The 2001 Lincoln Town Car has 3 recalls, all centered on the restraint control module, which can trigger airbags or seatbelt pretensioners to fire without warning the moment the car starts.
The self-test the restraint control module runs at startup is meant to catch faults before you drive, but in certain vehicles the module fails to recognize those faults and can instead set off an airbag or snap a seatbelt pretensioner tight while the car sits in the driveway, raising the risk of injury to anyone nearby. A separate but related concern involves the same module and the front and side crash sensors: one or more of the screws that hold the circuit board inside the housing may be missing, leaving the board loose. A loose board can cause the restraint system to perform below its intended level in a crash, meaning airbags or pretensioners may not respond with the full force or timing needed to protect occupants.