IllustrationABS BRAKES; WHEN APPLYING BRAKES IN NORMAL CONDITIONS, THE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR AND BRAKES FAIL TO STOP THE VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *AK
1989 Lincoln Continental
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Continental years
Owner complaints for the 1989 Lincoln Continental are substantially higher than the model-year median of 32.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Continental years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 2 of 158 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Seat Belts. Review the 42 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
5 crash reports18 fire reports7 injury reports
What owners actually said
158 reportsOWNER RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE IN APRIL. CONTACTED DEALER AND WAS TOLD PARTS HAD TO BE ORDERED. PARTS ARE STILL UNAVAILABLE. RECALL # 97V174000, SEAT BELT BUCKLES. *AK
STRUTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE, TWO ENGINE MOUNTS REPAIRED, AND THE AXLE DESTROYED THE BRAKE SENSOR.
CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER IN REFERENCE TO RECALL NUMBER 97V00300, MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 97M90, SEAT BELT BUCKLES. DEALER STATED PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. *AK
SEAT BELTS; BROUGHT THE VEHICLE INTO ROSWELL FORD 3 TIMES FOR RECALL REPAIRS, IT HAS BEEN A MONTH AND ROSWELL FORD HAS NOT GOTTEN THE PARTS. *AK *NLM
VEHICLE IS INCLUDED UNDER RECALL # 97I-003, SEAT BELT BUCKLES. THE DEALER REFUSES TO REPAIR RECALL. CONSUMER WILL CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER. *AK
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE PEDAL GETS HARD TO PRESS. DEALER SAYS THE ABS NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *AK
VEHICLE STARTED SKIPPING AND ALOT OF OTHER PROBLEMS. IT WAS TAKEN TO THE MECHANIC AND TAKEN OUT/TESTED AND REPLACED THE HEAD GASKETS. MECHANIC STATES THAT THE 3.8 ENGINE VEHICLES HAVE THE DEFECTIVE HEAD GASKETS. *AK
DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 20-25 MPH POWER STEERING FLUID LINE SHORTED OUT, CAUSING A HOLE AGAINST STARTER, RESULTING IN A FIRE. *AK
ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO, WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE BETWEEN 30-35 MPH, THE RIGHT REAR STRUT WENT OUT. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO STOP VEHICLE SAFELY. THE STRUT WAS REPLACED. IN MAY OR JUNE OF 1997 THE LEFT REAR STRUT WENT OUT AND WAS REPLACED. IN JANUARY OF 1998, ONE OF THE FRONT STRUTS WENT OUT. THE STRUT HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED. THE VEHIC…
Read full complaint
ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO, WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE BETWEEN 30-35 MPH, THE RIGHT REAR STRUT WENT OUT. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO STOP VEHICLE SAFELY. THE STRUT WAS REPLACED. IN MAY OR JUNE OF 1997 THE LEFT REAR STRUT WENT OUT AND WAS REPLACED. IN JANUARY OF 1998, ONE OF THE FRONT STRUTS WENT OUT. THE STRUT HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN PARKED IN OWNER'S GARAGE SINCE JANUARY OF 1998. *AK
Official recalls
498V323000 · Structure:frame And Members
Dec 16, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KANSAS, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEBRASKA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, VIRGINIA, WEST VIRGNIA, AND WISCONSIN. THE REAR LOWER SUBFRAME MOUNT PLATE NUT CAN EXPERIENCE STRESS CORROSION CRACKING IF SUBJECTED TO LONG TERM EXPOSURE TO ROAD SALTS. THIS CAN RESULT IN FRACTURE AND LOSS OF THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE SUBFRAME MOUNT ATTACHMENT. DETACHMENT OF THE BODY MOUNTS AT THE REAR CORNERS OF THE SUBFRAME, WHICH SUPPORTS THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION, ALLOWS THE REAR CORNERS OF THE SUBFRAME TO DROP.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF BOTH REAR CORNERS DROP, STEERING WOULD BECOME SUDDENLY VERY DIFFICULT, AFFECTING VEHICLE CONTROL AND INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL SUBFRAME REAR MOUNT BOLTS, REINFORCEMENT PLATES, AND PLATE NUTS.
97V174000 · Seat Belts:front:buckle Assembly
Oct 7, 1997
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE FRONT OUTBOARD SEATING POSITION SEAT BELT BUCKLES MAY NOT LATCH OR UNLATCH.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THESE CONDITIONS COULD REDUCE SEAT BELT USAGE INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT OUTBOARD SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLIES.
91V134000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotor
Aug 6, 1991
FRONT DISC BRAKE ROTORS OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE SEVERE CORROSION IF OPERATED IN AREAS WHERE CALCIUM CHLORIDE AND SODIUM CHLORIDE ARE USED EXTENSIVELY.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: SEVERELY CORRODED ROTORS MAY FRACTURE OR SEPARATE NEARTHE INNER EDGES OF THE BRAKE DISCS RESULTING IN REDUCED BRAKING EFFECTIVENESS,HIGHER THAN NORMAL PEDAL EFFORTS, LOUD GRINDING NOISES, AND MODERATE PULLS WHENTHE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. REDUCED BRAKING EFFECTIVENESS MAY INCREASE MINIMUMSTOPPING DISTANCES, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT.
Remedy: REPLACE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WITH FULL CAST FRONT BRAKE ROTORS.
89V048000 · Seat Belts:front:retractor
Mar 27, 1989
THE LEFT SIDE, REAR SEAT BELT RETRACTOR ASSEMBLY MAY BE IMPROPERLY SECURED AND COULD PULL FREE OF ITS MOUNTING LOCATION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: OCCUPANT, THOUGH STILL RESTRAINED BY THE LAP PORTION OFTHE BELT, WOULD NOT HAVE UPPER BODY PROTECTION.
Remedy: REINSTALL THE RETRACTOR ATTACHMENT BOLT.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
8EA95033 · Faulty Seat Belt Buckles
Opened Oct 31, 1995 · Closed Oct 22, 1997
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts
COMPLAINTS ALLEGE AN INABILITY TO LATCH SEAT BELT BUCKLES, AND INADVERTENT UNLATCHING OF THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE.
DP95004 · Alleged Defective Tie Rods
Opened Aug 8, 1995 · Closed Aug 30, 1995
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Unknown Or Other
ALLEGED DEFECTIVE TIE RODS
EA94008 · Broken Tie Rods
Opened Feb 16, 1994 · Closed Feb 27, 1995
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering
There is no summary currently available
PE93058 · Broken Tie Rods
Opened Jun 15, 1993 · Closed Feb 16, 1994
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering
There is no summary currently available
EA92040 · SUB-FRM/UNIBODY Absor.fail
Opened Nov 30, 1992 · Closed Jun 30, 1993
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Structure
There is no summary currently available
Additional source detail variants (2)
Structure
There is no summary currently available
Structure
There is no summary currently available
PE92056 · SUB-FRM/UNIBODY Absor.fail
Opened Jul 1, 1992 · Closed Nov 30, 1992
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Structure
There is no summary currently available
PE92014 · Engine Mount Failure
Opened Feb 4, 1992 · Closed Jun 25, 1992
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling
There is no summary currently available
PE89026 · Air Suspension Failure
Opened Dec 20, 1988 · Closed Apr 12, 1989
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Suspension
There is no summary currently available