Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
Owners have filed 20 safety complaints
about the 2018 Lincoln Continental with the US government. Of those, 1 describes a crash and no death is recorded. 2 recall campaigns are open against it, covering back-over prevention and the latches, locks and linkages.
The most complained-about system is the latches, locks and linkages,
named in 6 complaints, 30% of the total.
The typical failure was reported at 78,500 miles,
the median across the 8
complaints that gave
an odometer reading.
Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files
· Covers March 2019 to September 2026 · How this is counted
What is on file
20 complaints on file
20
Complaints
1
Describe a crash
0
Mention fire
0
People injured
0
Deaths
A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a
finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts
them.
A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free.
Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can
answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a
model year.
Which system owners named
Complaints naming each system
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 6 · 30%
6 30%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 4 · 20%
4 20%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 4 · 20%
4 20%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 4 · 20%
4 20%
STRUCTURE 2 · 10%
2 10%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 1 · 5%
1 5%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 · 5%
1 5%
POWER TRAIN 1 · 5%
1 5%
TIRES 1 · 5%
1 5%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 · 5%
1 5%
048
Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it.
One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 20.
When the complaints arrived
By the year NHTSA received them
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures
happened. They peaked in 2023 at 5.
8 6 4 2
192019202020222022232023252025262026
This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure
happened. The range runs from 2019 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program
NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what
happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2018 Lincoln CONTINENTAL, and it is a separate
question from what owners report going wrong later.
Test
4 DR AWD
4 DR FWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover
10.6%
10.6%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard
A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed.
A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2020 F-Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, and 2017-2020 Lincoln Continental vehicles equipped with the 360-degree camera system. Degradation of the camera's anit-reflective lens coating can lead to a foggy or cloudy rearview camera image.
The risk
Lack of a clear rearview camera image can reduce the driver's visibility of what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 14, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S51.
Ford Motor Company · up to 277,040 vehicles across all model years covered
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
19V077000 · February 11, 2019
The defect
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Lincoln Continental vehicles. The door latch pawl motors may not function properly, possibly resulting in a door latch not fully engaging.
The risk
A door latch that is not fully engaged may result in a door opening while driving, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the latch assemblies on all four doors, free of charge. The recall began October 14, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S03.
Ford Motor Company · up to 27,609 vehicles across all model years covered
In owners’ own words
Quoted from the complaint file
Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the
people who filed them, not findings of fault.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
crash
On July 09, 2022 I delivered my vehicle to Heller Ford 700 Main Street El Paso, IL, (309) 527-6050 to have my original Cabin Air Filter eeplaced with a unit which I supplied. Their technician performed a commendable removal of the original unit. He found the original Motor Craft Cabin Air Filter had deteriated to a black fragmented crust which had clogged the blower motor to the extent the motor had to be removed and bown out, and reinstalled prior to the instillation of the new filter! I have no reservations against Heller Ford and it Service Facility Staff, mine is with Lincoln My car had 56,687 miles at the time of the service, The service manual recommends changes be made at 20,000 - …
NHTSA complaint 11473460, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
90,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Lincoln Continental. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the message "Driver Door Fault - Use Inside Override Lever Map Pocket" was displayed and a chime sounded, disabling the Auto Hold, Cruise Control mode, and other functions. The message "Door Latch Fault" was displayed on the Ford Mobile App. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V077000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages). Additionally, the wrench warning light was illuminated. The contact associated the failure with Emissions Recall: 25E08. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the dealer retrieved an unrelated DTC for catalytic converter bank 2 below …
NHTSA complaint 11765949, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS
110,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Lincoln Continental. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked on several occasions, the contact became aware that the front driver’s side metal near the check strap was splitting, and while the driver’s door was opened, there was a cracking sound coming from the door. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was informed that the door might swing open but not stop midway as designed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
NHTSA complaint 11757713. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
67,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Lincoln Continental. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the battery charge drained unexpectedly. The headlights and warning lights were flashing on and off with the horn honking unintendedly. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with electrical failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 67,000.
NHTSA complaint 11747410. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
99,035 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Lincoln Continental. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V077000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages) and the remedy, to replace the latch assemblies on all four doors, had been completed in 2019. Approximately 7 years later, the driver's side door failed to latch immediately. The contact consistently pressed the button for the door to latch and lock. The failure had gotten progressively worse. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V077000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages); however, the repair was no longer covered by the recall. The …
NHTSA complaint 11746653, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Vehicle door handles are prone to failure and unresponsive for the lock/unlock. Potential safety concern for customers like myself which should be brought to Lincoln’s attention. Driver side door handle and other door handles known to be unresponsive when locking/unlocking with keys or pressing button behind door handle.
NHTSA complaint 11726993. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
108,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Lincoln Continental. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the front driver's door latch failed to latch as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a failed front driver's door latch. The contact was informed that the front driver's door latch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact was concerned that the front driver's door might unlatch while driving the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that an unknown recall was performed in 2019, and that the front driver's door latch was replaced. The contact was informed that the repair was …
NHTSA complaint 11703803, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's
lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How
many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by
the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.
Complaints: NHTSA's ODI
complaint file, published October 2, 2026. One
complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall
campaign API, newest campaign on this vehicle filed August 26, 2022.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI
investigation file, published October 2, 2026.
A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by
us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that
sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.
G
Compiled and maintained by guarledes Independent developer and analyst