1997 Lincoln Continental problems & reliability
96 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1997 Lincoln Continental. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
2 complaints report injuries (5 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1997 Lincoln Continental vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility | 15 | 16% |
| Steering | 12 | 13% |
| Power Train | 10 | 10% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 10 | 10% |
| Suspension | 10 | 10% |
| Tires | 9 | 9% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 8 | 8% |
| Electrical System | 7 | 7% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 6% |
| Air Bags | 4 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Shortly after start, 200m, engine still cold , I smell smoke,,stopted immediatly passing bridge, smoke still, more intensive. I talk to drivers around to call fire departement. Took only blouse close to me and leave the car. Moke and first fire started right from feed space. No fire in engine area. .”
Unknown OR Other · filed Jan 20, 2019
“Takata recall. I was driving 35mph going down main road in an office park. Other vehicle failed to yield right of way and came thru stop sign. I had almost zero time to react. I slammed on brakes trying to prepare for impact. We hit. My driver's side front bumper hit his passenger side front. His airbag deployed, mine…”
Air Bags · filed Oct 6, 2018
“Tl* the contact owns a 1997 lincoln continental. The contact stated that the transmission failed at 40,000 miles and had to be replace. Also, the contact mentioned that while driving 35 mph the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnose that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was…”
Power Train · filed Sep 11, 2012
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
157 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1997 Lincoln Continental. The 10 most recent:
General (pcm) power train control module programming procedures. *tt
042107 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 13, 2004
General power train control module (pcm) programming procedures. *tt
04217 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2004
Groan/buzz/vibration when the gear selector is in park with the vehicle parked on an incline. *tt this bulletin updates previous bulletin 17358, dated 11/01/2003 to include 2005 models. *tt
17358 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 1, 2004
Malfunction indicator lamp illuminated with diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) p0442, p0455, p0456, p0457 or p1442 or a check fuel cap lamp illuminated with dtc p0457 for the evaporative emission system. *tt
03203 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 13, 2003
Remote keyless entry (rke) - service tips. *tt
03181 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 15, 2003
New transmission cooler flusher - service tips. 2003 escort and super duty f series included. *tt
03148 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 21, 2003
Torque converter clutch not engaging when commanded and/or diagnostic trouble codes p0741 or p1744 stored in memory. Models from 1996 to 2003. *tt
03123 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 23, 2003
Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) illumination with diagnostic trouble codes p0442, p0455, p0456, p0457, p1442 or check fuel cap lamp illuminated with diagnostic trouble code p0457. *tt
0398 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 12, 2003
Climate control a/c service tech tips. *eh
02208 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 14, 2002
Lamp-brake-invadvertent disabling of brake shift interlock. *mj
02176 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 2, 2002
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1997 Lincoln Continental in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1997 Lincoln Continental?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.