Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2002 Lincoln Continental, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Vehicle speed control6
- Suspension5
- Unknown or other5
- Equipment4
- Engine and engine cooling4
- Seat belts3
- Service brakes, hydraulic3
- Air bags2
- Power train2
- Wheels2
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 1 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 8 2002 Continental vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 5 people died inside them, and 1 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2002 Lincoln Continental failed the safety check 2.33% of the time — 16% more often than the average 2002 passenger car (2.00%). Median odometer at inspection: 108,112 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 1 variant: combined 12.9 L/100 km (about 18 mpg US), CO₂ 297 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Continental · Full-size · Premium gasoline | 15.2 | 10.2 | 12.9 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
No recall campaigns cover the 2002 Lincoln Continental.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Lincoln told its dealers about the 2002 Lincoln Continental: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 637852 | INFORMATION ON REMOVING BRAKE ANTI-CORROSION DISC FITTED INSIDE THE FRONT WHEELS DURING PRE-DELIVERY INSPECTION. *TT |
| 637556 | SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AN AX4N/4F50N TRANSAXLE MAY EXHIBIT A SHUDDER DURING A 3-4 SHIFT. *TT |
| 636375 | EXHBITING A SURGE / TRAILER HITCH CONDITION UNDER MODERATE ACCELERATION BETWEEN 35-55 MPH. *TT |
| 636065 | INFORMATION REGARDING DISCHARGED BATTERY CHARGING SERVICE TIPS AND GUIDELINES. *TT |
| 636049 | THIS BULLETIN INVOLVES PROPER PROCEDURES FOR PREPARATION OF SERVICE SHEET METAL PARTS COATED WITH ELECTRO DEPOSITION PRIMER (E-COAT). *TT |
| 635992 | HESITATION, BUCK OR SURGE DURING A STEADY STATE OPERATION AT 40-60 MPH (64-96 KM/H). *TT |
| 630515 | ENGINE OIL SYSTEM PRIMING PROCEDURES, SERVICE TIPS FOR REPORTS OF PREMATURE ENGINE FAILURE. *TT |
| 630356 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A PARK PULLOUT CLUNK NOISE WHEN SHIFTING FROM PARK TO ANOTHER GEAR POSITION. *TT |
| 630351 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A GROAN/BUZZ/VIBRATION WHEN THE GEAR SELECTOR IS IN PARK. *TT |
| 630001 | SOME ENGINE ASSEMBLIES WITH ALUMINUM CYLINDER HEADS REPAIRED IN-VEHILE HAVE BEEN FOUND TO LEAK COOLANT AND/OR OIL FROM THE CYLINDER HEAD GASKET AREA. *TT |
| 627927 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT VACUUM OR AIR LEAKS IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND / OR ENGINE SYSTEM CAUSING DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES P0171 AND OR P0174. *TT |
| 627774 | SOME IGNITION SWITCH LOCK CYLINDER ASSEMBLIES MAY EXHIBIT ROUGNESS AND / OR EXCESS EFFORT IN TURNING, KEY DOES NOT FULLY RETURN FROM START, A MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP MAY ILLUMINATE WITH P0500, P1502 AND U1039 STORED IN POWERTRIAN CONTROL MODULE (PCM). *TT |
| 625715 | BRAKE SHIFT INTERLOCK.*JB |
| 623988 | INFORMATION REGARDING TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE CHARTS. *SLC |
| 623944 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT HEATER CORE LEAKS. *SLC |
| 10018745 | WDS COP KIT DIAGNOSTIC TIP - COIL ON PLUG (COP) IGNITION SYSTEMS - ENGINE MISFIRE OR ROUGH RUNNING. *TT |
| 10014138 | SAFETY BELT RETRACTION SPEED. *TT |
| 10014086 | GENERAL (PCM) POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE PROGRAMMING PROCEDURES. *TT |
| 10014062 | REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER GRID/INTEGRAL ANTENNA DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR - TERMINAL TAB REPAIR. *TT |
| 10013369 | GENERAL POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM) PROGRAMMING PROCEDURES. *TT |
| 10013321 | AM/FM AND CELLULAR PHONE RECEPTION INTERFERENCE - SERVICE TIP. *TT |
| 10013060 | CLIMATE CONTROL A/C SERVICE TECH TIPS. *EH |
| 10012964 | AM FM AND CELLULAR PHONE RECEPTION INTERFERENCE . *EH |
| 10011162 | ENGINE MISFIRE OR RUNNING - COIL ON PLUG (COP) IGNITION SYSTEMS - WDS COP KIT DIAGNOSTIC TIPS. TO INCLUDE VARIOUS 2005 MODELS. * AR THIS ARTICLE 04161 SUPERSEDES TSB 03-14-04. |
| 10011159 | REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER GRID/INTEGRAL ANTENNA DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR - TERMINAL TAB REPAIR. *TT |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)