Total Complaints
1 filings
LINCOLN CONTINENTAL · model year
1981 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL
1 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1981LINCOLNCONTINENTAL carries 1 consumer safety complaint in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1981 CONTINENTAL is fuel system, gasoline:fuel injection system with 1 filings. Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 2 investigation files overlapping the 1981 CONTINENTAL. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
1
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20000204FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
VEHICLE WOULD START UP INTERMITTENTLY. NOTICED A LOSS OF FUEL WHILE DRIVING. CHECKED RELAY, AND TRACED IT BACK TO THE GAS TANK. THERE WAS AN EXPOSED WIRE IN THE GAS TANK. IF WIRES CAME LOOSE, IT COULD START A FIRE. CONTACTED DEALER. DEALER SAID THIS WAS A NORMAL FEATURE IN ALL VEHICLES. *AK
Compare 1981LINCOLNCONTINENTAL to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1981 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL have?▼
The 1981 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL has 1 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1981 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL?▼
The most-complained component for the 1981 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 1981 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.