1988 Lincoln Continental: recalls and complaints
NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns for the 1988 Lincoln Continental. The newest campaign is 98V323000. NHTSA received the report on 16 Dec 1998. The NHTSA record gives the component Structure / Frame and Members. NHTSA has 84 complaints on file for this model year. 11 NHTSA investigations name this model year.
The NHTSA recall file shows no do-not-drive advisory and no park-outside advisory on these campaigns.
This page cannot show if a recall applies to one vehicle. The NHTSA VIN lookup shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle.
Remedy of the newest campaign, 98V323000, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will install subframe rear mount bolts, reinforcement plates, and plate nuts.
Complaint information entered into NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation vehicle owner's complaint database is used with other data sources to identify safety issues that warrant investigation and to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.
NHTSA publishes these words. Source: NHTSA Datasets and APIs, section Complaints, read on . Complaint file through . Recall file through .
Since the last update
No tracked figure of this page changed in a data update. What the log tracks
Recall campaigns
9 campaigns, newest first. 4,722,246 units in total.
- 98V323000Structure / Frame and Members
- 93V106000Structure / Frame and Members
- 91V134000Service Brakes, Hydraulic / Foundation Components / Disc / Rotor
- 89V057000Fuel System, Gasoline / Delivery / Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings
- 88V118000Electrical System / Wiring
- 88V114000Electrical System / Wiring / Front Underhood
- 88V101000Power Train / Automatic Transmission / Lever and Linkage / Column Shift
- 88V030000Suspension / Rear / Springs / Coil Springs
- 88V027000Seat Belts
98V323000Received . 2,697,000 units.
Structure / Frame and Members
- Defect, in the NHTSA record
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles originally sold or currently registered in connecticut, delaware, district of columbia, illinois, indiana, iowa, kansas, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, nebraska, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, virginia, west virgnia, and wisconsin. The rear lower subframe mount plate nut can experience stress corrosion cracking if subjected to long term exposure to road salts. This can result in fracture and loss of the structural integrity of the subframe mount attachment. Detachment of the body mounts at the rear corners of the subframe, which supports the engine and transmission, allows the rear corners of the subframe to drop.
- Consequence, in the NHTSA record
If both rear corners drop, steering would become suddenly very difficult, affecting vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will install subframe rear mount bolts, reinforcement plates, and plate nuts.
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Manufacturer campaign number 98S36. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .
93V106000Received . 1,610,000 units.
Structure / Frame and Members
- Defect, in the NHTSA record
Vehicle description: taurus and sables built from 10-14-85 through 8-19-88, and lincoln continentals built from 11-4-87 through 9-30-88 (except 1989 - 1991 2.5l taurus and 1989 - 1992 sho). The affected cars were originally sold or currently registered in the following states: connecticut, illinois, indiana, maine, massachusetts, michigan, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, and wisconsin. The body mounts at the rear corners of the subframe, which supports the engine and transmission, may become detached due to corrosion of the subframe mount retaining plate. This would allow the rear corners of the subframe to drop.
- Consequence, in the NHTSA record
If one of the rear corners drops, only minor indications of a malfunction such as a clunking noise or slight change in steering wheel alignment are noticeable. However, if both rear corners of the subframe drop, steering becomes very difficult, which could adversely affect vehicle control and possibly result in an accident.
- Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Install a corrosion-resistant reinforcing plate and a new bolt on both rear subframe mounts. This recall campaign has been superseded by recall 98v-323.
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .
91V134000Received . 325,000 units.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic / Foundation Components / Disc / Rotor
- Defect, in the NHTSA record
Front disc brake rotors of the subject vehicles may experience severe corrosion if operated in areas where calcium chloride and sodium chloride are used extensively.
- Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Severely corroded rotors may fracture or separate nearthe inner edges of the brake discs resulting in reduced braking effectiveness,higher than normal pedal efforts, loud grinding noises, and moderate pulls whenthe brakes are applied. Reduced braking effectiveness may increase minimumstopping distances, possibly resulting in an accident.
- Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Replace front brake rotors with full cast front brake rotors.
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .
89V057000Received . 5 units.
Fuel System, Gasoline / Delivery / Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings
- Defect, in the NHTSA record
Process used for connecting the gas lines was substandard.
- Consequence, in the NHTSA record
A gas leak could develop creating a fire potential.
- Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Install standard gas line compression fittings.
Report filed by A.H.A. MANUFACTURING LTD..
88V118000Received . 28,000 units.
Electrical System / Wiring
- Defect, in the NHTSA record
Electrical circuit that controls current to brake pump motor relay, heater and air conditioning blower motor, turn signals, and a electronic message center may overheat due to inability of ignition circuit wiring connections to dissipate heat generated by electrical loads.
- Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Brake pump motor will not operate, substantially reducingbraking capability; brake warning light will come on.
- Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Replace ignition switch and modify switch wiring.
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .
88V114000Received . 26,000 units.
Electrical System / Wiring / Front Underhood
- Defect, in the NHTSA record
Nylon shielded wiring harness, located in the engine compartment, is susceptible to heat damage and melting of the nylon material in 100 degree plus weather.
- Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Melted nylon shield could drip onto the exhaust manifoldand result in an underhood fire.
- Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Wrap wiring harness with heat resistant fiberglass tape.
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .
88V101000Received . 22,893 units.
Power Train / Automatic Transmission / Lever and Linkage / Column Shift
- Defect, in the NHTSA record
Transmission shift cables may not meet fords pull out load specifications for the swivel tube portion of the cable, which could allow the swivel tube to separate from the shift cable assembly.
- Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Operator would not be able to shift from one of thedrive gears into park position.
- Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Replace shift cable.
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .
88V030000Received . 8,848 units.
Suspension / Rear / Springs / Coil Springs
- Defect, in the NHTSA record
Two torsion springs attached to rear suspension control arms may fracture and rub against a rear tire.
- Consequence, in the NHTSA record
This could result in sudden loss of tire inflationpressure with potential for an accident.
- Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Install torsion spring seats to restrict the springs from contacting the tire if they should fracture.
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .
88V027000Received . 4,500 units.
Seat Belts
- Defect, in the NHTSA record
Driver and right front passenger inboard seat belts may be improperly anchored due to loose nuts that could back off.
- Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Belt anchor could disengage the stud; an unattached beltassembly would not withstand an impact load.
- Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Inboard seat belt anchorages will be corrected to prevent loosening.
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .
The campaign number opens the NHTSA record. Each quotation is the text of the NHTSA recall file.
Recall campaign: One recall in the NHTSA recall file, with one campaign number. A campaign can name many makes, models and model years.
Units: The number of vehicles or products that a recall can include. The manufacturer or the firm reports the number to the agency.
Complaints by component
84 complaints, 147 component mentions.
A complaint can name more than one component. Each component that a complaint names is one component mention. The figure per 1,000 component mentions shows how many of each 1,000 mentions name the component.
- 1988 Lincoln Continental
- All 1988 vehicles
| Component | 1988 Continental | All 1988 vehicles | Continental, all years | Mentions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 319.7 | 158.7 | 101.2 | 47 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 163.3 | 96.1 | 80.5 | 24 |
| Structure | 95.2 | 51.8 | 60.3 | 14 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 81.6 | 118.1 | 175.1 | 12 |
| Suspension | 61.2 | 29 | 112.5 | 9 |
| Steering | 61.2 | 58.9 | 59.1 | 9 |
| Power Train | 54.4 | 64.7 | 69.6 | 8 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 27.2 | 46.2 | 42.8 | 4 |
| Equipment | 27.2 | 25 | 33.5 | 4 |
| Tires | 20.4 | 32.1 | 15.6 | 3 |
The table shows the 10 components with the most mentions, of 19.
- Complaints that report a crash
- 7
- Complaints that report a fire
- 10
- Injuries in the complaints
- 2
- Deaths in the complaints
- 0
- Date of the newest complaint
- 28 Jun 2002
These figures are the entries of the persons who sent the complaints.
Complaint: A report about a possible safety problem that a person sends to NHTSA. This site shows the number of complaints and not their text.
Investigations
| Number | Type | Subject | Component | Opened | Closed | Campaign |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RQ97009 | Recall query | REAR LOWER SUBFRAME ASSEMBLY | Structure / Frame and Members | 29 Aug 1997 | 16 Feb 1999 | 93V106000 |
| DP95004 | Defect petition | ALLEGED DEFECTIVE TIE RODS | Unknown or Other | 8 Aug 1995 | 30 Aug 1995 | |
| EA94008 | Engineering analysis | BROKEN TIE RODS | Steering | 16 Feb 1994 | 27 Feb 1995 | |
| PE93058 | Preliminary evaluation | BROKEN TIE RODS | Steering | 15 Jun 1993 | 16 Feb 1994 | |
| EA92040 | Engineering analysis | SUB-FRM/UNIBODY ABSOR.FAIL | Structure | 30 Nov 1992 | 30 Jun 1993 | 93V106001 |
| PE92056 | Preliminary evaluation | SUB-FRM/UNIBODY ABSOR.FAIL | Structure | 1 Jul 1992 | 30 Nov 1992 | |
| PE92014 | Preliminary evaluation | ENGINE MOUNT FAILURE | Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 Feb 1992 | 25 Jun 1992 | |
| EA90045 | Engineering analysis | BRAKE DISC HUB SEPARATIONS | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 28 Sep 1990 | 12 Sep 1991 | 91V134001 |
| PE89157 | Preliminary evaluation | PS PUMP PULLEY BREAKS | Steering | 23 Aug 1989 | 15 Sep 1989 | |
| PE89026 | Preliminary evaluation | AIR SUSPENSION FAILURE | Suspension | 20 Dec 1988 | 12 Apr 1989 | |
| PE88100 | Preliminary evaluation | ABS FAILURE | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 6 Sep 1988 | 17 Apr 1989 |
Investigation: A study of a possible safety defect by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation with no closing date in the NHTSA file is open.
Other model years
The number under each year is the number of recall campaigns.
Official channels
- NHTSA VIN lookupNHTSA shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle from its VIN or its license plate.
- NHTSA: report a safety problemThe NHTSA form for a complaint about a vehicle, a tire, a child seat or equipment.
- NHTSA page of the 1988 Lincoln ContinentalThe recalls, the complaints and the investigations that NHTSA shows for this model year.
Cite this page
Recall Register. 1988 Lincoln Continental: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/lincoln/continental/1988/. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall, complaint and investigation files. Data through .
Sources
- Source
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
- Licence
- US government work, public domain
- Recall file through
- 30 Sep 2026
- Complaint file through
- 30 Sep 2026
- First complaint in the file
- 1 Jan 1995
- Manufacturer in the recall file
- FORD MOTOR COMPANY
The NHTSA record is the authority. A complaint count is the number of different complaint numbers for the make, the model and the model year. How the register is made. Report an error.
Questions
- How many units are in the recall campaigns for the 1988 Lincoln Continental?
- 4,722,246 units in 9 campaigns. A campaign can name other models and model years, and its units include them.
- How many recall campaigns does the Lincoln Continental have for all model years?
- NHTSA lists 46 recall campaigns for the Lincoln Continental, model years 1969 to 2020. 9 of them name the 1988 model year.
- Which component do the complaints about the 1988 Lincoln Continental name most often?
- Electrical System: 47 of 147 component mentions, or 319.7 per 1,000. For all 1988 vehicles the figure is 158.7 per 1,000.
- Is an NHTSA investigation of the 1988 Lincoln Continental open?
- No. Each of the 11 investigations that name this model year has a closing date in the NHTSA file.