RoadVitals

1997 Lincoln Continental Visibility Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the visibility system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Visibility reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
15
Latest Jan 30, 2006
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
16%
of 96 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Lincoln Continental submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 15 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.

Owner reports naming visibility

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Visibility
Filed Jan 30, 2006

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE REAR VIEW MIRROR FAILED TO DIM AUTOMATICALLY. THE MIRROR IS SUPPOSED TO PREVENT GLARE FROM THE OTHER VEHICLES' LIGHTS. THE MIRROR FAILED DUE TO UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES THE FIRST TIME. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE REAR VIEW MIRROR. THE SECOND MIRROR FAILED BECAUSE THE LIQUID IN THE MIRROR LEAKED OUT. THE REAR VIEW MIRROR WAS REPLACED AGAIN. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED A THIRD TIME AND THE MIRROR WAS REPLACED. ALTHOUGH THE PROBLEM HAD OCCURRED A FOURTH TIME THE MIRROR HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED. UPDATED 2/21/2006 - *NM

NHTSA ID
10149027
Incident
Sep 1, 2005
Mileage
42,800 mi
Visibility
Filed Jun 28, 2005

DT: THE WINDOWS IN THE VEHICLE WILL NOT ROLL DOWN. THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE IS AT DEALER NOW, AND THEY CAN'T GET WINDOWS DOWN.. DEALER SAID IT NEEDED A ROTOR CUP. THIS HAPPENS EVERY WEEK WITH THE WINDOWS NOT WORKING PROPERLY.*AK

NHTSA ID
10126802
Incident
Jun 27, 2005
Mileage
53,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Sep 24, 2004

REARVIEW MIRROR WAS DARK AND CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO SEE. MIRROR HAD AN AUTOMATIC DIMMER PROCESS IN WHICH THE MATERIAL FADED INTO THE MIRROR. THIS CAUSED POOR VISIBILITY. CONSUMER DRIVE VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND MECHANIC INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT ON RECALL, AND WARRANTY EXPIRED. CONSUMER HAD TO PAY FOR PARTS AND LABOR. *AK

NHTSA ID
10094314
Incident
Sep 24, 2004
Visibility
Filed Nov 19, 2003

1997 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL REAR VIEW MIRROR IS DEFECTIVE.*MR WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS SITTING ON A SUNNY DAY THE SELF DIMMING REARVIEW MIRROR EXPLODED AND SPATTERED A CORROSIVE LIQUID ONTO THE DASH, CENTER CONSOLE AND BOTH FRONT SEATS. THE DEALER REPLACED ALL DAMAGED COMPONENTS. ABOUT TWO YEARS LATER THE MIRROR FAILED AGAIN (31000 MILES). THIS TIME THE LIQUID IN THE MIRROR GATHERED AT THE BOTTOM WHICH MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE. THE MIRROR FAILED FOR A THIRD TIME. THIS TIME THE LIQUID LEAKED FROM THE BOTTOM RIGHT HAND CORNER. THE DEALER REFUSED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE AT NO COST BECAUSE HE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE (THE DAUGHTER WROTE IN ON BEHALF OF HER MOTHER). *NLM

NHTSA ID
10048488
Incident
Sep 17, 1999
Mileage
27,226 mi
Visibility
Filed Oct 16, 2003

A PART IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR RUPTURED, CAUSING A SUBSTANCE TO LEAK . REAR VIEW MIRROR BECAME FOGGY WITH IMMEDIATE FAILURE OF VISIBILITY TO THE DRIVER. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHO COULD NOT SPECIFY ORIGIN OF PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID
10044092
Visibility
Filed Jul 13, 2003

THE 1997 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL'S REVIEW MIRROR HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES NOW. IT IS JULY, 2003, AND THE $400.00 MIRROR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. IT'S FOGGING UP, LOOKS LIKE CONDENSTATION BEHIND THE GLASS ON THE MIRROR. CANNOT SEE OUT OF THE MIRROR. THIRD TIME. THIS IS UNREASONABLE.*AK

NHTSA ID
10026014
Incident
Jul 9, 2003
Visibility
Filed Jun 20, 2003

REAR VIEW MIRROR IS PEELING AND BECOMES INOPERABLE, OBSTRUCTING THE DRIVER'S VIEW. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

NHTSA ID
10024612
Incident
Jun 20, 2003
Visibility
Filed Mar 31, 2003

THE REAR VIEW MIRROR BECAME CLOUDED, WHICH CAUSED POOR VISIBILITY. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THE PROBLEM MAY BE CAUSED BY THE FLUID IN THE MIRROR WHICH WAS SUPPOSE TO BLOCK GLARE. *JB

NHTSA ID
10014722
Incident
Mar 31, 2001
Mileage
100,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Oct 22, 2002

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE 2 MAP LIGHT LOCATED INSIDE OFF THE INTERIOR REAR VIEW MIRROR, SHORTED OUT,CAUSING THE MIRROR TO CLOUD UP. DRIVER UNABLE TO SEE OUT OFF THE MIRROR. MR

NHTSA ID
8021357
Incident
Oct 8, 2002
Visibility
Filed Sep 11, 2002

ORIGINAL MIRROR WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER, WHEN THE REPLACEMENT MIRROR FAILED ONE YEAR AND ONE MONTH LATER THE DEALER HAS REFUSED TO REPLACE IT. EVEN THOUGH HE ADMITS THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE DESIGN OF THIS MIRROR THE REPLACEMENT HAS ONLY A ONE YEAR WARRANTY .THE MANUFACTURER NOW PLACES THE BURDEN ON ME TO CONTINUE TO REPLACE THE MIRROR AS IT FAILS, EVEN WHEN THEY KNOW THE MIRROR IS OF A BAD DESIGN. WHEN THE MIRROR FAILS IT IS MOST DIFFICULT TO SEE INTO IT .*AK

NHTSA ID
767007
Incident
Feb 20, 2001
Visibility
Filed Oct 5, 2001

LIQUID FILLED REAR VIEW MIRROR HAS BECOME SO DISTORTED YOU CANNOT SEE OUT OF IT.

NHTSA ID
785712
Incident
Jul 1, 2001
Visibility
Filed Jul 12, 2001

A MUSKY ODOR WAS COMING THROUGH VENTILATION SYSTEM WITHIN MINUTES AFTER STARTING VEHICLE. VEHICLE BEEN INTO DEALER SHOP ON FOUR OCCASIONS, AND UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER.*AK

NHTSA ID
892633
Incident
Jan 1, 2000
Visibility
Filed Oct 8, 2000

POOR VISIBILITY WITH REAR VIEW MIRROR. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED OF COST TO CONSUMER IF REPLACEMENT WAS REQUESTED. *AK

NHTSA ID
872543
Incident
Sep 24, 2000
Visibility
Filed Jun 12, 2000

REARVIEW MIRROR HAS DEVELOPED A LEAK WITHIN THE MIRROR HOUSING, LEAKING OIL ONTO THE DASH. ALSO THE OIL WAS VERY HOT. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID
863384
Visibility
Filed Sep 23, 1998

REARVIEW MIRROR IS DISTORTED. THE DRIVER CANNOT LOOK THROUGH THE MIRROR. THE DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. A NEW MIRROR HAS BEEN ORDERED. *AK

NHTSA ID
828144
Incident
Sep 21, 1998

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .