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Lincoln Continental VIN Number Check

Run a free NHTSA vPIC decode on a Lincoln Continental VIN to confirm the model year and engine, then see which of the 20 NHTSA recall campaigns for 1990–2020 cover that year.

VIN prefix1LN1MR

Free decode plus the NHTSA recalls for its model year. 17 characters, no I, O or Q.

Vinny, the VinNumber key mascot
Lincoln Continental

About the Lincoln Continental

Lincoln sold the Continental in the US for model years 1990–2020. Across those years NHTSA lists 20 vehicle recall campaigns and 1,388 owner complaints. The 1991 has the most complaints of any model year (203). EPA rates it at 18–21 mpg combined. A free VIN decode gives you NHTSA vPIC’s record for the car (model year, engine, plant) and the NHTSA recalls for its model year. It won’t show theft, flood or lemon-law history.

US model years1990–2020
EPA classLarge Cars
NHTSA recall campaigns20
Owner complaints1,388 at NHTSA
Lincoln Continental photographed at a US vehicle auction
Auction lot photo, for illustration
Generations

Lincoln Continental at a glance

One generation in the data, 1990–2020: 20 NHTSA recall campaigns and 1,388 owner complaints.

1 / 1
Continental
1990–2020Large Cars
Lincoln Continental (1990–2020)

Photo: Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

1990199520002005201020152020
1990–2020

Lincoln Continental

EPA classLarge Cars
EPA combined mpg18–21
NHTSA recalls20

Engines (EPA)

  • 3.8 L 6-cyl · 1990–1994
  • 4.6 L 8-cyl · 1995–2002
  • 2.7 L 6-cyl (turbo) · 2017–2020
  • 3.0 L 6-cyl (turbo) · 2017–2020
  • 3.7 L 6-cyl · 2017–2020

Drive & transmission (EPA)

  • AWD/4WD, FWD
  • automatic (1990–2002, 2017–2020)

Known issues to check

Engine and cooling (402)Suspension (241)Electrical system (167)3 high-risk recall campaigns

Mentions in 1,388 NHTSA complaints.

Sample VIN pattern · Continental1LNCM974?MY······NHTSA vPIC decodes it as a 1991 Lincoln Continental Executive, built in Wixom, Michigan
Check a Continental VIN

Sources: EPA · NHTSA · vPIC

NHTSA campaign data

Which Continental model years each recall covers

NHTSA data

NHTSA has 20 campaigns on file for Continental model years 1990–2020, and the 1994 shows up in more of them than any other year (5), ahead of the 1993 (4). Move the line to your model year to see which apply.

1994
Air bag inflator, fire risk or do-not-drive/park-outside advisorySafety recallCanada only
Pick a row
What to ask

Source: NHTSA recall database, vehicle campaigns only; row text is NHTSA’s summary. A listed year does not mean every car is covered, so check the VIN.

Canada rows: Transport Canada recalls database. Transport Canada recalls that match an NHTSA campaign are folded into that row by VinNumber.net; rows with the Canadian flag have no NHTSA match. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada · Transport Canada.

Owner reports · NHTSA complaints

What Lincoln Continental owners report

Owner summaries + NHTSA data

Complaints peak with the 1991 (203 of 1,388). Tap any bar or generation.

1,388NHTSA complaints, 1990–2020
71mention a crash
60mention a fire
69injuries reported
Owner complaints by model yearContinental: 1,388 complaints · most for the 1991 (203)

Top complaint areas · Continental

Mentions in 1,388 complaints, 1990–2020.

Engine and cooling402
Suspension241
Electrical system167
Powertrain (transmission, driveline)151
Brakes147
Structure and body127
Crashes 71Fires 60Injuries 69

1990–2020

NHTSA data summary

The 1991 is the outlier. On its own it has 203 of the ’s 1,388 complaints (15%), more than any other Continental model year, and owners across the generation name engine and cooling most often (402 mentions), then suspension (241).

What Continental owners report across recent generations

Owner summary

2017–2020 (10th generation)

Owner data is thin, with at most about 75 NHTSA complaints a year and about a dozen CarComplaints reports. Most NHTSA owners of the 2017 describe the electronic door latches, with doors that will not open from inside or outside and a few that opened while driving, and Lincoln Forums owners report the same stuck doors. CarComplaints lists seats wearing out for 2017, a deep sleep warning and loud road noise for 2018, and a door that will not open for 2020. Lincoln ended the Continental after 2020. Recalls cover door latch motors on 2017–2019 models and driver air bags on some 2017 models. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

What to check before buying

  • Run the VIN through the NHTSA recall lookup and confirm the door latch recall on 2017 to 2019 cars was completed.
  • Open and close every door from inside and outside several times, including with the manual release, and ask whether any latch has been replaced.
  • On the drive, listen for road noise and check the power seats and battery warnings.
Sources (5) and method
Sources:
  1. NHTSA recalls and owner complaints, 2017 Lincoln Continental
  2. CarComplaints.com, 2017 Lincoln Continental problems
  3. CarComplaints.com, 2018 Lincoln Continental problems
  4. CarComplaints.com, 2020 Lincoln Continental problems
  5. Lincoln Forums thread, 2017 Continental driver door will not open

Counts: NHTSA complaints file, records to October 1, 2026, one count per complaint; areas are NHTSA component groups.

Owner summary updated September 25, 2026.

Owner complaints · by model year

Continental complaint breakdown by model year

NHTSA data

Every Continental version is counted together. Tap a year to see its top systems.

1,388complaints, 1990–2020
71mention a crash
60mention a fire
69injuries reported
5complaints report a death
Most complaints: 1991 (203), 1994 (190), 1990 (158)
158’90203’91190’94’95’00’20

1991 · 203 complaints

Crashes 6 · fires 19 · injuries 8 · complaints reporting a death 1

Engine and engine cooling56
Suspension44
Power train41
Service brakes35
Structure23

Systems as NHTSA names them; a complaint can list several. Source: NHTSA complaints data, records to October 1, 2026.

EPA fuel economy & emissions

Continental CO₂, smog rating and yearly fuel cost

EPA data

EPA lists 35 Continental versions for model years 1990–2020. The lowest tailpipe CO₂ is 422 g/mi (2017). Pick a model year and powertrain to see each version.

Continental1990–2020

18–21 mpg · CO₂ 422–494 g/mi

2020
21combined MPG
424CO₂ grams per mile (tailpipe)
$3,200EPA yearly fuel cost
5/10Smog rating
1 = worst · 10 = cleanest
4/10Greenhouse gas rating
California LEV-III ULEV70 · Federal Tier 3 Bin 70Emission standard
Cleanest gas version of 2020: Continental FWD · Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 2.7 L, Turbo — 21 MPG · 424 g/mi
Best (lowest) CO₂ by model year
35040045050055019901995200020052010201520201990 · Gas: 4681991 · Gas: 4941992 · Gas: 4941993 · Gas: 4941994 · Gas: 4681995 · Gas: 4941996 · Gas: 4941997 · Gas: 4941998 · Gas: 4941999 · Gas: 4942000 · Gas: 4942001 · Gas: 4942002 · Gas: 4942017 · Gas: 4222018 · Gas: 4242019 · Gas: 4242020 · Gas: 424
Gas

Annual fuel cost is EPA’s estimate at its current fuel-price assumptions (15,000 miles a year, 55% city driving), so older years are priced at today’s fuel prices. Smog rating and emission standard can differ by sales area (federal vs. California); both are shown. Greenhouse-gas ratings start with the 2013 model year. Source: fueleconomy.gov.

Compare rivals

Continental vs Mercedes-Benz E-Class vs BMW 5 Series

NHTSA + EPA data

Take 1990–2020. NHTSA lists 20 recall campaigns for the Continental, against 82 for the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and 74 for the BMW 5 Series. Pick a range to compare.

Lincoln Continental

Model years 1990–2020

NHTSA recall campaigns
20
NHTSA owner complaints
1,388
EPA combined mpg
18–21
Engines (EPA)
6-cyl 2.7–3.8 L · 8-cyl 4.6 L
Also listed
turbo
Drive (EPA)
AWD/4WD, FWD

Most-reported complaint areas (NHTSA)

  1. Engine and cooling 402
  2. Suspension 241
  3. Electrical system 167

Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Model years 1990–2020

NHTSA recall campaigns
82
NHTSA owner complaints
5,247
EPA combined mpg
14–27
Engines (EPA)
4-cyl 2.0 L · 6-cyl 3.0, 3.2, 3.5 L · 8-cyl 4.0–6.3 L
Also listed
diesel, turbo, supercharged, hybrid, mild hybrid
Drive (EPA)
AWD/4WD, RWD

Most-reported complaint areas (NHTSA)

  1. Fuel system 1,876
  2. Air bags 704
  3. Electrical system 598

BMW 5 Series

Model years 1990–2020

NHTSA recall campaigns
74
NHTSA owner complaints
4,290
EPA combined mpg
15–30
Engines (EPA)
4-cyl 2.0 L · 6-cyl 2.5–3.4 L · 8-cyl 3.0–4.8 L
Also listed
turbo, hybrid, diesel, plug-in hybrid
Drive (EPA)
AWD/4WD, RWD

Most-reported complaint areas (NHTSA)

  1. Engine and cooling 1,222
  2. Air bags 951
  3. Electrical system 796

NHTSA recalls (vehicle campaigns for all powertrain versions; equipment and tire campaigns left out), complaints (not sales-adjusted) and 5-Star overall ratings for the latest year rated for all three; EPA mpg, engines and drive. Rivals: same EPA class, picked by VinNumber.net.

Lincoln Continental VIN number location

Where to find the VIN on a Continental

Tap a spot. Every location should show the same 17 characters.

Silver Lincoln Continental (tenth generation) sedan, front three-quarter view, with the VIN locations marked

Photo: Hans Haase, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped

Illustration: VinNumber.net

Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0; edited and VIN pins added by VinNumber.net

The Continental was discontinued after 2020. Its VIN appears at the lower driver's side windshield, on the door jamb sticker, and inside the trunk lid. Engine bay stamp is also present.

  1. Windshield plateRead it through the glass at the base of the driver's side windshield.
    Source: 49 CFR 565.13(f) (NHTSA): VIN inside the passenger compartment, readable through the glazing next to the left windshield pillar
  2. Door jamb labelOpen the driver's door: the certification label on the B-pillar lists the VIN.
    Source: 49 CFR 567.4 (NHTSA): certification label with VIN at the driver door hinge pillar, latch post or door edge
The title, registration and insurance card show the VIN as well. All locations should match.
FAQ

Common Lincoln Continental VIN questions

Which Lincoln Continental model years have the most owner complaints?

The 1991 leads with 203, ahead of the 1994 (190) and 1990 (158). Those first two alone make up 28% of the 1,388 Continental complaints filed with NHTSA, not adjusted for sales.

How many recalls has the Lincoln Continental had?

NHTSA’s recall records show 20 vehicle campaigns for model years 1990–2020, leaving out equipment and tire campaigns.

Which Lincoln Continental recalls are high risk?

17V-123 covers an air bag inflator module and how it deploys. NHTSA’s record names a fire risk in 97V-019 and 98V-269. Each should show as closed on a VIN check.

What fuel economy does the Lincoln Continental get?

It varies. EPA rates the 1990–2020 Continental at 18–21 mpg combined, depending on engine and drive (fueleconomy.gov).

How does the Lincoln Continental compare with the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and BMW 5 Series on recalls?

For 1990–2020 models the Continental has 20 NHTSA recall campaigns. The Mercedes-Benz E-Class has 82, the BMW 5 Series 74. Complaints run 1,388, 5,247 and 4,290 in that order, with no sales adjustment.

What crash rating does the Lincoln Continental have?

NHTSA’s 5-Star Safety Ratings give the 2020 Continental 5 stars overall. Both rated versions, FWD and AWD, get that score.

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