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The worst 1990 Lincoln Continental problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine40
- Suspension28
- Seat belts25
- Steering20
- Electrical18
- Acceleration14
- Body14
- Transmission12
- Airbags10
- Visibility9
- Brakes8
- Fuel system5
- Lights2
- Locks1
- Tires1
Specific symptoms reported on the 1990 Lincoln Continental
Seat belt 15Ball joint 9Fire or smoke 8Airbag light 5Overheating 5
Recalls 3
Structure: frame and members
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles originally sold or currently registered in connecticut, delaware, district of columbia, illinois, indiana, iowa, kansas, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, nebraska, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, virginia, west virgnia, and wisconsin. The rear lower subframe mount plate nut can experience stress corrosion cracking if subjected to long term exposure to road salts. This can result in fracture and loss of the structural integrity of the subframe mount attachment. Detachment of the body mounts at the rear corners of the subframe, which supports the engine and transmission, allows the rear corners of the subframe to drop.
- Risk
- If both rear corners drop, steering would become suddenly very difficult, affecting vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install subframe rear mount bolts, reinforcement plates, and plate nuts.
Recall number 98V323000 · Recall details
Seat belts: front: buckle assembly
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The front outboard seating position seat belt buckles may not latch or unlatch.
- Risk
- These conditions could reduce seat belt usage increasing the risk of personal injury in the event of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the front outboard seat belt buckle assemblies.
Recall number 97V174000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: rotor
- What is wrong
- Front disc brake rotors of the subject vehicles may experience severe corrosion if operated in areas where calcium chloride and sodium chloride are used extensively.
- Risk
- Severely corroded rotors may fracture or separate nearthe inner edges of the brake discs resulting in reduced braking effectiveness,higher than normal pedal efforts, loud grinding noises, and moderate pulls whenthe brakes are applied. Reduced braking effectiveness may increase minimumstopping distances, possibly resulting in an accident.
- Remedy
- Replace front brake rotors with full cast front brake rotors.
Recall number 91V134000 · Recall details
See all 3 recalls for the 1990 Lincoln Continental
Defect investigations
Faulty seat belt buckles
Complaints allege an inability to latch seat belt buckles, and inadvertent unlatching of the seat belt buckle.
EA95033
Alleged defective tie rods
Alleged defective tie rods
DP95004
Broken tie rods
There is no summary currently available
EA94008
Broken tie rods
There is no summary currently available
PE93058
Sub-frm/unibody absor.fail
There is no summary currently available
EA92040
Engine mount failure
There is no summary currently available
PE92014
Technical service bulletins for the 1990 Lincoln Continental 48
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Transfer service tips for the front wiper motor mount bracket and depressed park output arm
- Some vehicles may exhibit heater core leaks
- Information regarding transmission fluid usage charts
- This information is a supplement to the wiper system service information provided in the workshop manuals
- Information regarding the new transmission cooler flusher- service tip
- Subject on a wire harness terminal repair kit available for repairing electrical wiring harnesses
- Information on identifying non-approved / alternate refrigerants which could cause safety, and performance...
- Information on the new flush and fill tool available through rotunda
- Experiencing a whine / buzz type noise in the speakers of the entertainment radio or two-way radio on...
- Ford motor company now recommends sae 5W-30 viscosity grade for servicing any ford gasoline-powered...
1990 Lincoln Continental fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.8L 6‑cyl | FWD | 16 | 23 | 19 |
What 1990 Lincoln Continental owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
While driving under normal driving conditions driver's side air bag deployed without the vehicle being impacted. When the air bag deployed it shattered the driver's glasses, reducing his visibility. As a result, vehicle swerved to the right, went up and embankment 20 feet, and landed 70 feet down the road. Driver sustained serious burns to back, neck and hand. The emergency medical service (ems) had to peel the air bag off the driver's face, neck, and hand.
I purchased a 1990 lincoln continental in december 2002, and noticed that driving on the highway, the engine revs very high and the transmission does not engage the overdrive. I also noticed that shifting from reverse to drive or drive to rverse, there is a delay in the transmission engaging the appropriate gear. Before I decided to take my car to a dealer to get the transmission repaired, I checked the fluid to ensure that the level was correct, and to check the color of the transmission fluid. Both were found to be in good order. Then I checked www.alldata.com and found that ford was aware of the transmission problems through a check of the following service bulletins: atratb331; atratb267; 94247; atratb029; and 89225. Because of the service bulletins mentioned above, ford was aware of the problems and failed to take corrective actions. As a consumer, I would like ford to correct the problem with the transmission at no cost to myself. The other problem is the engine cooling fan. On 12 december 2002 while sitting in traffic, I noticed smoke coming from under the hood and smelled wires burning. I pulled over in a parking lot of a shopping center right when the computer signaled that the engine temperature was higher than normal. I turned the engine off and open the hood to look for the burned wired. The electric engine fan had seized up and started to melt the wires. The fuse had failed to blow, and I had to unplug the fan from the wiring harness to keep the wires from burning more.
This vehicle is experiencing the same defect as stated in recall 98/v/323/000 for subframe corrosion. However, since vehicle was purchased in arkansas it was not included in recall.
On the internet it stated ford had callbacks for all3.8 engines for headgasket problems but only recalled a few VIN numbers. How could they get away with that? You and I and every mecchanic knows the problem with the 3.8 engine by ford why cant some thing be done. I wasnt told of anything about this. Lucky I was driving not my daughter. She would have diven till it burned the motor up. And the air shocks at $ 4,000 for the 4 of them thats another farce. Cant you make them at least install at cost ? My engine overheated as I was driving on the pa. Turnpike lucky I pulled over and got towed with a $350 bill.
Airbag light has been flashing off and on. *ak the consumer states that according to information on the web the 1990 models had recalled for bad modules.
Recall 98 v 323 000/subframe corrosion: while being serviced for an oil change noticed subframe failure; dealer and manufacturer were notified, and informed consumer that vehicle was not covered under a recall. *ak the vehicle's body and under carriage were free of rust, but the exhaust system had rust.
Rear air springs have blowen out, causing rear end to bounce and has dropped low to ground. Consumer has contacted dealer. Please provide any further details.
Tired pressure is a mess. The vehicle goes up and down whenever it feels like it.
Headights have an inserted bulb, and lens cover deteriorate in color/dirt, and other debris would get inside. Also, caused a problem with lighting. This has happened over a period of time, and not readily noticeable. *ak moisture collects inside of the lens cover, further limiting the hed light illumination.
Compare the 1990 Lincoln Continental
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Questions about the 1990 Lincoln Continental
Is the 1990 Lincoln Continental reliable?
Owners have filed 158 complaints about the 1990 Lincoln Continental, 4.8 times a typical Continental model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1990 Lincoln Continental?
Engine and cooling, with 40 complaints. Next is suspension (28).
How many recalls does the 1990 Lincoln Continental have?
3 recalls, covering structure, seat belts and service brakes, hydraulic.
What year does the Lincoln Continental have bad engine?
The Lincoln Continental model years with the most engine complaints are 1994 (87 complaints), 1993 (72 complaints) and 1991 (55 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 1990 Lincoln Continental get?
Official estimates for the 1990 Lincoln Continental range from 19 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.8L 6-cyl, FWD) gets 16 city and 23 highway.
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