Most common 1999 Lincoln Continental problems
Share of the 42 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Lincoln Continental complaints by model year
Best Continental years: 2020, 2018, 2019. Years to avoid: 2017, 1997. Compare all years →
1999 Lincoln Continental recalls (2)
Air bags › Frontal
On certain passenger vehicles, the driver and/or passenger side air bag could deploy as a result of underbody impacts near the sensors, such as those occurring from pieces of gravel or debris thrown from the wheels while the vehicle is being operated at moderate to high speed or being accelerated.
Remedy: Dealers will recalibrate the air bag sensors. Owner notification began March 31, 2003. Owners May contact Lincoln at 1-800-521-4140.
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The fuel rail crossover hose was damaged during fuel rail assembly allowing fuel leakage.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel rail with a revised fuel rail assembly.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 1999 Lincoln Continental:
Inadvertent side air bag deployment
There is no summary currently available
Inadvertent side air bag deployment
On April 9, 2003, odi received from Ford an owner letter and dealer notice, both dated March 2003.the owner letter states that Ford will conduct a product improvement campaign of certain my 1999-2000 Lincoln continental vehicles equipped with side air bags (all my 1999 vehicles and my 2000 vehicles manufactured prior to 3/1/00; total of approximately 42,000 vehicles).the letter states that the side air bags in these…
What 1999 Lincoln Continental owners say
Suspension
My 1999 Lincoln Continental has a broken front coil spring that snapped while the car was sitting in my car port with no one near it. The broken coil spring also broke some plastic linkage part that is hanging down and punctured a brand new tire and the "air bag" light is also showing on the dashboard now. I know there was a recall for this spring problem #04s17 but Ford says that the recall does not include the Lincoln. This car only has 43K on it, thank god no one was driving it when this happened, this is obviously a safety defect. I will have to have the vehicle towed and repaired at my own expense according to the Lincoln dealer.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Lincoln Continental. The contact was driving at 45 MPH when the front driver side tire failed. The vehicle was towed to a local mechanic who performed a diagnostic and located the failure at the front tie rod and ball joint, the mechanic advised that the components had failed, causing the tire to wear prematurely and split in half. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current mileage was 135,000.
Air bags
Dt: the caller sai while wife driving 55-60 MPH side/curtain airbag on the passenger's side deployed. Dealer said a rock might have hit the sensor and made it deploy. Manufacturer said they could offer no help for free. The caller said there was a safety update 03i44000 in 2003, not a recall concerning crash sensor.
Consumer was traveling about 40mph on highway and a very loud noise came from side, passenger's side eairbag exploded. Also, there was smoke inside of vehicle, powder was everywhere. There were no injuries. Consumer could not get any help from the manufacturer due to dealer found a very small dent under the passenger side of vehicle and stated that the deployment was justified.
Brakes
[redacted] vehicle impounded in austin texas was not able to get back.
While driving brake pedal goes completely to the floor, and vehicle is difficult to stop.
1999 Lincoln Continental engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 15 / 23 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Large car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1999 Lincoln Continental a good car?
Based on 42 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1999 Continental rates average: 37% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Continental at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1999 Lincoln Continental?
The suspension — 12 complaints, 29% of all complaints for this model year, most often about front › springs › coil springs. Next are the air bags (9) and brakes (5).
How many recalls does the 1999 Lincoln Continental have?
There are 2 recalls for the 1999 Lincoln Continental, the most recent from April 9, 2003 (frontal). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Lincoln Continental?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2020, 2018 and 2019. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2017 and 1997. See the full Lincoln Continental years comparison.
At what mileage do 1999 Lincoln Continental problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 90,000 miles; 16% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.