2020 Lincoln Continental: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2020 Lincoln Continental
Only 7 defect reports have been filed with NHTSA about the 2020 Lincoln Continental, which is too few to compute mileage percentiles or a risk score. The reports reported other driver assistance problem.
When each failure gets reported
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 2 | 1 | — | 19k | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| Misfire or rough idle | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,600 | Moderate |
| Ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure | electrical | 1 | 1 | — | 160 | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,500 | High |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 1 | 1 | — | 200 | — | 0.1 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 1 | 1 | — | 93k | — | 0.1 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 1 | 1 | — | 5k | — | 0.1 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
Recalls on the 2020 model year
NHTSA has issued 2 recall campaigns covering the 2020 Lincoln Continental, affecting an estimated 20,443 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover back over prevention:software and back over prevention: sensing system: camera. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
Recalls also distort complaint counts. Publicity about a campaign reminds owners that complaining is possible, so reports for a recalled component often spike after the recall rather than before it.
BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE
200,237 vehicles 2025-06-27- Defect
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Transit Connect, 2019-2020 MKZ, MKX, Edge, Continental, F-150, Nautilus, Fusion, 2019-2023 Ranger, Mustang, 2020-2021 EcoSport, Expedition, Navigator, 2020-2022 Escape, F-250 SD, Corsair, 2020-2023 Aviator, Transit, 2020-2024 Explorer, 2021-2024 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. A software error may cause the rearview camera to display a blank image, or the image may remain on the display after the backing event has ended.
- Consequence
- A rearview camera that displays a blank image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle. A rearview image that continues to be displayed after the vehicle is shifted out of reverse may distract the driver. Both of these situations can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the rearview camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S72.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
277,040 vehicles 2022-08-26- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- 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.
- 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 work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
Every year of the Lincoln Continental
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2017-2020 generation, 2018 Lincoln Continental scores best at 64 and 2019 Lincoln Continental worst at 67.
What the reports on file say
The complaints recorded against the 2020 Lincoln Continental are other driver assistance problem (2 reports, around 19k miles), misfire or rough idle (1 report), ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure (1 report, around 160 miles), other brake problem (1 report, around 200 miles) and other body or interior problem (1 report, around 93k miles). With a sample this size these are anecdotes rather than a pattern, and they are shown because somebody looking at this exact car would rather see them than nothing.
Why this page is short
A model year needs about 8 reports before percentiles mean anything, and this one does not have them. Complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road, so a thin page usually means a rare car, a new car, or a car whose owners do not file.
Other years of the same model do have enough: 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2017. The mechanical parts are often shared across those years, so their pages are the better guide to what this one is likely to do, with the caveat that a shared part is not a shared production line.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed