The 1979 Lincoln Continental has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 89,000 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the power train. Last updated July 5, 2026.
THE INVOLVED VEHICLES WERE PRODUCED WITH BRAKE PUSH-ROD TO BRAKE PEDAL RETAINING PINS WHICH WERE NOT HEAT-TREATED AS SPECIFIED. THIS COULD ALLOW THE BRAKE PEDAL TO BECOME DISENGAGED FROM THE PUSH-ROD.
DEALER WILL REPLACE THE SUSPECT BRAKE RETAINING PIN.
THE INVOLVED VEHICLES WERE EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS IN WHICH THE PARKING PAWL WAS NOT HEAT-TREATED. DURING NORMAL VEHICLE OPERATION, A PARKING PAWL THAT HAS NOT BEEN HEAT-TREATED COULD BECOME DEFORMED OR WORN TO THE POINT THAT THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT LOCK IN "PARK". AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE COULD ROLL…
DEALER WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE PARKING PAWL WITH ONE THAT HAS BEEN HEAT-TREATED.
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“Gear shift handele broke off while pulling out of parking space. Dealer / manufacturer were not contacted at this time. Can nhtsa help or provide information on this matter. *ak”
“Left vehicle running while parked in the driveway, vehicle slipped into reverse but the shift gear was still in park. Contacted dealer and manufacturer and said that there is nothing that could be done. *ak”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1979 Lincoln Continental as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.