IllustrationWHEN TURNING THERE'S A GROANING NOISE. LEFT OUTER TIE ROD SEIZED TO A LUBRICATION ISSUE. DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE BOTH OUTER TIE RODS. *AK
1997 Lincoln Continental
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 Lincoln Continental do not stand out strongly from 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: 18 of 96 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.
- Visibility. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 10 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 reports3 fire reports2 injury reports
What owners actually said
96 reports1997 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL REAR VIEW MIRROR IS DEFECTIVE.*MR WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS SITTING ON A SUNNY DAY THE SELF DIMMING REARVIEW MIRROR EXPLODED AND SPATTERED A CORROSIVE LIQUID ONTO THE DASH, CENTER CONSOLE AND BOTH FRONT SEATS. THE DEALER REPLACED ALL DAMAGED COMPONENTS. ABOUT TWO YEARS LATER THE MIRROR FAILED AGAIN (31000 …
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1997 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL REAR VIEW MIRROR IS DEFECTIVE.*MR WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS SITTING ON A SUNNY DAY THE SELF DIMMING REARVIEW MIRROR EXPLODED AND SPATTERED A CORROSIVE LIQUID ONTO THE DASH, CENTER CONSOLE AND BOTH FRONT SEATS. THE DEALER REPLACED ALL DAMAGED COMPONENTS. ABOUT TWO YEARS LATER THE MIRROR FAILED AGAIN (31000 MILES). THIS TIME THE LIQUID IN THE MIRROR GATHERED AT THE BOTTOM WHICH MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE. THE MIRROR FAILED FOR A THIRD TIME. THIS TIME THE LIQUID LEAKED FROM THE BOTTOM RIGHT HAND CORNER. THE DEALER REFUSED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE AT NO COST BECAUSE HE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE (THE DAUGHTER WROTE IN ON BEHALF OF HER MOTHER). *NLM
A PART IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR RUPTURED, CAUSING A SUBSTANCE TO LEAK . REAR VIEW MIRROR BECAME FOGGY WITH IMMEDIATE FAILURE OF VISIBILITY TO THE DRIVER. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHO COULD NOT SPECIFY ORIGIN OF PROBLEM. *AK
THE 1997 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL'S REVIEW MIRROR HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES NOW. IT IS JULY, 2003, AND THE $400.00 MIRROR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. IT'S FOGGING UP, LOOKS LIKE CONDENSTATION BEHIND THE GLASS ON THE MIRROR. CANNOT SEE OUT OF THE MIRROR. THIRD TIME. THIS IS UNREASONABLE.*AK
REAR VIEW MIRROR IS PEELING AND BECOMES INOPERABLE, OBSTRUCTING THE DRIVER'S VIEW. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
MY 1997 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL WAS DAMAGED IN A MINOR ACCIDENT. THE REPAIRS REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE FRONT HEADLAMPS. BOTH LINCOLN AND OUR DEALER HAVE INFORMED US THAT HEADLIGHTS FOR THE 1997 ARE ON NATIONAL BACKORDER AND WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR AT LEAST A MONTH. HEADLIGHTS ARE AN ESSENTIAL SAFETY ITEM. WE WOULD BE TICKETED…
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MY 1997 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL WAS DAMAGED IN A MINOR ACCIDENT. THE REPAIRS REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE FRONT HEADLAMPS. BOTH LINCOLN AND OUR DEALER HAVE INFORMED US THAT HEADLIGHTS FOR THE 1997 ARE ON NATIONAL BACKORDER AND WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR AT LEAST A MONTH. HEADLIGHTS ARE AN ESSENTIAL SAFETY ITEM. WE WOULD BE TICKETED IF WE ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE WITHOUT WORKING HEADLIGHTS. IT SEEMS INCREDIBLE TO ME THAT REPLACEMENT HEADLIGHTS ARE UNAVAILABLE. *NLM
WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR AND THE VEHICLE COASTED TO A STOP. THE PREVIOUS TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED FOR SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS THE SECOND TRANSMISSION THAT POPPED OUT OF GEAR AROUND 30,000 MILES. THE MECHANIC INDICATED THAT THIS PROBLEM WILL HAPPEN AGAIN BUT DO NOT KNOW CAUSE OF THE PROB…
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WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR AND THE VEHICLE COASTED TO A STOP. THE PREVIOUS TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED FOR SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS THE SECOND TRANSMISSION THAT POPPED OUT OF GEAR AROUND 30,000 MILES. THE MECHANIC INDICATED THAT THIS PROBLEM WILL HAPPEN AGAIN BUT DO NOT KNOW CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. VEHICLE BROUGHT FROM CARMAX. *NLM....*AK
THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ENGAGED, THE DRIVER HAD JUST TOUCHED THE RESUME BUTTON WHEN THE MOTOR MADE A WILD REVVING AND RACING NOISE, AND WITH THAT, ALL THE GEARS WERE GONE. IT WAS AS IF THE VEHICLE WAS IN NEUTRAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST FORD DEALER WHO COULDN'T SEE VEHICLE FOR AT LEAST A WEEK. CONSUMER CONSIDERED THI…
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THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ENGAGED, THE DRIVER HAD JUST TOUCHED THE RESUME BUTTON WHEN THE MOTOR MADE A WILD REVVING AND RACING NOISE, AND WITH THAT, ALL THE GEARS WERE GONE. IT WAS AS IF THE VEHICLE WAS IN NEUTRAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST FORD DEALER WHO COULDN'T SEE VEHICLE FOR AT LEAST A WEEK. CONSUMER CONSIDERED THIS TO BE A TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *AK *JB
THE REAR VIEW MIRROR BECAME CLOUDED, WHICH CAUSED POOR VISIBILITY. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THE PROBLEM MAY BE CAUSED BY THE FLUID IN THE MIRROR WHICH WAS SUPPOSE TO BLOCK GLARE. *JB
ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM SELF-ACTIVATES.
Official recalls
196V166000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:gear Position Indication (prndl)
Sep 5, 1996
THE PARK PAWL ABUTMENT BRACKET HAS A SHARP EDGE WHICH CAN CAUSE THE PARKING PAWL TO HANG UP AND NOT ENGAGE THE PARK GEAR. THIS WOULD ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO MOVE EVEN THOUGH THE GEAR SHIFT INDICATOR SHOWS THAT THE VEHICLE IS IN PARK.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: UNINTENDED AND UNEXPECTED VEHICLE MOVEMENT CAN RESULT IN PERSONAL INJURY AND PROPERTY DAMAGE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE PARK PAWL ABUTMENT BRACKET.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.