LincolnTown Car2008Overview/lincoln/town-car/2008/base/

2008 Lincoln Town Car

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2008 Town Car.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 2008 Lincoln Town Car is a conventional passenger car equipped with a 4-speed automatic transmission and an engine requiring 6.0 quarts of 5W-20 API oil, yielding EPA fuel economy figures of 15 city, 22 highway, and 18 combined mpg. Its reliability profile is notably stable, marked by just 20 total owner complaints, three recalls, and steering as the top complaint area. Sitting near the bottom of the model's 1990–2011 complaint history—vastly improved from the 328-complaint peak in 1997 and just above the all-time low of five in 2009—this model year represents a highly mature, well-sorted platform for researchers to evaluate.

Model year201120102009200820072006200520042003

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity6.0 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-20 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque100 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy15/22/18 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 65 Long Wheel Base · 750 Long Wheel Base CCA battery. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 65 Long Wheel Base · 750 Long Wheel Base CCAOEM · verified
Tire sizeP225-60R17OEM · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined15 / 22 / 18 mpg
DrivetrainRear-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume109 cu ft
Cargo volume21 cu ft
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Town Car of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

7.9–12.0 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 7.90 sec — 1998 Signature Series Touring Sedan
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
2005BPS (Ballistic Protection Series) Sedan 4.6L V812.00 sec18.60 sec239 hpRWD
2011Signature Limited Fleet Sedan 4.6L V88.10 sec16.10 sec239 hpRWD
2003Cartier Sedan 4.6L V89.50 sec16.80 sec239 hpRWD
2000Cartier L Sedan 4.6L V89.30 sec16.90 sec200 hpRWD
1998Signature Series Touring Sedan 4.6L V87.90 sec16.10 sec205 hpRWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 6.0 qt of 5W-20 API engine oil. Torque lug nuts to 100 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 19.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity13.9
Engine CoolantUSE FORD PREMIUM GOLD COOLANT
Engine Oil5W-20 · API
Engine Oil Capacity6.0 qt
Power Steering FluidATF

Engine torques

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs7.4 ft-lbs
Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs7.4 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts59 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts60-64 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts18 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug19.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug19.0 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs7 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts100 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8
Spark Plug ManufacturerMotorcraft
Spark Plug Gap0.052-0.056 in
Spark Plug Torque13.0 ft-lbs
Ignition Timing10

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.44 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity7.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number65 Long Wheel Base
Standard BCI Cranking Performance750 Long Wheel Base cca
Optional BCI Group Number65 Short Wheel Base

Service checks

Pressure Test16 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief16 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature188-195 °F
Pressure Test16 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief16 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature188-195 °F
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)20.0-60.0
Injector Primary Resistance11-18 ohms

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket18 ft-lbs / 27 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle50 ft-lbs / 118 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.118; Rear: 0.118 in
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.039; Rear: 0.039 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.002 in
Rotor Minimum Machining0.732 in / 1.061 in
Rotor Discard at or Under0.708 in / 1.037 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
118 ft. lbs., Step 2: 33 ft. lbs. Step 3: 9018 ft. lbs
Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
117 ft. lbs., Step 2: 32 ft. lbs., Step 3: 10517 ft. lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
166 ft. lbs., step 2: 360 degrees, step 3: 37 ft. lbs., step 4: 9066 ft. lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
1install 8 new exhaust manifold stud9 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 90,000 mi; coolant every 45,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 45,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 miEngine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 15,000 miCabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace) · Fuel Filter (replace) · Temperature Controlled Seat Air Filter (replace)
Every 45,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
Every 90,000 miSpark Plugs (replace)
At 105,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
At 150,000 miDrive Belt (replace) · Transmission Assembly (drain & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2008 Lincoln Town Car sits near the end of a generation that saw a clear downward trend in federal complaints, recalls, investigations, and TSBs from their peaks in the mid-to-late 1990s. Complaints dropped from a high of 328 in 1997 to just 20 in 2008, while recalls fell from a peak of 10 in 1996 to 3 in 2008, and investigations went from 7 in several earlier years to zero in 2008. TSBs also declined steadily, reaching 16 in 2008—the lowest in the entire dataset—indicating that many common issues had been addressed by this late stage of production. The top complaint areas for 2008 are Steering, Vehicle Speed Control, Power Train, and Service Brakes, but each has only 2–3 complaints, and there are no fire complaints, though 7 crash complaints are noted. Compared to the years immediately before and after, 2008 has slightly more complaints than 2009 (5) but fewer than 2007 (84), and it shares the same low recall count (3) with 2009–2011. Overall, the 2008 model year represents a mature, well-refined version of the Town Car with minimal reported issues, making it a strong buy for a used vehicle.

3
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
16
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
20
Owner complaints
7 involved a crash · 0 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 20 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Steering3
Vehicle Speed Control3
Power Train2
Service Brakes2
Service Brakes, Hydraulic2
Suspension,Air Bags,Wheels1
Visibility,Structure1
Vehicle Speed Control,Service Brakes1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 3 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

14V704000Steering:Rack And Pinion:Pinion ShaftReported 05/11/2014

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 Ford Crown Victoria, 2005-2011 Mercury Grand Marquis vehicles manufactured March 23, 2004, to August 30, 2011, and 2005-2011 Lincoln Town Car vehicles… Remedy: Ford will notify the owners of vehicles whose repair records reflect that the upper intermediate steering shaft was repaired during the course of the prior recall 13V-385. Dealers…

13V385000SteeringReported 29/08/2013

Ford is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 Ford Crown Victoria (including Crown Victoria Police Interceptors), Mercury Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car vehicles. The affected vehicles are currently registered or… Remedy: Ford will notify owners and dealers will replace the lower intermediate shaft, free of charge. The upper intermediate shaft and steering column lower bearing will be inspected to…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 16 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
DOR-L2Q6V-102019-09-18Electrical SystemThis SKU is a Radiator Fan. The customer communication requested return of unsold…
SSM 472012018-03-30EquipmentReplacing the original equipment SYNC/Navigation system with either an aftermarket…
SSM 463322017-01-24EquipmentREPLACING THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT SYNC/NAVIGATION SYSTEM WITH EITHER AN AFTERMARKET…
SSM 460852016-09-21Engine And Engine CoolingThe Powertrain Control/Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) manual has been revised for diagnosing…
TSB1600722016-04-21StructureInpected or repaired under 13R01 - Requests for recall service action under 13S08

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Town Car. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2008 Town Car take?

6.0 qt of 5W-20 API MEETING FORD SPECIFICATION WSS-M2C945-A, per the factory manual.

Does the 2008 Town Car have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Town Car get?

EPA figures are 15 city / 22 highway / 18 combined mpg.