FaultScore

Worst years for a Lincoln Continental

Owners have filed 2,566 complaints about the Lincoln Continental with NHTSA across model years 1975 to 2020. More of them are about the engine & cooling than anything else.

Avoid

1994 Lincoln Continental

303 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly engine & cooling.

Cleanest on record

2001 Lincoln Continental

38 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every Lincoln Continental year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
2020 7 0 0 5,000 Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance
2019 B 38 2 0 27,000 Doors, Latches & Locks
2018 B 22 1 0 7,103 Doors, Latches & Locks
2017 C 99 1 0 47,860 Body & Structure
2002 C 43 4 0 66,000 Acceleration & Cruise Control
2001 B 38 1 0 79,000 Suspension
2000 D 108 17 3 86,500 Airbags
1999 C 46 6 2 91,500 Suspension
1998 C 88 11 2 96,500 Engine & Cooling
1997 C 109 5 3 59,075 Windows, Mirrors & Wipers
1996 B 69 4 0 Suspension
1995 D 94 9 5 36,645 Lights
1994 D 303 16 3 89,751 Engine & Cooling
1993 D 200 5 3 75,000 Engine & Cooling
1992 199 3 6 130,000 Engine & Cooling
1991 399 7 21 Engine & Cooling
1990 244 5 16 Engine & Cooling
1989 255 7 22 Seat Belts
1988 147 9 10 Electrical System
1987 14 0 3 Electrical System
1986 8 2 2 Brakes
1985 18 0 10 Electrical System
1984 9 0 2 Engine & Cooling
1983 2 0 0 Transmission & Drivetrain
1982 1 0 0 Suspension
1981 1 0 0 Fuel & Propulsion
1979 2 0 0 Transmission & Drivetrain
1978 1 0 0 Tires
1977 1 0 0 Tires
1975 1 0 1 Electrical System

What breaks on a Lincoln Continental

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Engine & Cooling 457 17.8%

Worst in 1994

Suspension 289 11.3%

Worst in 1991

Electrical System 260 10.1%

Worst in 1988

Brakes 219 8.5%

Worst in 1991

Worst in 1991

Body & Structure 155 6.0%

Worst in 1991

Steering 152 5.9%

Worst in 1991

Worst in 1991

Worst in 1990

Seat Belts 105 4.1%

Worst in 1989

Airbags 93 3.6%

Worst in 2000

Worst in 1991

Lights 79 3.1%

Worst in 1993

Worst in 2017

Exactly what failed on a Lincoln Continental

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Engine 235 28.6%
Gasoline 103 12.5%
Automatic Transmission 98 11.9%
Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip 73 8.9%
Frame AND Members 68 8.3%
AIR Conditioner 56 6.8%
Buckle Assembly 53 6.4%
AIR Suspension System 49 6.0%
Front 48 5.8%
Switch 40 4.9%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every Lincoln Continental, by the month it reached NHTSA.

Jan 1995 peak 66 Aug 2026

Lincoln Continental problems by state

Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.

Compare the Lincoln Continental

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.