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1996 Lincoln Continental Recalls & Complaints

3

open safety recalls on record

Serious

69 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.46 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious16E026000

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Pads

damaged or broken brake disc may reduce a vehicle's braking power, raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

Bosch will instruct the owners how to have the affected brake pads replaced, free of charge. The recall began on May 26, 2016. Owners may contact Bosch customer service at 1-888-715-3616.

Bosch Brake Components LLC (Bosch) is recalling certain aftermarket replacement front brake pads, models Bosch QuietCast BC598 and BP765, Bosch Blue BE598 and BE598H, Prostop PD598 and PD765M, Duralast Gold DG598, Duralast MKD598, Stop Master ST598, UltraStop ULT598, UltraLife MX598 and MX765, BrakeBest MKD765, and Prostop Platinum PGD598. These brake pads, manufactured October 1, 2014, to October 31, 2015 are intended for use on 2001-2007 Ford Taurus, 2001-2005 Mercury Sable, 1995-1999 Ford Taurus SHO, 1995-2002 Lincoln Continental, and 1993-1998 Lincoln Mark VIII vehicles. The brake pad shim may shift out of position causing the shim to contact the brake disc resulting in damage to the disc.

Moderate96V176000

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

THIS CONDITION COULD RESULT IN THE VEHICLE ROLLING AS IF IN NEUTRAL WITH THE SHIFT LEVER IN THE PARK POSITION.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE PARK PAWL SHAFT ROTATION AND THOSE SHAFTS WITH RESTRICTED ROTATION WILL BE REPLACED WITH A SHORTER SHAFT THAT WILL NOT RESTRICT ROTATION.

THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PARK PAWL SHAFT MAY NOT BE FREE TO ROTATE AS INTENDED. IF THE PARK PAWL SHAFT DOES NOT ROTATE, IT WOULD PREVENT THE PARK PAWL FROM ENGAGING THE PARK GEAR WHEN THE SHIFT LEVER IS IN THE PARK POSITION.

Moderate96V009000

Exterior Lighting

IF THE HEADLAMPS SHUT OFF WHILE THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN, DRIVER VISIBILITY WOULD BE IMPAIRED INCREASING THE POTENTIAL FOR A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE "AUTOLAMP" CONTROL MODULE. OWNERS ARE INSTRUCTED TO USE THE MANUAL HEADLAMP SWITCH UNTIL THE CONTROL MODULE CAN BE REPLACED.

A DEFECTIVE CONTROL MODULE IN THE "AUTOLAMP" SYSTEM CAN MALFUNCTION. IF THE "AUTOLAMP" SYSTEM IS BEING USED TO ACTIVATE THE EXTERIOR LIGHT (INCLUDING HEADLAMPS), THE HEADLAMPS COULD SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THIS WILL NOT OCCUR IF THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING IS TURNED ON MANUALLY BY THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH.

Complaint volume

69 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

4Crashes
0Fires
1Injuries
2Deaths

Across 69 complaints. Severity Index 0.46.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Suspension · Front5 · 7%Visibility · Rearview Mir…4 · 6%Power Train · Automatic T…3 · 4%Suspension3 · 4%Steering · Gear Box (Othe…2 · 3%Engine And Engine Cooling…2 · 3%Vehicle Speed Control2 · 3%Service Brakes, Hydraulic…2 · 3%
  1. Suspension:Front — 5 reports
  2. Visibility:Rearview Mirrors/Devices — 4 reports
  3. Power Train:Automatic Transmission — 3 reports
  4. Suspension — 3 reports
  5. Steering:Gear Box (Other Than Rack And Pinion) — 2 reports
  6. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline — 2 reports
  7. Vehicle Speed Control — 2 reports
  8. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip — 2 reports
  9. Steering:Rack And Pinion — 2 reports
  10. Unknown Or Other — 2 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1995 (2) · 1996 · 1997 (2) · 1998 (2) · 1999 (3) · 2000 (4) · 2001 (2) · 2002 (1) · 2017 (4) · 2018 (2) · 2019 (3) · 2020 (2)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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