Total Complaints
14 filings
LINCOLN CONTINENTAL · model year
1987 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL
14 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1987LINCOLNCONTINENTAL carries 14 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 3 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 1987 CONTINENTAL is power train:automatic transmission with 2 filings, followed by electrical system:wiring:interior/under dash (2) and electrical system:ignition (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 1987 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.
14
Complaints
0
Crashes
3
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 |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 2 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM | 2 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20011102SUSPENSION:FRONT
FRONT WHEELS AND TIRES ARE NOT ABLE TO CLEAR THE WHEEL-WELL, RESULTING IN FULL TURNING RADIAUS FAILURE. THERE IS A CONVERSION KIT TO CHANGE THE SUSPENSION FROM AIR-RIDE TO GIL SPRINGS, IF NOT CHANGED THERE IS A PONTENTIAL ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN.
20011101POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 25 MPH WHEN I NOTICED THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPING. I DROVE HOME ABOUT 5 MILES. KNOWING A LITTLE ABOUT CARS I LIFTED THE HOOD TO CHECK THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. THE LEVEL WAS FINE BUT THE FLUID LOOKED A LITTLE DARK TO ME. I SMELLED THE FLUID AND IT SMELLED BURNT. THE TRANSMISSION HAD BEEN FINE UP TO THAT POINT SO I LOOKED AROUND TO SEE IF I COULD SEE ANYTHING ELSE WRONG. I NOTICED THAT THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL CABLE THAT ATTACHES TO THE THROTTLE WAS HANGING LOOSE. I TOOK OUT MY SHOP MANUAL AND COPIED THE PAGE WITH THE LINKAGE ON IT AND WENT TO A LINCOLN DEALER. I BOUGHT THE $1 PLASTIC PART THAT HOLDS THE LINKAGE ON AND RETURNED HOME. I REATTACHED THE LINKAGE AND HAPPILY DROVE OFF THINKING NO BIG DEAL. THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED FINE FROM FIRST TO SECOND BUT WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO THIRD OR FOURTH. I CALLED A TRANSMISSION SHOP AND EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM. HE KNEW RIGHT AWAY WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND TOLD ME THAT MY TRANSMISSION WAS RUINED. HE EXPLAINED WHY AND I HAD NO DOUBT THAT
20010828ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
THE IGNITION MODULE ON VEHICLE BECAME INOPERATIVE, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL AS CONSUMER WAS DRIVING, THE IGNITION MODULE FAILED DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT, ITS LOCATION BEING ON THE DISTRIBUTOR.*YD
19971030SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM
WHILE DRIVING, RIGHT FRONT AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM FELL DOWN ON RIGHT TIRE; ALMOST CAUSED VEHICLE TO TURN OVER, DEALER REPLACING AIR SUSPENSION. SYSTEM. VARIOUS SPEEDS.*AK
19970423SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM
FAILURE OF AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM. VEHICLE RIDES ON AXLE ; HARD STEERING AND ROUGH RIDING. VEHICLE REPAIRED BUT HAS BEEN IN FOR SAME PROBLEM SEVERAL TIMES. *AK
19960807ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
WHEN TURNING ON THE VEHICLE, THE IGNITION SWITCH CAUSES THE ABS TO GO OUT AS WELL AS THE AIR CONDITIONING.AK
19960807SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
WHEN TURNING ON THE VEHICLE, THE IGNITION SWITCH CAUSES THE ABS TO GO OUT AS WELL AS THE AIR CONDITIONING.AK
19960807EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
WHEN TURNING ON THE VEHICLE, THE IGNITION SWITCH CAUSES THE ABS TO GO OUT AS WELL AS THE AIR CONDITIONING.AK
19960807ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
WHEN TURNING ON THE VEHICLE, THE IGNITION SWITCH CAUSES THE ABS TO GO OUT AS WELL AS THE AIR CONDITIONING.AK
19960422FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
DURING THE AM HOURS SMOKE ENTERED THE HOUSE THROUGH THE GARAGE AND BURNED IT DOWN. *AK
19960418FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
VEHICLE WAS PARKED, COMPARTMENT FIRE UNDER THE DASH, ELECTRICAL SHORT. *AK
19960418FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
VEHICLE WAS PARKED, COMPARTMENT FIRE UNDER THE DASH, ELECTRICAL SHORT. *AK
19950606VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
TURNED ON IGNITION TO START VEHICLE AND IT ACCELERATED AT HIGH SPEED, THE ONLY WAY TO STOP WAS TO TURN OFF THE IGNITION. TT
19950606POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION SLIPS INTO 1ST GEAR. *AK
Compare 1987LINCOLNCONTINENTAL to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1987 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL have?▼
The 1987 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL has 14 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 3 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1987 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL?▼
The most-complained component for the 1987 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL is POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION.
Is the 1987 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.