IllustrationCONSUMER STATES AIR BAG LIGHT REMAINS LIT. VEHICLE REPAIRED BY DLR WHO REPLACED THE ENTIRE HARNESS ASSEMBLY. LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. DLR ADVISED CONSUMER THAT AIR BAG WILL NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY IF LIGHT IS ON. DLR CAN NOT DETERMINE ROOT OF PROBLEM. *MR
2000 Lincoln Continental
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2000 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
30–25K
525–50K
750–75K
675–100K
11100–150K
1150K+
33 reports with mileage · 30 unknown
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.
- Air Bags. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
6 crash reports3 fire reports7 injury reports
Air Bags complaints
16 reportsCONSUMER STATES THAT THE FUEL GAUGE IS ERRATIC AT TIMES, ON ONE OCCASION THE CONSUMER FILLED UP THE TANK AND THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATED HALF FULL, WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AND THE MOTOR TURNED OFF, THE GAUGE WOULD SHOW HALF FULL AND THEN GO TO FULL. *SLC
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING 70MPH & AUTOMATIC TRACTION KICKED IN. VEHICLE STARTED SLIDING ACROSS THE ROAD & HIT A TREE. AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. MANUFACTURER STATED TO THE DEALER & CONSUMER GET A LAWYER. *AK
IT HAS BEEN 2 WEEKS DEALER WORKING HARD TO RESOLVE MFGR. DOES NOT RESPOND. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40MPH WHEN AIR BAG ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE DOOR DEPLOYED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP & MECHANIC IS GOING TO REPLACE THE DOOR & THE SEAT. *AK
Official recalls
303V144000 · Air Bags:frontal
Apr 9, 2003
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE DRIVER AND/OR PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG COULD DEPLOY AS A RESULT OF UNDERBODY IMPACTS NEAR THE SENSORS, SUCH AS THOSE OCCURRING FROM PIECES OF GRAVEL OR DEBRIS THROWN FROM THE WHEELS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING OPERATED AT MODERATE TO HIGH SPEED OR BEING ACCELERATED.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Not supplied
Remedy: DEALERS WILL RECALIBRATE THE AIR BAG SENSORS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MARCH 31, 2003. OWNERS MAY CONTACT LINCOLN AT 1-800-521-4140.
01V258000 · Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:motor
Aug 8, 2001
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER CARS, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, AND LIGHT AND MEDIUM DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS. A SWITCH LOCATED IN THE PLASTIC COVER OF THE WIPER MOTOR GEAR CASE COULD MALFUNCTION AND OVERHEAT, POTENTIALLY RESULTING IN LOSS OF INTERMITTENT WIPER FUNCTION, LOSS OF WIPER PARK FUNCTION, COMPLETE LOSS OF WIPER FUNCTION, OR IGNITION OF THE PLASTIC COVER MATERIAL. SWITCH MALFUNCTION IS MOST LIKELY TO OCCUR WHEN THE INTERMITTENT SETTING OF THE WIPERS IS BEING USED, OR WHEN SNOW OR ICE OBSTRUCTS THE BLADES FROM RETURNING TO THE "PARKED" POSITION AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WINDSHIELD. THESE VEHICLES WERE BUILT AT THE FOLLOWING ASSEMBLY PLANTS: ATLANTA PLANT FROM 2/11/00 THROUGH 7/31/00; CHICAGO PLANT FROM 2/14/00 THROUGH 8/4/00; KANSAS CITY PLANT FROM 2/26/00 TO 9/4/00; KENTUCKY TRUCK PLANT FROM 2/18/00 TO 8/31/00; MICHIGAN TRUCK PLANT FROM 2/23/00 THROUGH 8/3/00; NORFOLK PLANT FROM 2/21/00 THROUGH 7/27/00; WAYNE STAMPING AND ASSEMBLY PLANT FROM 2/25/00 THROUGH 8/15/00; AND WIXOM PLANT FROM 2/15/00 THROUGH 8/8/00.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: LOSS OF VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING INCREASES THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE DATE CODE ON THE WIPER MOTOR. MOTORS BUILT WITH THE SUSPECT TIME FRAME WILL HAVE THE WIPER MOTOR GEAR CASE COVER REPLACED. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN AUGUST 20, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-866-436-7332.
99V250000 · Seat Belts:front:anchorage
Sep 20, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR MAY HAVE A PIN SHAFT IN THE SWITCHABLE ELR/ALR MECHANISM THAT IS INCORRECTLY FORMED. IN SOME CIRCUMSTANCES, THE SWITCHING MECHANISM COULD BECOME NONFUNCTIONAL, PREVENTING THE SEAT BELT WEBBING FROM BEING EXTRACTED FROM THE RETRACTOR. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT MALFUNCTION OF THE MECHANISM COULD PREVENT THE BELT FROM BEING SWITCHED INTO THE ALR MODE. THE ELR MECHANISM IS NOT AFFECTED BY THIS CONDITION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE MECHANISM MALFUNCTIONS AND DOES NOT ALLOW THE WEBBING TO BE EXTRACTED, THE LAP AND SHOULDER BELT COULD NOT BE WORN BY A VEHICLE OCCUPANT. IN THE EVENT THAT THE MECHANISM DOES NOT ALLOW THE ALR MODE TO BE ENGAGED, THE OPERATOR MAY BE UNABLE TO PROPERLY INSTALL A CHILD SEAT IN THAT SEATING POSITION.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE LAP AND SHOULDER BELT ASSEMBLIES. ASSEMBLIES WITH JULIAN DATE CODES OF 200 THROUGH 223 ARE SUSPECT AND WILL BE REPLACED.
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
2EA01012 · Inadvertent Side Air Bag Deployment
Opened Apr 27, 2001 · Closed Apr 15, 2003
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags:side/window
ON APRIL 9, 2003, ODI RECEIVED FROM FORD AN OWNER LETTER AND DEALER NOTICE, BOTH DATED MARCH 2003.THE OWNER LETTER STATES THAT FORD WILL CONDUCT A PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN OF CERTAIN MY 1999-2000 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH SIDE AIR BAGS (ALL MY 1999 VEHICLES AND MY 2000 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED PRIOR TO 3/1/00; TOTAL OF APPROXIMATELY 42,000 VEHICLES).THE LETTER STATES THAT THE SIDE AIR BAGS IN THESE VEHICLES CAN DEPLOY IN CERTAIN TYPES OF UNDERBODY IMPACTS FROM PIECES OF GRAVEL OR DEBRIS.THE LETTER STATES THAT OWNERS WHO OPERATE THEIR VEHICLES IN SUCH DRIVING CONDITIONS SHOULD TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO A DEALER TO HAVE RECALIBRATED CRASH SENSORS INSTALLED AT NO COST.THE RECALIBRATED SENSOR REDUCES THE POSSIBILITY OF INADVERTENT SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT.SEE NHTSA'S SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN NO. 03V-144 FOR MORE INFORMATION.THE ACTION TAKEN BY FORD APPEARS SUFFICIENT TO RESOLVE THE ISSUES RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
PE00042 · Inadvertent Side Air Bag Deployment
Opened Oct 16, 2000 · Closed Apr 27, 2001
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags:side/window
There is no summary currently available