1998 Lincoln Continental Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Continental years
- More complaints than other years 3rd of 12 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 72 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998 Lincoln Continental. That ranks 3rd out of 12 Continental model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (14 complaints, 19%). Complaints mention 8 crashes, 2 fires, 4 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year.
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- 72owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 8complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1998 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 14 | 19% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 13 | 18% | 66,098 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 7 | 10% | 173,250 | — | — |
| Power Train | 7 | 10% | 140,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 6 | 8% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 7% | 95,985 | — | — |
| Structure | 5 | 7% | — | — | — |
| Air Bags | 4 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 3 | 4% | 10,800 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 3 | 4% | 87,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 3 | 4% | 59,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 4% | 34,900 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 3% | 109,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1998 Lincoln Continental recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Exterior lighting:headlights
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The text and/or graphics for the vehicle headlamp aiming instructions provided in the owner guides are not sufficiently clear. This does not meet the requirements of fmvss no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
Risk: If the headlamp assemblies are replaced, customers may be confused by the aiming instructions provided in the owner guides causing the headlamps to be improperly aimed.
Fix: Owner guides containing revised aiming instructions will be mailed to owners of these vehicles.
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.
I am one person among many that have been having many problems with the ford front wheel drive transmission. Bought my 98 lincoln continental with 97000 miles on it, at 109000 miles had to pay 2400 to have the transmission pulled and rebuilt. I'm 65 years old and have never even hit the passing…
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 lincoln continental. The contact stated that the rearview mirror was defective. The mirror had a day night automatic tinting feature. The seals on the mirror failed and the fluids leaked and covered the mirror. The mirror could not longer be used and was not functional…
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 lincoln continental. The contact stated that the vehicle would lunge forward when the brake pedal was engaged. Neither the dealer nor manufacturer were notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 180,000 and the current mileage was…
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 lincoln continental. The contact stated that the rear view and driver side mirrors were tinted with an anti-reflection chemical which melted the plastic inside causing the mirrors to look foggy or darker than they were. He believed it was a safety hazard because his…
The right and left seats belts in the rear of car will no longer retract. I got them unstuck a couple times but it happens again and again. I am afraid because my kids sit back there.
Other Lincoln Continental years
← 1997 Continental · 1999 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 | 72 | 1 |
| 1997 Continental | 96 | 1 |
| 1996 Continental | 48 | 2 |
| 1995 Continental | 70 | 1 |
See all Lincoln Continental problems by year, every Lincoln model, or the Lincoln VIN decoder.
Similar Lincoln models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Lincoln Continental?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, vehicle speed control, electrical system problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 14 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Lincoln Continental?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1998 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 1998 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.