Know Your MOT
27.5%fail rate

Lincoln Town Car common MOT failures and failure rate

What a Lincoln Town Car fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 10,089 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 27.5% of MOT tests recorded on the Lincoln Town Car in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is lamps & electrical, which makes up 51.0% of the Lincoln Town Car's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, brakes, suspension, exhaust & emissions. Each item below links to the part that resolves it. Confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying, and have safety-critical work done by a competent mechanic.

What it fails on, and why

Lamps & electrical51.0% of failures

Lighting is the single most common MOT failure and the cheapest to put right. A blown headlight, brake-light or number-plate bulb, a cracked lens, or a headlamp beam that points too high or low will all fail. Most are a two-minute bulb swap.

Brakes48.0% of failures

Brake failures cover worn pads and discs, an imbalance between wheels, corroded or scored discs, or a binding caliper. Braking efficiency is measured on a rolling road, so a spongy or pulling brake shows up as a low reading.

Suspension42.1% of failures

Suspension failures usually mean a worn or snapped coil spring, a leaking shock absorber, or play in a lower arm ball joint or bush. The tester checks for corrosion, fractures and excessive movement. A broken front spring is one of the most common failures on higher-mileage cars and is a straightforward replacement.

Exhaust & emissions22.1% of failures

Exhaust failures cover leaks, insecure mountings and emissions over the limit. A blowing exhaust, a failed lambda reading or a diesel that smokes beyond the limit will fail.

Other15.5% of failures

This covers a range of smaller items, from a non-working horn to a warning light left on.

Steering14.2% of failures

Steering faults are typically worn track-rod ends or ball joints, play in the rack, or a split gaiter letting grease out and dirt in. Excessive free play at the wheel fails.

Failure rate by year

How the MOT failure rate varies by the car's year of first registration (older examples generally fail more as wear sets in).

198826.4% fail · 110 tests
199024.1% fail · 112 tests
199218.8% fail · 128 tests
199430.6% fail · 180 tests
199530.6% fail · 373 tests
199628.1% fail · 288 tests
199726.9% fail · 476 tests
199830.5% fail · 1,127 tests
199930.2% fail · 1,476 tests
200029.3% fail · 1,681 tests
200127.7% fail · 1,131 tests
200226.2% fail · 370 tests
200325.7% fail · 782 tests
200422.9% fail · 468 tests
200522.3% fail · 609 tests
200622.5% fail · 191 tests

The parts that fix each

If your car has just failed, you have 10 working days to fix the items and get a free partial retest. These are the usual parts; confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying.

For the lamps & electrical failure: Lincoln Town Car headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Lincoln Town Car headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Lincoln Town Car headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Lincoln Town Car brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Lincoln Town Car brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Lincoln Town Car brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Lincoln Town Car suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Lincoln Town Car suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Lincoln Town Car suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Lincoln Town Car exhaustSearch Amazon for Lincoln Town Car exhaustaffiliate searchFind Lincoln Town Car exhaust on eBayaffiliate
For the steering failure: Lincoln Town Car steering track rod endsSearch Amazon for Lincoln Town Car steering track rod endsaffiliate searchFind Lincoln Town Car steering track rod ends on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Lincoln Towncar MOT failures30.4% failure rateLincoln Navigator MOT failures23.9% failure rateLincoln Continental MOT failures19.5% failure rateFord Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rate

Sources: DVSA MOT History API: MOT test results and defect data · DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain