1996 Lincoln Continental Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Continental years
- About as many complaints as other years 6th of 12 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 48 complaints with NHTSA about the 1996 Lincoln Continental. That ranks 6th out of 12 Continental model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is suspension (13 complaints, 27%), typically at around 98,342 miles. Complaints mention 3 crashes, 1 injury. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year.
.jpg){kind=link}
- 48owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 3complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1996 Lincoln Continental problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 13 | 27% | 98,342 | — | — |
| Visibility | 8 | 17% | — | — | — |
| Power Train | 7 | 15% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 6 | 13% | — | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 8% | — | — | — |
| Electrical System | 3 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 3 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Air Bags | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 2% | 74,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1996 Lincoln Continental recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Power train:automatic transmission
Problem: The automatic transmission park pawl shaft may not be free to rotate as intended. If the park pawl shaft does not rotate, it would prevent the park pawl from engaging the park gear when the shift lever is in the park position.
Risk: This condition could result in the vehicle rolling as if in neutral with the shift lever in the park position.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the park pawl shaft rotation and those shafts with restricted rotation will be replaced with a shorter shaft that will not restrict rotation.
Exterior lighting
Problem: A defective control module in the "autolamp" system can malfunction. If the "autolamp" system is being used to activate the exterior light (including headlamps), the headlamps could shut off without warning. This will not occur if the exterior lighting is turned on manually by the headlight switch.
Risk: If the headlamps shut off while the vehicle is driven, driver visibility would be impaired increasing the potential for a vehicle accident.
Fix: Dealers will replace the "autolamp" control module. Owners are instructed to use the manual headlamp switch until the control module can be replaced.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Low beam head light on driver's side went out. *tr
Tl*the contact owns a 1996 lincoln continental. The contact stated that the air suspension system is defective. The vehicle rests 12 inches higher on one side than the other, from the front end to the rear. As a result, the headlights illuminate upwards towards the sky or downwards into the ground…
Defective air suspension system in lincoln continental results in extremely unstable and unsafe driving. Blown air bag while driving vehicle resulted in rear end crashing down and leaving car inoperable. Faulty compressor leaves the car 12 inches difference between left and right and front and…
Tl* - the contact is calling regarding nhtsa campaign id number: 06t023000. The contact states that he took his tires to pep boys they refuse to provide him with free tires and told him he would have to pay for the tires at a pro-rated rate. The contact feels that due to the recall he should have…
Automobile dimming rearview mirror is not clear,melting effect.*ak
Other Lincoln Continental years
← 1995 Continental · 1997 Continental →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 Continental | 7 | 2 |
| 2019 Continental | 32 | 3 |
| 2018 Continental | 21 | 2 |
| 2017 Continental | 75 | 4 |
| 2002 Continental | 33 | 0 |
| 2001 Continental | 32 | 1 |
| 2000 Continental | 63 | 3 |
| 1999 Continental | 42 | 2 |
| 1998 Continental | 72 | 1 |
| 1997 Continental | 96 | 1 |
| 1996 | 48 | 2 |
| 1995 Continental | 70 | 1 |
See all Lincoln Continental problems by year, every Lincoln model, or the Lincoln VIN decoder.
Similar Lincoln models
Embed this 1996 Lincoln Continental badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1996 Lincoln Continental?
Owners most often report suspension, visibility, power train problems. The top one, suspension, accounts for 13 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Lincoln Continental?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1996 Lincoln Continental a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Continental model years, the 1996 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.