Total Complaints
18 filings
LINCOLN CONTINENTAL · model year
1985 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL
18 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1985LINCOLNCONTINENTAL carries 18 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 10 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 1985 CONTINENTAL is electrical system:ignition:switch with 4 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (2) and engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (2). 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 1985 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.
18
Complaints
0
Crashes
10
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 |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 4 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 2 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:SHOCK ABSORBER | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:REAR:SHOCK ABSORBER | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:HYDRAULIC | 1 |
| SUSPENSION | 1 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20020305TIRES:TREAD/BELT
PE 020; WHILE TRAVELING 60MPH ON INTERSTATE AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING RIGHT REAR TIRE SEPARATED. FIRESTONE, P22570R/15. CONSUMER WILL FILL FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
20000426FireSUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM
A FAULTY AIR SUSPENSION CONTROL SYSTEM CAUSED FIRE IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT RESULTING IN TOTAL LOSS OF THE VEHICLE. YH
19990930FireSUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM
POORLY DESIGNED AIR SUSPENSION MODULE FAILED RESULTING IN VEHICLE FIRE. MODULE WAS RECALLED (85V04), BUT CONSUMERS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. *AK
19990906FireSUSPENSION
MY LINCOLN CONTINENTAL CAUGHT FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. ALL INDICATIONS ARE THAT THIS WAS CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE AIR SUSPENSION CONTOL MODULE. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL (NHTSA 85V04) TO REPLACE THIS PART ON 1985 LINCLON MANUFACTURED FROM 11/84 TO 3/85. WHEN I CALLED FORD MOTOR COMPANY'S CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER, I WAS ADVISED, ON MORE THAN ONE OCASSION, THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT A PART OF ANY RECALL. HOWEVER, I HAVE SINCE DETERMINED AND FORD'S RESEARCH GROUP HAS CONFIRMED THAT MY VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED ON 3/6/85. THIS INDICATES TO ME THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY FAILED TO RECALL MY VEHICLE IN ERROR. THE FIRE WAS A RESULT OF THIS ERROR. MY CAR IS NOT DRIVEABLE AS A RESULT OF THE FIRE. I AM REQUESTING THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY RECTIFY THIS SITUATION BY EITHER FULLY REPAIRING MY VEHICLE OR BY REIMBURSING ME THE FULL RETAIL MARKET VALUE THAT IT WILL COST TO REPLACE THE VEHICLE (ALONG WITH ANY OTHER EXPENSES I HAVE INCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE FIRE). THE CAR IS AVAILABLE FOR EXAMINA
19980331SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:HYDRAULIC
BRAKES: LIGHT INDICATOR FOR POWER BRAKE SYSTEM RELAY REMAINS ON, INDICATING THE BRAKE PUMP IS RUNNING CONTINUOUSLY. *AK
19970821FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE CAUSED FIRE.
19970325FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
VEHICLE FIRE.
19961223SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON AND WHEN THE CAR IS STOPPED THE VEHICLE WILL LOSE BRAKES AND ROLL FOREWARD AND THE OWNERS FOOT WILL STILL BE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. *AK
19960725FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
VEHICLE FIRE. *SD
19960601SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
ANTILOCK BRAKES FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL. *SD
19960601FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE FIRE. *DSH
19960430FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
VEHICLE WAS PARKED, SAW SMOKE NEAR IGNITION SWITCH AND VENTS, UNDER THE DASH, VEHICLE COMPLETELY BURNED. *AK
19960430FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
VEHICLE WAS PARKED, SAW SMOKE NEAR IGNITION SWITCH AND VENTS, UNDER THE DASH, VEHICLE COMPLETELY BURNED. *AK
19960424FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
ELECTRICAL SHORT OR SHOCK IN THE VEHICLE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE. *AK
19951109SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING
DRIVER'S SEAT BELT FAILED TWICE. *SKD
19950508SUSPENSION:FRONT:SHOCK ABSORBER
THE FRONT AND REAR SHOCK WHEN CAR IS PARK SHOCK ARE DOWN WHEN DRIVING COME BACK UP. TT
19950508SUSPENSION:REAR:SHOCK ABSORBER
THE FRONT AND REAR SHOCK WHEN CAR IS PARK SHOCK ARE DOWN WHEN DRIVING COME BACK UP. TT
19950228ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
VEHICLE STALLS OUT WITH NO WARNING AT ANY GIVEN TIME. TT
Compare 1985LINCOLNCONTINENTAL to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1985 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL have?▼
The 1985 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL has 18 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 10 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1985 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL?▼
The most-complained component for the 1985 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE.
Is the 1985 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.