Table 1 shows one common unknown or other related problems of the 2004 Lincoln Town Car.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other problems |
The front interior door handles, on the driver and passenger sides, became dislodged from the internal door opening mechanism, cannot be returned to the original position, and do not work. The door can only be opened by rolling down the electric window and pulling the outer latch. Ford service centers can no longer procure the part (the door trim panel) to do the repair as Ford has discontinued manufacturing them and has no more in stock. Another report of the same problem exists in the NHTSA database, and it appears similar to the problem that lead Ford to recall the 2008 expedition and navigator. I have contacted Ford, and there is no recall on the 2004 Lincoln. I have been unsuccessful finding the part in the aftermarket. It is the entire trim panel sold as one piece. Since the Ford service center cannot repair the door without the part, I have resorted to removing the door panel, resetting the handle, and drilling screws through the panel to help hold the door handle in place so that it will open the door and not become dislodged from the mechanism. But this has failed repeatedly, the entire plastic holding the handle in place has broken loose, and only works now when I treat the handle in a very delicate and awkward manner. I fear that during a fire or crash I or a passenger will not be able to open the door to escape. Since the parts are not available, the Ford service center cannot perform the repair. Having seen how the mechanism works, I am not completely confident that the original design was sufficient to hold the door handle in place over time, and that a replacement part may not be sufficient.