2018 Lincoln Continental reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2018 Lincoln Continental has 20 complaints with NHTSA after 9 years, or 2 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Continental years here — over the median of the other years, which is 1. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Camera and Latch.

2017 Lincoln Continental — Photo by Greg Gjerdingen, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY 2.0

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Latches, locks, and linkages (6 of 20), then Back-over prevention (4) and Electrical system (4). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash.

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 Continental has 75 complaints, 4 per year, and the 2019 has 31 complaints, 1 per year. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2018 Lincoln Continental. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (2)

Recall back-over prevention, sensing system, camera 2022-08-26 · NHTSA campaign 22V644000

Summary 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.

Remedy 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 this recall is 22S51.

Recall latches, locks, and linkages, doors, latch 2019-02-11 · NHTSA campaign 19V077000

Summary 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.

Remedy 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 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S03.

Complaints by component (20 total)

Latches, locks, and linkages

Back-over prevention

Electrical system

Structure

Engine and engine cooling

Exterior lighting

Powertrain

Tires

Visibility and wipers

Show 1 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"The contact owns a 2018 Lincoln Continental. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the message "Driver Door Fault - Use Inside Override Lever Map Pocket" was displayed and a chime sounded, disabling the…"
Engine and engine cooling, Powertrain, Latches, locks, and linkages · filed 2026-09-21
"The contact owns a 2018 Lincoln Continental. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked on several occasions, the contact became aware that the front driver’s side metal near the check strap was splitting, and…"
Structure · filed 2026-08-18
"The contact owns a 2018 Lincoln Continental. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the battery charge drained unexpectedly. The headlights and warning lights were flashing on and off with the horn…"
Electrical system · filed 2026-06-30
"The contact owns a 2018 Lincoln Continental. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V077000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages) and the remedy, to replace the latch assemblies on…"
Latches, locks, and linkages · filed 2026-06-26
"Vehicle door handles are prone to failure and unresponsive for the lock/unlock. Potential safety concern for customers like myself which should be brought to Lincoln’s attention. Driver side door handle and other door…"
Electrical system · filed 2026-03-25

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2018 Lincoln Continental 4 DR AWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2018 Lincoln Continental 4 DR FWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Continental all-wheel drive	3.7L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	All-wheel drive	16	24	19 MPG	$3400
Continental all-wheel drive	3L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	All-wheel drive	16	24	19 MPG	$3400
Continental all-wheel drive	2.7L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	All-wheel drive	17	25	20 MPG	$3250
Continental front-wheel drive	2.7L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	18	27	21 MPG	$3100
Continental front-wheel drive	3.7L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	17	26	20 MPG	$3250

Specs and fitment

Tenth generation, 2017–2020

Body styles Sedan

Oil Motorcraft SAE 5W-30 (WSS-M2C946-B1) , 6 qt capacity

Tire size 235/50R18, 255/45R19, 245/40R20 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA safety recall 19V-077 covers certain 2017-2019 Lincoln Continental vehicles. The door latch pawl motors may not function properly, possibly resulting in a door latch not fully engaging. A door that is not fully latched may open while driving, increasing injury risk. Remedy: dealers replace the latch assemblies on all four doors free of charge. NHTSA safety recall 22V-644 covers certain 2017-2020 Lincoln Continental vehicles equipped with the 360-degree camera system (also listing F-Super Duty trucks): degradation of the camera's anti-reflective lens coating can lead to a foggy or cloudy rearview camera image, reducing rearward visibility. Remedy: dealers replace the rearview camera free of charge. When NHTSA lists multiple Ford/Lincoln models in one campaign, the published unit count is shared.

Compare

Previous year 2017 Lincoln Continental Next year 2019 Lincoln Continental See every Lincoln Continental model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Lincoln Continental reliable?

What are common problems with a 2018 Lincoln Continental?

The complaints owners file most often name Latches, locks, and linkages (6 of 20), then Back-over prevention (4) and Electrical system (4). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash.

Is the 2018 Lincoln Continental more reliable than the years next to it?

Has the 2018 Lincoln Continental been recalled?

The 2018 Lincoln Continental has 2 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2018 Lincoln Continental?

Owners have filed 20 complaints about the 2018 Lincoln Continental with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Lincoln Continental get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Lincoln Continental is 19.8 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a 2018 Lincoln Continental use?

The 2018 US owner's manual specifies Motorcraft SAE 5W-30 (WSS-M2C946-B1), about 6.0 qt with filter across the listed engines.

What recalls affect the Lincoln Continental?

NHTSA lists 19V-077 (door latch pawl motors on 2017-2019) and 22V-644 (360-degree camera rearview image on 2017-2020); F-Super Duty trucks share the camera campaign unit count.

What tire sizes fit a Lincoln Continental?

Trim-dependent OE sizes include 235/50R18, 255/45R19, and 245/40R20; check the door placard for your Continental’s wheel package.