Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1991 Lincoln Continental submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 36 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.
The 25 most recent of 36, in the owner's own words
1991 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL MOTOR MOUNTS FAILED.***NO ANSWER REQUIRED***.*MR RECALL FOR MOTOR MOUNTS, SUB-FRAME SUPPORT PLATE, TRANSMISSION CABLE, AND MOUNT CORROSION. DEALERSHIP WILLING TO FIX SUB-FRAME PLATE AND CABLE, BUT WILL NOT FIX MOTOR MOUNTS, STATING THAT THE 6 YEAR OR 60,000 MILES HAS EXPIRED AND THAT THE CAR IS TOO OLD. PLEASE HELP INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER. *TT *NM
TRANSMISSION SUDDEN FAILURE WITH NO WARNING. IT HAPPENED RIGHT AFTER WE EXITED THE FREEWAY.*AK
FAILURE: 05-23-03 I WAS DRIVING ON I-475 NORTH IN THE FARTHEREST LEFT HAND LANE, WHEN THERE WAS A STALLING MOTION. IT WAS SO UNEXPECTED THAT IT MADE MY 10 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER AND MYSELF JUMP. I MANAGED TO SLOW DOWN IN TRAFFIC AND PULL TO THE RIGHT HAND EMERGENCY LANE. WHEN I TRIED PULLING BACK INTO TRAFFIC TO MAKE IT TO THE NEXT EXIT, THE LINCOLN WOULD NOT MOVE. LUCKILY, I HAD MY WORK CELLULAR TELEPHONE AND CALLED 911. 911 TRANSFERRED THE CALL TO THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, AND SOMEONE CAME TO TRY TO HELP. I HAVE ONLY HAD THE VEHICLE FOR 3 MONTHS. THE ORIGINAL OWNERS WERE IN THEIR 70'S. PRIOR TO SELLING THE LINCOLN A MOTOR HAD BEEN INSTALLED. *AK
WHILE PUTTING THE SHIFT LEVER IN PARK THE SHIFT LEVER BROKE, AS A RESULT THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN ANY GEAR. NLM
SURVEY OF FORD DEALERS AND LOCAL REPAIR SHOPS INDICATE HEAD GASKET AND TRANSMISSION FAILURE VERY COMMON WITH 4.8L, V-6 ENGINES IN 1991 THROUGH 1997 CONTINENTAL, TARUS AND SABLE. FORD REFUSES TO ASSIST OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR FAILURES EXEPT 1994 RECALL ON ENGINE HEAD GASKET.*AK
NO SUMMARY
TRANSMISSION FAILED.*ET
TRANSMISSION FAILED THREE TIMES IN 23 MONTHS.
SHORTLY AFTER COMPLETE TRANSMISSION, MOTOR MOUNTS, AND POWER STEERING REPLACED,THE ENGINE HEAD GASKETS FAILED, ONCE AGAIN CONTRBUTING TO A POTENTIAL ACCIDENT. WHILE RTURNING HOME FROM BABTSITTING MY GRANDDAUGHTER I WAS ALARMED BY DRIVERS GOING THE OPPOSITE WAY BEEPING AT ME. ONE FINALLY ROLLED DOWN HIS WINDOW AND YELLED THAT I WAS SMOKING SO BADLY I WAS BLOCKING EVERYONES VIEW. I LOOKED BACK TO SEE A DENSE CLOUD OF STEAM COVERING BOTH LANES OF TRAFFIC BEHIND ME. CARS WERE AT A STANDSTILL UNTIL THE STEAM DISSIPATED. I PULLED OVER AND SHUT DOWN. WATER WAS POURING OUT OF ONE OF THE DUAL EXHAUST PIPES. A MOTORIST STOPPED AND OFFERED A LIFT BUT I WAS ONLY A FEW BLOCKS FROM HOME. HE WENT ON TO TELL ME HIS SISTER HAD THE SAME THING HAPPEN TO HER WINDSTAR MINIVAN ON A TRIP TO MAINE AND THE CAR WAS ONLY 45 THOUSAND MILES OLD. HE SAID IT WAS DEFINITELY MY HEAD GASKET, WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE CORRECT. HE ALSO SAID THAT THE FORD 3.8 LITER ENGINE IS A DEFECTIVE DISASTER ESPECIALLY WHEN USED WITH FRONT WHEEL DRIVE. WITH RESPECT TO THE UNDERDASH ELECTRICAL PROBLEM IT WAS A DISTRACTING WARNING CHIME AND OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR WHICH WOULD BEEP WITHOUT PROPER CAUSE ON AN INTERMITTANT BASIS. OIL PRESSURE WAS INDEED OKAY AND THE SENDING UNIT WAS REPLACED TO NO AVAIL. ONLY WHEN AN ENTIRE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WAS REPLACED DID THIS LONGSTANDING DISTRACTION GO AWAY. MY SON-IN-LAW IN OCTOBER OF '99 TOOK OUT THE ORIGINAL CLUSTER WHICH HAD THE ODOMETER READING OF 64740 ORIGINAL MILES AND REPLACED IT WITH ONE FROM AN AUTO WRECKING YARD WHICH WAS POSSIBLY FROM AN EARLIER YEAR CAR. THE REPLACEMENT MODULE READ 131200 MILES. IN FEBRUARY OF 2000 I GAVE THE CAR TO MY DAUGTER AND SON-IN-LAW. THE TITLE HAS BEEN ANOTATED WITH THE NEW ODOMETER READING AS "NOT THE ACTUAL MILEAGE". THIS FAULTY CHIME / GAUGE IS ALSO A COMMON DEFECT IN THESE CARS I AM TOLD. IT CAN BE A DANGEROUS THING WHEN IT OCCURS WITHOUT WARNING (NO PUN INTENDED) .
THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED WHEN I BOUGHT THE LINCOLN IN 1995, WITH 47,746 MILES. ANOTHER TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED IN FEB. OF 1997 WITH 68,982 MILES ON THE CAR. THE FORD MOTOR CO. SAID THE ONE YR. WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. THE CAR NOW HAS 94,000 MILES AND BEGINS TO SOUND AS IF ANOTHER TRANSMISSION IS NEEDED. DO YOU SMELL A RAT? *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
WHEN TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 50 MPH THE VEHICLE DECREASED IN SPEED, WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. VEHICLE ALSO CONTINUED TO JERK. *AK
CONSUMER HAD TRANSMISSION OVERHAULED BY THE DEALERSHIP. THE PROBLEMS WAS THAT TRANSMISSION OIL WAS LEAKING ,AND THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO PROPER GEAR WHILE SHIFTING. *AK
NO SUMMARY
BRAKE ROTORS REPAIRED. MJS
THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED MY TRANSMISSION WHEN THE RECALL HAPPENED. HOWEVER, THE CAR DOES NOT SHIFT PROPERLY AT TIMES AND WHEN I CALLED THEY INDICATED THAT THE NEW TRANSMISSION ONLY HAD A 12 MONTH WARRANTY? I KNOW THAT LINCOLN WARRANTS THEIR VEHICLES LONGER THEN 12 MONTHS ON REPLACEMENT WHEN IT WAS A RECALL / A DEFECT IN THE ORIGINAL PART? PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT THE WARRANTY SHOULD BE. THANK YOU. *AK
VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING A HIGH IDLE PROBLEM BECAUSE OF THE THROTTLE BODY STICKING. THE THROTTLE WAS REPLACED AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. THROTTLE BODY PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY TRANSMISSION FAILURE. TRANSMISSION COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, BUT NOT THE THROTTLE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
IMMEDIATELY AFTER WIFE AND KIDS GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE, IT CAUGHT ON FIRE AND BURNED. THIS HAPPENED ABOUT 10 TO 15 SECONDS AFTER OCCUPANTS GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE. FIRE DPEARTMENT STATED THAT THE FIRE WAS DUE TO THE LEAKAGE OF TRANSMISSION FLUID. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
WHILE RETURNING FROM VACATION WITH 3 OCCUPANTS, PULLED OFF I-95 AT MARYLAND HOUSE NEAR ABERDEEN FOR COFFEE. NO PROBLEMS WITH CAR FOR PREVIOUS 1000 MILES OF TRIP. WAS NEGOTIATING HEAD-IN PARKING SPOT WITH CARS PARKED ON EITHER SIDE. BROUGHT CAR TO A FULL STOP WITH MY FRONT WHEEL EVEN WITH REAR WHEEL OF CAR PARKED TO MY LEFT. WENT TO RESUME FORWARD MOTION FOR THE 12 FT. OR SO TO COMPLETE PARKING AND CAR WOULDN'T MOVE. THINKING I MAY HAVE ACCIDENTALLY SHIFTED THE LEVER INTO NEUTRAL, I WORKED IT THROUGH FORWARD AND REVERSE GEARS TO NO AVAIL. I WAS STYMIED SINCE UNTIL THAT TIME THE CAR HAD WORKED FLAWLESSLY. WENT THROUGH GEARSHIFT POSITIONS AGAIN. AGAIN NOTHING. ENGINE BEGAN HESITATING WITH CAR MAKING A SURGING MOTION. FEARING A STALL I MADE SURE GEARSHIFT WAS IN NEUTRAL AND I REVVED THE ENGINE. SOMETHING ENGAGED -I CAN ONLY ASSUME IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION- AND THE CAR JERKED VIOLENTLY FORWARD ABOUT 8 FT. BEFORE I COULD STOP IT. CHECKED LEVER AGAIN AND IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. I, MY WIFE ,AND SISTER-IN-LAW HEARD SOMETHING BREAK WHEN THE CAR LURCHED. A BIT EMBARASSED,I SHOWED THEM "LOOK, IT'S IN NEUTRAL!" WHEREUPON MY WIFE SAID "A FEW MORE FEET AND YOU MIGHT HAVE HIT ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE!" SHE WAS REFERRING TO SOME PASSERSBY WALKING ON THE MEDIAN WHICH SERVED AS THE FAR LIMIT OF THE PARKING STALL AND WHICH PEOPLE USE TO WALK TO THE COFFEE HOUSE. THE CAR WAS FLATBEDDED TO HINDER LINCOLN MERCURY IN ABERDEEN. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS TRANSMISSION, MOTOR MOUNTS, AND DAMAGE TO AN AXLE. I HAD THE CAR SHIPPED HOME TO LONG ISLAND WHERE MY OWN MECHANIC REPLACED BOTH AXLES, BOTH MOUNTS, AND REBUILT THE TRANSMISSION. I AM TOLD IN ALL LIKELIHOOD THE BANG INTO GEAR DESTROYED AN ALREADY WEAK OR FAILING MOUNT AND/OR AXLE. M.. .
TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY CEASED TO OPERATE DUE TO A DEFECTIVE SUPPORT WHICH CAUSED A GASKET TO BLOW OUT AND OIL WAS SHUT OFF, CAUSING THE TRANSAXLE TO BREAK DOWN. DEALER CONTACTED AND CANNOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
FRONT AND REAR AIR SHOCKS AND STRUTS FAILED.
HEAD GASKET FAILED.
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE IT JUST STOPPED, AND IT WAS PUT INTO GEAR AND NOTHING HAPPENED, DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED AND AWARE OF A DEFECT IN CAR. THREE TIMES IN THREE MONTHS THE CAR HAS BEEN IN FOR SERVICE OF TRANSMISSION, CHIPS OF METAL WAS FOUND IN THE TRANSMISSION FLUID, TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT, PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK
TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS.
THUMPING NOISE IN FRONT END FROM DAY ONE. SEVERAL MECHANICS FOUND NO TRANSMISSION RELATED PROBLEMS. TRANSMISSION DEVELOPED LEAK AT 82,000 MILES; FLUID AND FILTER WERE REPLACED. COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 86,000 MILES.
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
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