Total Complaints
8 filings
LINCOLN CONTINENTAL · model year
1986 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL
8 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1986LINCOLNCONTINENTAL carries 8 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 2 fires, 2 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 1986 CONTINENTAL is seats:front assembly:recliner with 2 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components (1) and fuel system, gasoline:delivery (1). 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 1986 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.
8
Complaints
2
Crashes
2
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
2 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 |
|---|---|
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:HYDRAULIC | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20061103SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:HYDRAULIC
I OWN A 1986 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL THAT HAS A RECALL LISTED FOR THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES, 86V109000. THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE PUMP HAS FAILED AND MIDAS TOLD ME ABOUT THIS RECALL AND SAID I SHOULD HAVE FORD FIX IT. I WENT TO SCHAUMBURG LINCOLN MERCURY IN SCHAUMBURG, ILLINOIS - AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NO RECALL. I CALLED FORD DIRECTLY AND THEY DENIED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL. YET, ON THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY SAFETY ADMIN SIGHT THE RECALL FORD NOW DENIES EXISTS, IS IN FACT LISTED. MY VEHICLE HAS HAD THE FUEL SYSTEM RECALL REPAIRED, WHICH FORD ADMITS, BUT NEVER BRAKE RECALL LISTED HEREIN. I WOULD LIKE FORD TO REPAIR/REPLACE THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE PUMP & RELAYS. *JB
Mileage: 90,000
19980730FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. CAUSE UNKNOWN.
19960711SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
SEAT BELT BUCKLE STUCK, UNABLE TO RELEASE SEAT BELT. *SD
19951116CrashSEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
SEATBACK CONSISTED OF A STAMPED METAL FRAME WITH OPENING IN CENTER AND NO SUPPORTIVE STRUCTURE, DRIVER FELL THROUGH IT UPON IMPACT, RESULTING IN INJURY. *AK
19950902SUSPENSION:FRONT
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND THE FRONT SUSPENSION WENT OUT THERE WAS NO WARNING . TT
19950504FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY
FUEL LINE FIRE OCCURED AFTER SMELLING GASOLINE. *SKD
19950313CrashSEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BACK BROKE DURING ACCIDENT DRIVER WENT THROUGH THE SEAT. TT
19950112SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BRAKING MECHANISM HAS FAILED. TT
Compare 1986LINCOLNCONTINENTAL to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1986 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL have?▼
The 1986 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL has 8 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 2 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1986 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL?▼
The most-complained component for the 1986 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL is SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS and FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY.
Is the 1986 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.