due to a welded crossmember blocking the pan. I will tear it down if/when I replace it. Trying to decide whether to put a mildly built 5.4 in it and call it a day, or go nuts and drop a Coyote/6 speed or Godzilla in it. The built 5.4 will be cheapest, but give single digit fuel economy on 93 octane versus $$$ for a swap, but a Yote or Zilla' will return double the fuel mileage and have more performance potential so I could actually drive it more. Maybe even drive it from Florida to visit family in Wisconsin and drop by Brighton on the way to have Rich give it a once over🙂
Large sedan class they don't make them anymore. What you say is true. Never going to get rid of my town car. And thanks for showing where the orifice tube is from your other video.
Good morning Rich. My 06' town car is the best car Ive owned too. Ive owned it for 7 years and it now has 106k on it. I can't get the airbag alarm to clear. I think it's the connections under the seat.
4 got, also take out the tiny air tube in air box. I cut entire front out where its at. V8 needs air, and if u like a loud air box, cut those dampers of that hook on sides or get crown Vic air pipe without them. Sounds great when airbox is is opened up. Watch Sweet Project cars for alot if tips on rust or just check it out here. And listen to FBM about this info. Hes the man when it comes to panthers. Alot of good channels. If u cant find that hose he talked about make 1 with silicone. They last forever.
My favorite car was my ford 1986 lx 5.0 mustang fox body automatic but ford had a rebuild my transmission twice and finally had to order me transmission from the factory never had any problems after that my speedometer only went to 130 so maybe it just couldn't handle it
man i cant believe your blizzacks still have sufficient tread on a 2 ton car.mine have a really soft compound.my wouldve been worn out by now.i remember when you put them on.thats impressive.
The only thing I would add is the lower steering u-joint tend to seize making you feel like your steering rack is going bad. Wish I lived closer I would have my 2010 gone through and resealed as preventative maintenance.
Thank you for the comment any advice I was just looking at recently a 2005 Lincoln Town car signature limited and I was contemplating between getting the Lincoln or the Merc but now I'm going to stick with my original plan of getting the Lincoln Town car signature limited edition
Terrific comments. Enjoy your comments as you have experience servicing/repairing, not just being an owner. I have a 2007 Town C & I forgot about that center cowl drain but no problems as I keep it inside where debris can't get at it easily. I have heard that the 94-96 GM B-body & D Body (Cadillac) rear drives were quite impressive in terms of durability, & ability to be repaired, and ability to tow (5000 lb available from factory on the Buicks and Chevrolets, & 7000 on the Fleetwoods), along with the earlier Panther Chassis models from 95-97 when that series of Panthers was updated (dash etc), & which were the last series with a 5000 lb tow package available (ended after the 96 model year). I know these are vehicles from a different set of dates but any comments on contrasting the Panther to the last of the GM B & D bodies when they did both exist side by side (94-96). Seems like they were both a set of pretty durable/dependable vehicles... I do believe that the updates in 1998 and 2003 on the Panhter platform made the drive-trains slightly more rugged with more splines on the ring gear & an updated trans I think... (going by my memory--hah!!) The tow package on the Panther platforms was killed after 1996 model year, as Ford I believe never ever advertised them & 95% + of salesmen never knew they existed, thus they sold poorly & Ford was getting more profits from more and more owners purchasing well-equipped full size pickups and more and more sport utilities...
My old limo driver had the same car and it was awesom they are inexpensive and luxurious still the only thing is the electrical other than that it usually a good steal even though the years move.on its possible to find a few still that year with the same 08 tail lights and curve on it with the v8 and the leather.
The frame right where lower a arm bolts to the rear will rust from AC drain, and rusthl from stainless fender trim. It has screws that will rust and seal between stainless and fender go bad and collect muck and rust, the gas door area where theyvused the foam like to rust. Idk why ford used this type of foam cause it just hold water and muck. So i tore out all i could get easily, and drilled .25 inch holes where i couldnt in faim so it will drain and i can wash. That tube u can cut, and reroute a heater hose to that so u can avoid that headache. And keep bags clean and spray with 303, ceramic sprays etc or good ol Vaseline. Smear a handful on them once a yr. Mine a decade old, no cracks at bottoms, no issues. They are great cars. Just fix these small issues and it will last better than any car on the raod last 20 years. Keep her clean underneath, spray with a few voats of Rust-Oleum, then spray or brush a good layer of oil/wax. U can make urr own with .5 quarts of oil, trans fluid, bees wax, or toilet flange gaskets, tube of grease heated and mixed. This has been used 6 decades now in my family. No issues. No hard deying undercaoting.
Great video, I think you touched everything I’m aware of and then some. I love mine to death. Nothing gives me the same feeling to drive. Great cars, but no car is perfect. Those who have or are looking to get a panther should know all these because you WILL run into one or more of these at some point. Very rarely are you so lucky to have none. Still a reliable car, just have to do maintenance, some preventative. God bless!
I have always heard good things about the Panther Platform cars. Although, relatively minor, I am actually very surprised about how many issues you have detailed.
In 2001, I purchased a 2000 Grand Marquis, and it is still my daily driver because it has been such a comfortable, reliable car to own. These are a bargain in personal transportation - even when they were new. I've had a few issues, like cracked intake manifold, HVAC control head vacuum leak, idle air control valve, tie rods and ball joints, but nothing that left me stranded. The interior is still nearly flawless, with nothing broken or malfunctioning. After 23 years on the road, it is still a no fuss vehicle. Just turn the key and go. I like that.
The mileage is relatively low for it's age, sitting around 156,000. Since the pandemic, I've been working at home, so it now only gets 3K-4K miles per year. Other than regular scheduled maintenance, this is what it has needed at their respective mileage: HVAC vacuum actuator (27K); front brake pads, turn rotors (27.5K); rear brake pads, turn rotors (28K); tires (66K); plugs/boots/serpentine belt (84.7K), all brake pads, turned all rotors (84.7K); replace front rotors (97.5K); driver window regulator (99.7K); HVAC blower resister (103.4K); engine coolant T-stat (108K); tires (116.5K); tie-rods/idler arm (116.4K); 2 coils, all plugs (136.8K); intake manifold (138.5K); HVAC blower motor speed control unit (139.3K); 1 fuel injector (139.4K); replace upper/lower ball joints (141.2K); and replace Idle Air Control Valve (142K). It's been fine for the last 14,000 miles, but now needs tires again and the air conditioning recharged. I live in the Washington State snow belt, and have to add weight to the trunk to get around in even the slightest snow, along with using studded tires. The rear brakes really get a workout with the traction control in the winter. I have a much newer 4x4 truck that I try not to drive in the winter unless the snow gets too deep. The Mercury is my winter "sacrifice" car, although the paint is still excellent, and there is virtually no rust on the body, and just minor surface rust on parts of the frame. It will last many more years. From my experience, the brakes have been the weakest link, and maybe the HVAC system second. Of course, this is a 2000, so other years may have different or fewer issues. My greatest complaint is that it doesn't track well in wind or rutted roads. Has always been this way, despite new front end components. On the flip side, the front end geometry has treated the tires remarkably well, and they have never had uneven wear. My current tires have tread that looks barely used, but the time they've been on the car is pushing the limits. This sounds like a lot of issues, but really not bad, and the parts and service are quite cheap because of the simplicity of the car and being domestic. I have no regrets buying this car, and would absolutely do it again, although I'll probably get something AWD for the next round. It will be tough to let it go.
I have a Town Car as well. It’s been great so far but I’ve had a few issues that I’ve read are fairly common with these cars. When the cooling fans start to die they can randomly shut down and your car starts overheating and well as causing a drop in rpms when it stops. The other is the power steering pressure switch failing and leaking all the power steering fluid out through the wiring harness. Also the window regulators definitely also are a problem with this platform. These are at least all issues that I’ve had with my 2008 Lincoln. Thankfully all but the window regulators can be fixed in your driveway with basic tools.
--yeah my electric cooling fan also quit suddenly on my 2007 TC at 16 years & 99K miles. All I did was clean the electrical connection, & added a tiny bit of dielectric grease & it was swell after that.
22 years in f-l-m dealers. Parts dept. employee. Pretty much know what goes wrong with these. After owning my 2002 Crown LX for almost 10 years and clocking 100K myself . Bought it with 107K. Only major expense was intake replacement. Original alternator replaced last summer. Piece of cake, easy replacement. Brakes, tires nothing else. Awesome cars, still get 21mpg avg.
My old lady bought an 2011 old sheriff's crown victoria it had 100.000 miles on it when we got it she loved it for a family and work it finally died at 400.000 miles but it few problems like you pointed out I remember the radiator leak where seams on top would leak and the catalic converters got plunged at 200.000 miles so we replaced them with cherry bomb it cause iowa don't have all the exhaust laws and what killed the car for was stealing linkage and tie rods and rack and pinon just wore out we paid 4000 for car in 2016 and it died in 2023 cause we couldn't afford the repair bill if we did it at the shop they wanted 5000 dollars in parts and 2000 dollars in labor but it was a fun car for being only 285 horses. And I remember we had two recalls one was for steering knuckle if remember right, my wife said second recall was something to do with gas tank she said.
Gas tank issue was the straps. Compliments & Congratulations that you got to 400K ! Mine only reached 248k, its now in the boneyard to help keep others on the road.
I would add the air ride suspension as a possible issue to look out for. Although my air ride is all original from 2009. I think being in So CA in a dry climate has helped preserve my Town car from all the issues you have mentioned. I have had zero problems with this 2009 car to date. Take care
That is incorrect, the 2009 came equipped with rear air bags. I will hear the pump and see the car lift after a long period of sitting unused. The TC came with factory air suspension all the way to its end in 2011.@@humpy936
What's point of the AC accumulator plastic housing? Does it insulate for colder AC air? Wondering if occasionally checking/cleaning drain hole to keep open is an option rather than just removing it.
