Lincoln Continental problems and known issues

By CarWhere Research · Updated

The most important recall for a used 2017–2020 Continental is 19V-077, which replaces all four door latches on 2017–2019 cars because the electronic latch motors may not fully engage. Other recalls cover a 360-degree camera lens that can turn cloudy, rear camera software, a 2017 driver air bag and early 2017 HID headlights.

CarWhere lists 5 documented Continental issues, including 5 NHTSA safety recalls, each with affected years, powertrains, symptoms, pre-purchase checks and a source. Recall entries come from NHTSA's recall dataset on the DOT open-data portal, which may not list every campaign, so run the specific VIN through NHTSA's recall lookup.

Continental generations at a glance

Lincoln Continental generations and the known issues listed for each
GenerationModel yearsIssues on this page
Tenth generation2017–2020Door latch motors may not fully latch (recall 19V-077) · 360-degree camera lens can turn cloudy (recall 22V-644) · Rear camera software can blank or freeze the image (recall 25V-442) · Driver air bag may not fully inflate (recall 17V-123) · HID headlights built with incorrect lenses (recall 16V-731)

Tenth generation Continental problems (2017–2020)

Door latch motors may not fully latch (recall 19V-077) (2017–2019)

Safety recall
Generation:
Tenth generation (2017–2020) – 2017–2019
Years:
2017–2019
Powertrain:
All

Recall 19V-077 covers about 27,609 2017–2019 Continental models because the door latch pawl motors in the electronic doors may not work properly, so a latch might not fully engage and a door could open while driving. Dealers replace the latch assemblies on all four doors.

Symptoms

  • Door that does not close fully or needs a second push
  • Door-ajar warning with doors closed

Check before buying

  • Run the VIN through NHTSA's recall lookup and confirm the remedy shows as complete
  • Ask for the dealer repair order showing the recall work

NHTSA recall: 19V077 (2019-02) · 27,609 vehicles in the campaign

Sources: [1][2]

360-degree camera lens can turn cloudy (recall 22V-644) (2017–2020)

Safety recall
Generation:
Tenth generation (2017–2020) – 2017–2020
Years:
2017–2020
Powertrain:
All with 360-degree camera

Recall 22V-644 covers 2017–2020 Continental models with the 360-degree camera along with 2017–2020 Super Duty trucks, about 277,040 vehicles, because the camera lens anti-reflective coating can degrade and make the rear image foggy. Dealers replace the rearview camera.

Symptoms

  • Foggy or hazy rear camera image that cleaning does not fix

Check before buying

  • Run the VIN through NHTSA's recall lookup and confirm the remedy shows as complete
  • Ask for the dealer repair order showing the recall work

NHTSA recall: 22V644 (2022-08) · 277,040 vehicles in the campaign

Sources: [3][2]

Rear camera software can blank or freeze the image (recall 25V-442) (2019–2020)

Safety recall
Generation:
Tenth generation (2017–2020) – 2019–2020
Years:
2019–2020
Powertrain:
All

Recall 25V-442 is a broad Ford campaign, about 200,237 vehicles, that includes 2019–2020 Continental and MKZ models. A software error can leave the rearview camera blank or keep the image on screen after reversing. Dealers update the camera software.

Symptoms

  • Blank rear camera image
  • Camera view that stays on after shifting out of Reverse

Check before buying

  • Run the VIN through NHTSA's recall lookup and confirm the remedy shows as complete
  • Ask for the dealer repair order showing the recall work

NHTSA recall: 25V442 (2025-06) · 200,237 vehicles in the campaign

Sources: [4][2]

Driver air bag may not fully inflate (recall 17V-123) (2017)

Safety recall
Generation:
Tenth generation (2017–2020) – 2017
Years:
2017
Powertrain:
All

Recall 17V-123 covers 2017 Continental and 2016–2017 Edge and MKX models, about 27,531 vehicles, because the driver's frontal air bag may not fully inflate or the cushion may detach from the module in a crash. Dealers replace the driver air bag module.

Symptoms

  • No warning signs; check the recall status

Check before buying

  • Run the VIN through NHTSA's recall lookup and confirm the remedy shows as complete
  • Ask for the dealer repair order showing the recall work

NHTSA recall: 17V123 (2017-02) · 27,531 vehicles in the campaign

Sources: [5][2]

HID headlights built with incorrect lenses (recall 16V-731) (2017)

Safety recall
Generation:
Tenth generation (2017–2020) – 2017
Years:
2017
Powertrain:
All with HID headlights

Recall 16V-731 covers about 1,827 2017 Continental models built June to September 2016 with HID headlights, because the headlights may have incorrect lenses that reduce turn signal visibility and lack required markings. Dealers inspect and replace the headlights as needed.

Symptoms

  • Dim or hard-to-see front turn signals

Check before buying

  • Run the VIN through NHTSA's recall lookup and confirm the remedy shows as complete
  • Ask for the dealer repair order showing the recall work

NHTSA recall: 16V731 (2016-10) · 1,827 vehicles in the campaign

Sources: [6][2]

Related Continental research

This page explains specific mechanical issues and recalls. Which model years drew the most owner complaints relative to the rest of the model’s history is answered in the years-to-avoid research where CarWhere publishes it.

Confirm how a Continental was built before you buy.

Engine, transmission and packages decide which of these issues apply. The CarWhere Lincoln build sheet reconstructs factory colors, options and packages from licensed VIN-level build data — availability is checked free, and it is $9.99 only when detailed build data is found for that VIN.

Lincoln build sheet by VIN

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common Lincoln Continental problems?

For the 2017–2020 Continental, the documented issues are recalls: door latch motors on 2017–2019 cars (19V-077), a cloudy 360-degree camera lens (22V-644), rear camera software on 2019–2020 cars (25V-442) and a 2017 driver air bag module (17V-123).

Is there a Continental door latch recall?

Yes. Recall 19V-077 covers 2017–2019 Continentals because the latch pawl motors in the electronic doors may not fully engage. Dealers replace the latch assemblies on all four doors at no charge.

Which Continental year has the most recalls?

The 2017 model year appears in the most recalls: the door latch, camera lens, driver air bag and HID headlight campaigns. 2020 cars appear only in the two camera recalls.

Does the 3.0L Continental have engine recalls?

No engine-specific recall for the 2017–2020 Continental appears in the NHTSA recall dataset. The recalls found cover doors, cameras, the driver air bag and headlights.

How do I check a used Continental for open recalls?

Enter the 17-character VIN in NHTSA's recall lookup or ask a Lincoln dealer, and ask for repair orders. Lincoln's owner site also lists any Customer Satisfaction Programs, which can extend coverage on specific parts.

Sources

Issue descriptions are CarWhere’s own summaries of the sources below. Repair costs are shown only where a source states them and vary by shop and region.

  1. NHTSA recall 19V-077: Doors May Open While Driving — NHTSA
  2. DOT/NHTSA recall dataset (6axg-epim) full-text query: Lincoln Continental — U.S. Department of Transportation / NHTSA
  3. NHTSA recall 22V-644: Cloudy Camera Lens May Reduce Rear Visibility — NHTSA
  4. NHTSA recall 25V-442: Rearview Camera Image May Not Display — NHTSA
  5. NHTSA recall 17V-123: Frontal Air Bag may not Deploy Properly/FMVSS 208 — NHTSA
  6. NHTSA recall 16V-731: Incorrect Headlight Lenses/FMVSS 108 — NHTSA

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Independent reference compiled by CarWhere — not affiliated with or endorsed by Lincoln or Ford Motor Company. Lincoln, Black Label and the model names are trademarks of their owners.