1991 lincoln continental with 39,800 original owner miles. Head gasket blew. Coolant coming out of exhaust pipes.
The worst 1991 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.
- Engine55
- Suspension44
- Transmission42
- Brakes35
- Body23
- Steering20
- Electrical19
- Visibility14
- Airbags11
- Acceleration9
- Seat belts8
- Fuel system6
- Wheels3
- Lights2
- Locks2
- Seats2
- Tires2
Specific symptoms reported on the 1991 Lincoln Continental
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
Vehicle speed control
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: vehicles equipped with 3.8l engines and originally sold or currently registered in the following states: alaska, colorado, iowa, idaho, illinois, indiana, kansas, massachusetts, maine, michigan, minnesota, missouri, montana, north dakota, nebraska, new hampshire, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, south dakota, vermont, wisconsin, and wyoming. Water can accumulate within the speed control cable conduit. If enough water accumulates, it could freeze within a low area of the cable routing when exposed to a long term cold soak at temperatures at least several degrees below freezing.
- Risk
- Driver control of vehicle speed using the speed control system or the accelerator control system would be diminished increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will add a boot to the speed control cable.
Recall number 97V025000 · 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 1991 Lincoln Continental
Defect investigations
Engine cooling fan fires
There is no summary currently available
EA96024
Engine cooling fan fires
In december 1995, ford recalled 119,313 vehicles in canada to remedy the subject condition in certain 1992-95 taurus, sable, tempo, topaz and continental vehicles.ford is aware of similar incidents occurring in northern regions of the united states, but maintains that the frequencies do not warrant a finding of an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety.
PE96033
Alleged defective tie rods
Alleged defective tie rods
DP95004
Broken tie rods
There is no summary currently available
EA94008
Failure of wheel studs
There is no summary currently available
PE93070
Broken tie rods
There is no summary currently available
PE93058
Sub-frm/unibody absor.fail
There is no summary currently available
EA92040
Technical service bulletins for the 1991 Lincoln Continental 56
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 on additional parts required when replacing transfer case on vehicles equippped with AX4S...
- 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...
1991 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 | 15 | 22 | 18 |
What 1991 Lincoln Continental owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
As I started off from a stop sign on 7/21/04. I heard a loud sound from under my car. I got and looked under the car but could not see anything wrong, since it was dark, so I got back in and started out again but I didn't have any power steering. I reasoned something had broken in the power steering unit. Since I was only two blocks from home I decided to try to limp the car home. I got a flash light and looked under the car. I found the rear of the sub frame had broken away from the body, and was only a couple of inches off the ground. The frame appeared to be held up by the exhaust system. I called the lincoln dealer and was told there was a recall on the subframe of my car but it was only good in 25 states and utah was not included. I talked to two people at ford motor company and said they couldn't do anything for me either. The recall was 98s36. I feel that the fact that my subframe broke loose and I lost my steering should be enough evidence of a safety issue regardless of when or where it occurred. *ak the left mounting bolt pulled through the lower washer. *sc
1991 lincoln continental motor mounts failed.***no answer required***.*mr recall for motor mounts, sub-frame support plate, transmission cable, and mount corrosion. Dealership willing to fix sub-frame plate and cable, but will not fix motor mounts, stating that the 6 year or 60,000 miles has expired and that the car is too old. Please help investigate this matter. *tt
Front suspension went out. Had it repaired at an independent dealer, over 2000.00. Next couple of months, rear goes out. This is very unfair too the consumer. I have seen numerous owners with the same problem.
I had just bought this car from a private owner for my sister to drive to work. Well not even before we got home the main eec iv computer died so the car would not run. Once we figured out it was the main computer and replaced it it ran fine. But we still had two bad front air struts to fix. After all that she finally got to drive it to work and the first day she drove the car she did not even make it home because the transmission just stopped working. So she is out a car and we do not have the money to fix it. Because of all the other cars my poor sister has owned drained us.
I blew a head gasket & the dcl went out. Lincoln says that they cant replace this part (dcl)
Peeling paint and head gaskets failed possibly a cracked head
Request for database info with history resolution attempts. *mr there was a design flaw in the 3.8 liter v6 engines. The consumer found that the original aluminum heads for the engine had an additional flaw which was a sharply machined transition line running the full length of the heads, which caused the heads to crack along that line when overheated. *sc
Transmission sudden failure with no warning. It happened right after we exited the freeway.
Failure: 05-23-03 I was driving on I-475 north in the fartherest left hand lane, when there was a stalling motion. It was so unexpected that it made my 10 year old daughter and myself jump. I managed to slow down in traffic and pull to the right hand emergency lane. When I tried pulling back into traffic to make it to the next exit, the lincoln would not move. Luckily, I had my work cellular telephone and called 911. 911 transferred the call to the sheriff's department, and someone came to try to help. I have only had the vehicle for 3 months. The original owners were in their 70's. Prior to selling the lincoln a motor had been installed.
Compare the 1991 Lincoln Continental
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Questions about the 1991 Lincoln Continental
Is the 1991 Lincoln Continental reliable?
Owners have filed 201 complaints about the 1991 Lincoln Continental, 6.1 times a typical Continental model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1991 Lincoln Continental?
Engine and cooling, with 55 complaints. Next is suspension (44).
How many recalls does the 1991 Lincoln Continental have?
3 recalls, covering structure, vehicle speed control 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 1991 Lincoln Continental get?
Official estimates for the 1991 Lincoln Continental range from 18 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.8L 6-cyl, FWD) gets 15 city and 22 highway.
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