Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1989 Lincoln Continental submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 23 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
IGNITION SWITCH FAILED TO OPERATE CORRECTLY, OFTEN LOOSING CONTROL CENTER INFORMATION AND SOMETIMES PREVENTING THE CAR FROM OPERATING. CAR WAS TAKEN TO REPAIR STATION WHERE THE IGNITION SWITCH AND HARNESS WERE REPLACED. THE TWO COMPONENTS (BURNED AND FUSED) ARE AVAILABLE FOR ANALYSIS.
I HAD SPENT ALL MY MONEY ON THIS VEHICLE. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME IT'S IRREPERABLE AND LIABILITY INSURANCE WILL NOT COVER. NOW I HAVE NO MONEY AND NO CAR FOR MY 4-YEAR OLD AND I TO RUN ERRANDS IN.NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK
THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR. THE ALTERNATOR HAS BEEN REPLACED FOUR TIMES IN SIX MONTHS. THE BATTERY HAS BEEN REPLACED. SOMETHING IS STILL DRAINING ALL OF THE POWER AWAY. THE FRONT-SEAT THREE-POINT SEAT BELTS GO SLACK WHILE DRIVING AND DO NOT RETRACT AFTER USE. FORD SAYS IT IS NOT A PROBLEM. THE FRONT AND REAR AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM IS DEFECTIVE. WHEN THE CAR IS BEING DRIVEN THE BACK END GOES WAY DOWN THEN BACK UP. THE FRONT OFTEN HAS ONE SIDE TO GO ALL THE WAY DOWN WHILE THE OTHER SIDE GOES ALL THE WAY UP. THIS MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE CAR. THE AIR CONDITIONER HAS BEEN COMPLETELY REPLACED. STILL, IT CANNOT KEEP THE CAR ANYWHERE NEAR CONFORTABLE. THE WINDSHIELD GETS AN OILY FILM ON THE INSIDE THAT WON'T GO AWAY. FINALLY, THE SPEED CONTROL SOMETIMES STARTS ACCELERATING FOR NO REASON AND/OR WILL NOT DEACTIVATE WHEN "OFF" IS PRESSED. EHH, I GUESS THAT'S ABOUT IT FOR NOW. THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ THESE COMMENTS.*AK
REPLACEMENT OF FUEL TANK DID NOT RECTIFY ROUGH RUNNING CONDITION, FOUND SHORTED WIRING IN THE ELECTRONIC ENGINE CONTROL CAUSING PROCESSOR TO SHORT OUT AND EGR TO STAY OPEN. MJS
HEAT CONTROL / AIR CONDITIONING SWITCH FAILED. *YC
FRONT AIR STRUTS FAILED WHILE DRIVING. CONSUMER STATES THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING.
LOSS OF POWER BRAKES AND STEERING OCCURS WHILE CAR IS IN MOTION MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO CONTROL VEHICLE, DUE TO FAILURE OF THE IGNITION SWITCH. MJS
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45-50 MPH WHEN HE BEGAN TO STOP AND BRAKES FAILED , TRIED TO TURN VEHICLE AND POWER STEERING WAS GONE. RESTARTED VEHICLE AND DROVE TO A REPAIR SHOP, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS DEFECTIVE. *AK
AFTER CONSUMER HAD DRIVEN VEHICLE ABOUT 30 MINUTES, PARKED VEHICLE TO GO INTO STORE. WAS TOLD THAT VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE- THE WIRING MELTED AND THE WHOLE FRONT WAS BURNED. *AK
IGNITION MODULE FAILURE, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL.
THE FIRE TO THE LINCOLN WAS CAUSED BY THE OVERHEATING OF THE IGNITION SWITCH.
WHILE DRIVING THE IGNITION WIRES SOMEHOW BURNT OUT. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
IGNITION SWITCH SHORT CAUSED BRAKE FAILURE.
ELECTRICAL BURNING ODOR. *SD
WIRING HARNESS SHORT, CAUSED VEHICLE TO STALL. *SD
WIRING IGNITION FIRE, ELECTRICAL SHORT, SAW SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE DASH. *AK *JB
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE, RESULTED IN REPLACEMENT OF ALTERNATORS/BATTERIES/STARTER. *AK
AN ELECTRICAL SHORT OR SHOCK IN VEHICLE, CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
ELECTRICAL SHORT, INTERMITTENTLY SHORT OUT IGNITION SWITCH WHEN STARTING, ALSO FAILURE ALTERNATOR, AND BATTERY. *AK
ALTERNATOR FAILED.
WHILE DRIVING OWNER NOTICED SMOKE FROM HOOD, PULLED OVER W/FLAMES COMING FROM ENGINE. *AK
WATER PUMP FAILURE.
AIR CONDITIONER REPLACED.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .