2017 Lincoln Continental: problems, recalls and reliability
4 recalls and 74 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is latches/locks/linkages (23% of complaints); the 2018 and 2019 model years look more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Aug 2022
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 74 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Doors open while driving , happened 4 times in the last month . Back right door and drivers door 2 occasions on both doors . On line it says all Lincoln Continentals from 2017 2018 and 2019 were recalled and there telling me mine is not on the recall . This is a very dangerous situation this is my wives car and she does not like driving it anymore .”Owner report · Structure · Mar 2026
“The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln Continental. The contact was unable to open the rear doors after several attempts. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V077000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 95,000.”Owner report · Latches/Locks/Linkages · Feb 2026
“My car has had 1 or all 4 of the outside door latches fail for 3-4 times now over its lifetime. Only under warranty for 10 years or 100k miles. Very expensive repair, at $1500 for 1 latch, or $5500 for all 4. This is almost the value of the whole car now. This happens to ALL Lincoln Continentals and is very infamous & common for them & should be a lifetime recall warranty item for safety. Also, both Catalytic convertor show to be failing within 150k-165k miles which is way too soon. And another very expensive fix.”Owner report · Engine · Jan 2026
Show 7 more owner reports
“antifreeze mix with oil , now my motor is bad only had care for 8 months , coolant system ran hot all of a sudden , warning light of overheating stopped asap and had car towed, first appearence on 09/28”Owner report · Engine · Sep 2025
“Rear passenger door will not open. Lincoln has active recalls on other VINs but mine is not included. I ask that mine be included. My door will occasionally pop open, but the most common problem is the handle will not engage from the outside. My Lincoln has the door handle on the trim piece. This is a common recall but my car is not included. It needs to be as not being able to open a door or it randomly opening poses threat or harm to myself and my family.”Owner report · Electrical System · Feb 2025
“The front right door does not close. The door swings open and does not latch creating a safety issue for the passenger riding in the front seat. My car is presently at planet ford in houston texas where they are charging me $2000 for the repair, which I feel is not my fault for this defective issue. This problem did occur earlier but we were able to correct it by clicking the lock. That is no longer working for us, so we took it in for repairs.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Feb 2025
“Door latch failed and will not unlock the front passenger door. Dangerous situation if the battery dies. Similar recall but Lincoln said there's nothing they can do only 2019 was recalled for that. Would not make an exception. Dealer was surprised and advised me to report.”Owner report · Electrical System · Sep 2024
“The driver side rear passenger door would not latch closed and had to be secured to drive to dealer through the use of a seat belt through the inside door handle. This occurred at approximately 79,000 miles. This repair was not covered by dealer. This was a latch and motor repair of $1,000, also caused an expense of an additional $550 to me of a rental car as dealer did not get a part for 6 days. Lincoln Concierge could care less, just awful customer relations from Ford/Lincoln.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jun 2024
“The driver side passenger door handle failed and would not open from the outside. This occurred at approximately 75,003 miles. This repair was just outside my extended vehicle warranty.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jan 2024
“The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln Continental. The contact stated that he noticed there was corrosion under the trunk lid, down the left side, and at the top. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who confirmed that there was corrosion on the trunk aluminum. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the Warranty had expired. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.”Owner report · Structure · Sep 2023
When filing, owners marked a crash in 1 of these complaints and injuries in 1 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 4 campaigns
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2017 Lincoln Continental vehicles manufactured June 14, 2016, to September 23, 2016 and equipped with high intensity discharge (HID) headlights. The headlights may have been built with incorrect lenses, adversely affecting the turn signal visibility as well as not being properly marked. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Assoc. Equipment."
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the headlights, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 16, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16C15.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Lincoln Continental vehicles. The door latch pawl motors may not function properly, possibly resulting in a door latch not fully engaging.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the latch assemblies on all four doors, free of charge. The recall began October 14, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S03.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles and 2017 Lincoln Continental vehicles. In the event of a crash, the driver's frontal air bag may not fully inflate or the air bag cushion may detach from the air bag module. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began June 16, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17C02.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2020 F-Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, and 2017-2020 Lincoln Continental vehicles equipped with the 360-degree camera system. Degradation of the camera's anit-reflective lens coating can lead to a foggy or cloudy rearview camera image.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 14, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S51.
How other years compare
Check your exact Continental by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2017 Lincoln Continental reliable?
NHTSA has 74 owner complaints and 4 recall campaigns on record for the 2017 Lincoln Continental. The most complained-about area is latches/locks/linkages (23% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2017 Lincoln Continental problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 50,000 miles or less.
Does the 2017 Lincoln Continental have open recalls?
4 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning exterior lighting:headlights. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.