IllustrationDT: THE CALLER SAI WHILE WIFE DRIVING 55-60 MPH SIDE/CURTAIN AIRBAG ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE DEPLOYED. DEALER SAID A ROCK MIGHT HAVE HIT THE SENSOR AND MADE IT DEPLOY. MANUFACTURER SAID THEY COULD OFFER NO HELP FOR FREE. THE CALLER SAID THERE WAS A SAFETY UPDATE 03I44000 IN 2003, NOT A RECALL CONCERNING CRASH SENSOR. *AK
1999 Lincoln Continental
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1999 Lincoln Continental do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 32.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Continental years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 19 of 42 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Suspension. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
6 crash reports2 fire reports2 injury reports
Air Bags complaints
9 reportsCONSUMER WAS REQUESTING TO HAVE THE AIR BAG TURNED OFF, HOWEVER THE AIR BAG SWITCH WAS NOT INSTALLED. *MJ
PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WITH DRIVER HITTING NO DEBRIS IN ROAD OR HITTING BUMP. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AT 50 MPH. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.*AK
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 40MPH ON HIGHWAY AND A VERY LOUD NOISE CAME FROM SIDE, PASSENGER'S SIDE EAIRBAG EXPLODED. ALSO, THERE WAS SMOKE INSIDE OF VEHICLE, POWDER WAS EVERYWHERE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. *AK CONSUMER COULD NOT GET ANY HELP FROM THE MANUFACTURER DUE TO DEALER FOUND A VERY SMALL DENT UNDER THE PASSENGER SI…
Read full complaint
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 40MPH ON HIGHWAY AND A VERY LOUD NOISE CAME FROM SIDE, PASSENGER'S SIDE EAIRBAG EXPLODED. ALSO, THERE WAS SMOKE INSIDE OF VEHICLE, POWDER WAS EVERYWHERE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. *AK CONSUMER COULD NOT GET ANY HELP FROM THE MANUFACTURER DUE TO DEALER FOUND A VERY SMALL DENT UNDER THE PASSENGER SIDE OF VEHICLE AND STATED THAT THE DEPLOYMENT WAS JUSTIFIED. *SLC
WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT COLLISION OCCURRING DRIVER'S AIR BAG UNEXPECTEDLY DEPLOYED. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
WHILE TRAVELING 40 MPH PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED UNEXPECTEDLY. NO PRIOR WARNING BEFORE INCIDENT. NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED, THE DEALER FOUND A SMALL DENT UNDER THE CAR AND STATED THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED THE AIRBAG TO DEPLOY, DEALER REFUSED TO PAY FOR ANY OF THE DAMAGES. *AK *SLC
DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED WHILE DRIVING AT 5MPH WITHOUT HITTING ANY BUMPS. DEALER HAS VEHICLE. *AK
DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR AIRBAG DEPLOYED WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 5-10 MPH AND WITHOUT HITTING OR BEING HIT B ANY OBJECT WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. *AK
Official recalls
203V144000 · Air Bags:frontal
Apr 9, 2003
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE DRIVER AND/OR PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG COULD DEPLOY AS A RESULT OF UNDERBODY IMPACTS NEAR THE SENSORS, SUCH AS THOSE OCCURRING FROM PIECES OF GRAVEL OR DEBRIS THROWN FROM THE WHEELS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING OPERATED AT MODERATE TO HIGH SPEED OR BEING ACCELERATED.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Not supplied
Remedy: DEALERS WILL RECALIBRATE THE AIR BAG SENSORS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MARCH 31, 2003. OWNERS MAY CONTACT LINCOLN AT 1-800-521-4140.
98V269000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
Oct 27, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE FUEL RAIL CROSSOVER HOSE WAS DAMAGED DURING FUEL RAIL ASSEMBLY ALLOWING FUEL LEAKAGE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE CAN RESULT IN FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL RAIL WITH A REVISED FUEL RAIL ASSEMBLY.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2EA01012 · Inadvertent Side Air Bag Deployment
Opened Apr 27, 2001 · Closed Apr 15, 2003
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags:side/window
ON APRIL 9, 2003, ODI RECEIVED FROM FORD AN OWNER LETTER AND DEALER NOTICE, BOTH DATED MARCH 2003.THE OWNER LETTER STATES THAT FORD WILL CONDUCT A PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN OF CERTAIN MY 1999-2000 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH SIDE AIR BAGS (ALL MY 1999 VEHICLES AND MY 2000 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED PRIOR TO 3/1/00; TOTAL OF APPROXIMATELY 42,000 VEHICLES).THE LETTER STATES THAT THE SIDE AIR BAGS IN THESE VEHICLES CAN DEPLOY IN CERTAIN TYPES OF UNDERBODY IMPACTS FROM PIECES OF GRAVEL OR DEBRIS.THE LETTER STATES THAT OWNERS WHO OPERATE THEIR VEHICLES IN SUCH DRIVING CONDITIONS SHOULD TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO A DEALER TO HAVE RECALIBRATED CRASH SENSORS INSTALLED AT NO COST.THE RECALIBRATED SENSOR REDUCES THE POSSIBILITY OF INADVERTENT SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT.SEE NHTSA'S SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN NO. 03V-144 FOR MORE INFORMATION.THE ACTION TAKEN BY FORD APPEARS SUFFICIENT TO RESOLVE THE ISSUES RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
PE00042 · Inadvertent Side Air Bag Deployment
Opened Oct 16, 2000 · Closed Apr 27, 2001
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags:side/window
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