One problem related to steering failed has been reported for the 1997 Lincoln Town Car. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Beginning on a cold morning the steering felt off, like it needed more effort to turn at times. The steering also failed to return to center on its own, indicating a possible seized up universal joint in the steering shaft. I removed the steering shaft and found the universal joint seized and very difficult to move which caused my difficult steering. There is a recall for this same issue on newer Town Cars, why does this not cover mine?.