2017 Lincoln Continental
The 2017 Lincoln Continental is sold in the U.S. as a gas large sedan with 5 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Continental FWD, is EPA-rated at 21 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 75 complaints, most often about the structure. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental FWD | Gas | FWD | 2.7L 6-cyl turbo | 18 | 27 | 21 | $3,200 |
| Continental AWD | Gas | AWD | 2.7L 6-cyl turbo | 17 | 25 | 20 | $3,350 |
| Continental FWD | Gas | FWD | 3.7L 6-cyl | 17 | 26 | 20 | $3,350 |
| Continental AWD | Gas | AWD | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 16 | 24 | 19 | $3,550 |
| Continental AWD | Gas | AWD | 3.7L 6-cyl | 16 | 24 | 19 | $3,550 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 38039, 38038, 38040, 38037, 38041.
Emissions & certification
Source: EPA emission certificates| Configuration | Smog rating | Emission standard | Where it can be sold new | SmartWay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental AWD, Continental FWD | 7 / 10 | LEV-III ULEV70 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 70 | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | — |
| Continental AWD, Continental FWD | 6 / 10 | LEV-III ULEV125 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 125 | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | — |
Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.
The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.
Specifications filed with NHTSA
Source: NHTSA vPICDimensions Exterior
| Body style | Sedan/Saloon |
| Doors | 4 |
| GVWR class | Class 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less) |
Engine Basics
| Cylinders | 6 |
| Displacement | 3 L |
| Engine configuration | V-Shaped |
Engine Output
| Horsepower | 400 hp |
Fuel Economy
| Fuel | Gasoline |
Seating
| Seat rows | 2 |
| Seating capacity | 5 seats |
Transmission
| Drivetrain | AWD/All-Wheel Drive |
| Transmission | Automatic |
| Transmission speeds | 6 |
Driver assistance
Standard: Anti-lock brakes, Backup camera, Blind-spot monitoring, Electronic stability control
Optional: Adaptive cruise control, Automatic emergency braking, Forward collision warning, Lane departure warning, Lane keeping assist, Parking assist, Pedestrian automatic emergency braking
Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: Black Label, Livery, Reserve, Select). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.
Dimensions & weight
Source: Transport Canada| Length | 201.6 in |
| Width (body, without mirrors) | 75.2 in |
| Height | 58.7 in |
| Wheelbase | 117.7 in |
| Track, front | 63.4 in |
| Track, rear | 64.2 in |
| Curb weight | 4,224 lb |
| Weight distribution, front/rear | 59/41 |
Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here one configuration: All versions. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.
Factory warranty running out?
The 2017 Lincoln Continental is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. What an extended plan does and does not cover is worth reading before a dealer quotes you one.
What to check before you buy →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
Recalls (4)
Source: NHTSA recall databaseLatches/Locks/Linkages
19S03Air Bags
17C02Exterior Lighting
16C15These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.
Whether any of this applies to one specific Continental
A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2017 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Lincoln publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.
Hear about a recall before the letter does
The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2017 Lincoln Continental, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.
Parts & accessories for the 2017 Lincoln Continental
Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.
Find parts for this Continental →Owner complaints
Source: NHTSA complaint database1 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 1 injuries · 0 deaths reported
41 per 10,000 built · Lincoln reported 18,344 Continental built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)
Filed per year: 2017: 3 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 9 · 2020: 5 · 2021: 6 · 2022: 5 · 2023: 12 · 2024: 11 · 2025: 10 · 2026: 13
Most-cited components
In owners' own words
Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln Continental. The contact stated that the front driver’s side door failed to close and lock automatically as designed. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who stated that the latch needed to be replaced.
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln Continental. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the driver's side rear tire experienced a blowout. The blowout was on the middle of the tire. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was informed that the tire failure was due to a rear axle and wheel misalignment failure.
3 of the 4 doors stopped opening from the outside. The door handles were completely inoperable
December 26 2020, upon attempting to exit the front passenger seat, the door would not open when button depressed to open the door and allow passenger to exit. Door only allowed for exit when opened from the outside handle. Inability to exit vehicle puts lives in danger. Vehicle was parked when incident occurred
2017 Lincoln Continental. Consumer writes in regards to steering wheel malfunction. The consumer stated the vehicle had a water leak damaging the computer system. This caused the vehicle to fail while driving
The side air bags on the front seats keep spitting open. They are not deploying but you can see airbag is exposed. Worried they will deploy unexpectedly
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Reported by Lincoln itself: 10 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 11 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 55 per 100,000 built. Every Continental model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.
When owners reported it
miles, typically
Half the 38 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 23,000 and 82,000 miles. That is when problems get reported, which is not the same as when they start — and not a failure rate, because nobody knows how many of these cars never had a problem at all.
Median mileage by component
| Component | Reports | Median miles | Vs same age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latches/Locks/Linkages | 12 | 76,000 | 1.42× |
Vs same age is this model year’s median for the system divided by the median of every 2017-model-year complaint about the same system, all makes: under 1× means owners of this car reported it at lower mileage. Which systems go early across the whole fleet: the component study.
Odometer readings as filed by owners with NHTSA. Readings under 100 or over 400,000 miles are dropped as data entry rather than history, and a component needs at least 12 readings before a median is shown for it.
Crash ratings
Source: NHTSA NCAP| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 DR AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 11% |
| 4 DR RWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 11% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.
Service bulletins & campaigns
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsMost often about: Electrical System, Engine, Equipment, Structure, Power Train.
- 25E08-S1 Other2026-06-30 · Engine
- Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Reprogramming
- 25E08 S1 Emissions2026-04-14 · Power Train
- NEW VEHICLE DELIVERY HOLD - Emissions Recall 25E08 – Supplement #1 Certain 2016 – 2019 Model Year Lincoln MKT, 2016 Model Year MKS, and 2017 - 2020 Model Year Continental Vehicles with 3.7L Engines Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Reprogramming
- 25N17 Other2026-03-25 · Back Over Prevention — Rearview System Braking
- Advance Notice – Customer Satisfaction Program 25N17 Certain 2015-2025 Model Year Multiple Vehicle Lines Rear View Camera Replacement If Required After Dealer Evaluation
- SSM 54504 Service bulletin2026-01-16 · Fuel/Propulsion System
- Some 2016-2017 Edge/MKX, 2017 Continental/Fusion/MKZ vehicles equipped with a 2.7L or 3.0L EcoBoost engine and built on 1-Apr-2016 and through 1-Jan-2017 may exhibit white or blue smoke from the exhaust, rough idle in neutral or park at normal operating temperature or after a hot restart. The vehicle may also exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic trouble codes (DT
- 25E08 Emissions2025-12-13 · Power Train
- Certain 2017 - 2020 Model Year Lincoln Continental Vehicles with 3.7L Engines Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Reprogramming
- TSB 25-2570 Service bulletin2025-11-26 · Electrical System
- This article supersedes TSB 24-2165 to update the TSB Service Procedure. Some vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit various SYNC performance related concerns including but not limited to: Display operation concerns Navigation inoperative Voice recognition concerns Phone connection issues Dropped phone connections Applink related performance Travel Link not present
- SSM 54366 Service bulletin2025-11-12 · Power Train
- Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022, P0024 and/or P0025. Pinpoint test HK in the Powertrain Control and Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) or in Section 303-14 of the Workshop Manual (WSM) has been updated to address this concern.
- TSB 25-2395 Service bulletin2025-08-27 · Engine
- This article supersedes TSB 24-2345 to update the Service Procedure. Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit an oil leak from the engine oil pan RTV seal. This may be due to a lack of RTV adhesion.
A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.
Diagnostic trouble codes on file
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaintsCodes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.
| Code | What it means | Most often filed under | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|---|
| P0011 P0011 on Lincoln → | Camshaft timing on bank 1 is more advanced than commanded. | Power Train | 6 bulletins |
| P0012 P0012 on Lincoln → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 6 bulletins |
| P0014 P0014 on Lincoln → | The second camshaft on bank 1 is timed further advanced than commanded. | Power Train | 6 bulletins |
| P0015 P0015 on Lincoln → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 6 bulletins |
| P0016 P0016 on Lincoln → | The crankshaft and camshaft are not where they should be relative to each other — timing, chain or phaser. | Power Train | 6 bulletins |
| P0017 P0017 on Lincoln → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 6 bulletins |
| P0018 P0018 on Lincoln → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 6 bulletins |
| P0019 P0019 on Lincoln → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 6 bulletins |
| P0021 P0021 on Lincoln → | Camshaft timing on bank 2 is more advanced than commanded. | Power Train | 6 bulletins |
| P0022 P0022 on Lincoln → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 6 bulletins |
| P0024 P0024 on Lincoln → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 6 bulletins |
| P0025 P0025 on Lincoln → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 6 bulletins |
Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
At the New York inspection station
Source: New York State DMVIn New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2017 Lincoln Continental failed the emissions check on 3.8% of first inspections — close to the 3.7% for every 2017 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.1% (every 2017 vehicle: 2.1%).
failed emissions
349 initial inspections of 345 vehicles.
| Measure | The 2017 Continental | Every 2017 vehicle | Behind it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Failed the emissions check | 3.8% | 3.7% | 345 |
| Failed the safety inspection | 1.1% | 2.1% | 349 |
| Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit | 0% | 0.25% | 349 |
| Miles driven a year | 9,055 | 10,048 | odometer at inspection |
| Average odometer | 84,212 | 93,238 | odometer at inspection |
New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2017 vehicle” is every 2017 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).
Continental by model year
all years, side by side →Common questions about the 2017 Continental
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsDoes the 2017 Lincoln Continental have any recalls?
NHTSA has posted 4 recall campaigns for the 2017 Lincoln Continental. The most serious on file is 19V077000, covering Latches/Locks/Linkages. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.
How safe is the 2017 Lincoln Continental?
NHTSA gave the 2017 Lincoln Continental 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 5-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it C (79/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.
What is the fuel economy of the 2017 Lincoln Continental?
Across the 5 EPA-rated configurations of the 2017 Lincoln Continental, the best EPA combined figure is 21 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.
What are the dimensions of the 2017 Lincoln Continental?
Transport Canada measured it at 201.6 in long, 75.2 in wide (body, without mirrors), 58.7 in tall, on a 117.7 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 4,224 lb. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.
What do owners complain about on the 2017 Lincoln Continental?
Owners have filed 75 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Lincoln Continental, most often about structure, unspecified, latches/locks/linkages. Of those, 1 involved a crash, 1 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.
How clean is the 2017 Lincoln Continental?
The EPA smog rating for the 2017 Lincoln Continental runs 6 to 7 out of 10 across its configurations. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — Federal Tier 3 Bin 125, Federal Tier 3 Bin 70, LEV-III ULEV125, LEV-III ULEV70 — which the table above lists per configuration.
Are there service bulletins for the 2017 Lincoln Continental?
The manufacturer has filed 195 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2017 Lincoln Continental, most often covering electrical system, engine, equipment. The most recent is dated 2026-06-30. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.
How does the 2017 Lincoln Continental do at state inspection?
In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2017 Lincoln Continental failed the emissions check on 3.8% of first inspections — close to the 3.7% for every 2017 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.1% (every 2017 vehicle: 2.1%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.
What we hold, and what an empty row means
Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.
| Data | Held | Source | What it covers — or what empty means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy & configurations | 5 configurations | EPA certification records | Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures. |
| Emission certificates | 5 configurations | EPA emission certificates | Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new. |
| Recalls | 4 | NHTSA recall campaigns | A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags. |
| Owner complaints | 75 | NHTSA complaint database | Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold. |
| Crash ratings | 2 tested | NHTSA NCAP | Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them. |
| Service bulletins | 195 | NHTSA manufacturer communications | Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall. |
| Investigations | none | NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation | No defect investigation has been opened. |
| Driver-assist crash reports | none | NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01 | No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like. |
| Specifications filed with NHTSA | 13 fields | NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns | What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder. |
| Measured dimensions | 7 fields | Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications | Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions. |
| Trims, pricing & equipment | none | Manufacturer press kit | We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind. |
Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.