Moderate overlap front: original test
Rating applies to 2003-11 models built after May 2003
Tested vehicle: 2003 Lincoln Town Car Premium Signature 4-door
The Lincoln Town Car, Ford Crown Victoria, and Mercury Grand Marquis were re-engineered for the 2003 model year. Beginning with 2008 models, the Ford Crown Victoria was sold when new only to fleets. The Mercury Grand Marquis was discontinued after the 2010 model year.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has evaluated the crashworthiness of a 2003 Town Car in two 40 mph frontal offset crash tests into deformable barriers. In the first test, a high acceleration occurred when the dummy's head rebounded against the B-pillar, indicating a possibility of head injury. This led Lincoln to modify the frontal airbag deployment characteristics on models produced after May 2003 (note: information about when a specific vehicle was manufactured is on the certification label typically affixed to the car on or near the driver door).
The Institute tested a second Town Car with the modified airbags, and all head injury measures were low. Ratings of the Town Car listed here are from the second test.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Chest | |
| Leg/foot, left | |
| Leg/foot, right | |
| Driver restraints and dummy kinematics Dummy movement was reasonably well controlled in the second test. During rebound, the top of the head hit the roof rail and adjacent window frame between the A- and B-pillars. As in the first test, the driver's seat tipped toward the door. |
Action shot taken during the second of two frontal offset crash tests.
The dummy's position in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after both crash tests indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained well (second test shown).
Smeared red greasepaint indicates where the dummy's head hit the B-pillar during rebound in the first test, producing a high head acceleration.
Forces on the lower left leg were high enough to indicate the possibility of injury in both tests (second test shown).
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| Test ID | CEF0313 |
|---|---|
| Footwell intrusion | |
| Footrest (cm) | 10 |
| Left (cm) | 12 |
| Center (cm) | 14 |
| Right (cm) | 11 |
| Brake pedal (cm) | 6 |
| Instrument panel rearward movement | |
| Left (cm) | 5 |
| Right (cm) | 5 |
| Steering column movement | |
| Upward (cm) | 3 |
| Rearward (cm) | 3 |
| A-pillar rearward movement (cm) | 7 |
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | CEF0313 |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 265 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | 15 |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 1.5 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 10 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.26 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 36 |
| Legs | |
| Femur force - left (kN) | 7.5 |
| Femur force - right (kN) | 2.6 |
| Knee displacement - left (mm) | 13 |
| Knee displacement - right (mm) | 0 |
| Maximum tibia index - left | 0.97 |
| Maximum tibia index - right | 0.34 |
| Tibia axial force - left (kN) | 4.2 |
| Tibia axial force - right (kN) | 2.4 |
| Foot acceleration (g) | |
| Left | 87 |
| Right | 60 |
Side: original test
Rating applies to 2003-08 models
Tested vehicle: 2006 Ford Crown Victoria 4-door without optional side airbags
The Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis were re-engineered for the 2003 model year.
Two tests of the Crown Victoria were conducted, one a 2007 model equipped with optional side airbags, and one a 2006 model without side airbags. These vehicles are rated separately, except that the structural ratings and rear passenger injury and head protection ratings for both vehicles are based on both tests. Beginning with 2009 models, side airbags were made standard.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Torso | |
| Pelvis/leg | |
| Driver head protection The dummy's head was hit by the window sill of the driver door, producing high head injury measures. |
|
| Rear passenger injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Torso | |
| Pelvis/leg | |
| Rear passenger head protection The dummy's head was hit by the pillar behind the rear passenger door. This pillar is required by federal standard to provide some protection for occupants' heads. |
|
View of the vehicle and barrier just after the crash test.
View of the vehicle after the crash with doors removed, showing the damage to the occupant compartment.
Smeared greasepaint shows where the driver dummy’s head was hit by the window sill.
Smeared greasepaint shows where the rear passenger dummy’s head was hit by the pillar behind the rear passenger door.
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| Test ID | CES0612 | CES0633 |
|---|---|---|
| B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) | 6.5 | 7.0 |
| Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline. | ||
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | CES0612 |
|---|---|
| Head HIC-15 | 812 |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 2.6 |
| Compression (kN) | 0.0 |
| Shoulder | |
| Lateral deflection (mm) | 48 |
| Lateral force (kN) | 2.9 |
| Torso | |
| Maximum deflection (mm) | 60 |
| Average deflection (mm) | 41 |
| Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 7.55 |
| Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 1.43 |
| Pelvis | |
| Iliac force (kN) | 2.8 |
| Acetabulum force (kN) | 3.3 |
| Combined force (kN) | 5.9 |
| Left femur | |
| L-M force (kN) | 1.9 |
| L-M moment (Nm) | 313 |
| A-P moment (Nm) | 31 |
Passenger injury measures
| Test ID | CES0612 | CES0633 |
|---|---|---|
| Head HIC-15 | 281 | 226 |
| Neck | ||
| Tension (kN) | 0.8 | 1.7 |
| Compression (kN) | 0.6 | 0.2 |
| Shoulder | ||
| Lateral deflection (mm) | 24 | 30 |
| Lateral force (kN) | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| Torso | ||
| Maximum deflection (mm) | 41 | 45 |
| Average deflection (mm) | 20 | 23 |
| Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 4.08 | 4.06 |
| Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.76 | 0.90 |
| Pelvis | ||
| Iliac force (kN) | 1.1 | 1.2 |
| Acetabulum force (kN) | 3.2 | 3.3 |
| Combined force (kN) | 4.3 | 4.2 |
| Left femur | ||
| L-M force (kN) | 0.3 | 0.5 |
| L-M moment (Nm) | 112 | 101 |
| A-P moment (Nm) | -32 | -34 |
Head restraints & seats
Seat type: Seats with adjustable lumbar
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Dynamic rating | |
| Seat/head restraint geometry |
| Seat type | Seats with adjustable lumbar |
|---|---|
| Geometry | |
| Backset (mm) | 55 |
| Distance below top of head (mm) | 60 |
| Seat design parameters | |
| Pass/fail | Pass |
| Max T1 acceleration (g) | 8.4 |
| Head contact time (ms) | 126 |
| Force rating | 3 |
| Neck forces | |
| Max neck shear force (N) | 238 |
| Max neck tension (N) | 723 |
About the head restraint & seat test
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.