Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: a solid ownership case with specific caveats below.
Owners have filed 75 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Lincoln Continental, and it carries 4 recalls. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Latches/locks/linkages | 14 | 19% |
| Unknown or other | 10 | 13% |
| Back over prevention | 10 | 13% |
| Structure | 9 | 12% |
| Electrical system | 6 | 8% |
| Electrical system | 4 | 5% |
| Structure | 2 | 3% |
| Electrical system | 2 | 3% |
| Engine and engine cooling | 1 | 1% |
| Service brakes | 1 | 1% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
Recall number 19S03 repaired prior to my purchase. Driver door latch has disassembled
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
Date of Incident: XXX Location: [XXX] Vehicle Speed: 0 Description: The right front and right rear doors on my 2017 Lincoln Continental (VIN: [XXX]) became completely inoperable from the outside — the exact same safet
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln Continental. The contact stated while at various speeds, the contact noticed that there was an abnormal burning oil odor coming from the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated while dri
NHTSA complaint: Engine and engine cooling
Vehicle: 2017 Lincoln Continental Black Label VIN: [XXX] I am reporting a seriously catastrophic brake system safety failure. The brake pedal intermittently travels to the floor with little to no resistance, resulting
NHTSA complaint: Service brakes
I have a 2017 Lincoln Continental that the passenger side front door will not open from the inside.
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
Doors open while driving , happened 4 times in the last month . Back right door and drivers door 2 occasions on both doors . On line it says all Lincoln Continentals from 2017 2018 and 2019 were recalled and there tellin
NHTSA complaint: Structure
The rear doors on my 2017 Lincoln Continental do not open from the outside when the exterior handle button is pressed. The doors do open from the inside. This failure is very similar to the symptoms described in Ford’s e
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
My car has had 1 or all 4 of the outside door latches fail for 3-4 times now over its lifetime. Only under warranty for 10 years or 100k miles. Very expensive repair, at 1500 for 1 latch, or 5500 for all 4. This is almos
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2017 Lincoln Continental. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Lincoln Continental vehicles. The door latch pawl motors may not function properly, possibly resulting in a door latch not fully engaging.
Risk: A door latch that is not fully engaged may result in a door opening while driving, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the latch assemblies on all four doors, free of charge. The recall began October 14, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-733
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles and 2017 Lincoln Continental vehicles. In the event of a crash, the driver's frontal air bag may not fully inflate or the air bag cushion may detach from the air bag module. As such, these vehicles fail to
Risk: During deployment, if the air bag does not fully inflate or the cushion detaches, there is an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began June 16, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2017 Lincoln Continental vehicles manufactured June 14, 2016, to September 23, 2016 and equipped with high intensity discharge (HID) headlights. The headlights may have been built with incorrect lenses, adversely affecting the turn signal vi
Risk: Reduced turn signal visibility to other drivers and pedestrians can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the headlights, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 16, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-4
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2020 F-Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, and 2017-2020 Lincoln Continental vehicles equipped with the 360-degree camera system. Degradation of the camera's anit-reflective lens coating can lead to a foggy or cloudy rearview camera image.
Risk: Lack of a clear rearview camera image can reduce the driver's visibility of what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 14, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for t
| Reliability raw | 76 | good |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 75 | good |
| Maintenance | 75 | good |
| Depreciation | 72 | good |
| Performance | 58 | average |
| Efficiency | 38 | below average |
| Safety | 93 | excellent |
Percentile ranks against other midsize & large cars in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 75 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and latches/locks/linkages is the most reported area with 14 of them (19%). There are 4 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 76/100 (good) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.
AVOIR scores its longevity 75/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2017 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: worth a look, because a solid ownership case with specific caveats below. Its overall ownership score is 72/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.