1998 Lincoln Continental Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) Problems
- Complaints
- 7about this part
- Share
- 10%of 72 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 90,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 7 complaints about the visibility of the 1998 Lincoln Continental, 10% of the 72 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 90,000 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“The automatic dimming inside rearview mirror apears frosted over half of the glass distorting the view to the rear. This mirror was replaced less than one year ago for a similar problem. Research on the interrnet indicates this to be a common problem with Lincoln continentals of multiple years in the late 1990's. There are numerious incidents of this defect in the NHTSA complaints on this site. Ford motor co aparently has no solution to this defect as current replacement mirrors fail agin in less than one year. …”
NHTSA complaint #10028844, filed 2003-07, 58,000 miles“The 1998 Lincoln Continental is an accident waiting to happen, the slanted windshield above a grey dashboard, causing a reflection in the bright sunlight that makes some objects invisible to the driver. Too many car designs have this fault and should be outlawed for safety reasons. Also the Continental instrument panel cannot be read in certain angles of sun on the panel. You cannot seed the needle on the speedometer and I wonder how many speeding tickets result from this defect. I have added a black cover to my dashboard at my cost to try to correct this problem. …”
NHTSA complaint #10112795, filed 2005-03“The contact owns a 1998 Lincoln Continental. The contact stated that the rear view and driver side mirrors were tinted with an anti-reflection chemical which melted the plastic inside causing the mirrors to look foggy or darker than they were. He believed it was a safety hazard because his visibility was minimal at night. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 122,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10382742, filed 2011-02, 122,000 miles“Consumer experiencing problem with front windshield glare. Consumer informed that everything appears to reflect the windshield like a mirror. Dealer /manufacturer notified, and informed that nothing could be done.”
NHTSA complaint #826582, filed 1998-08Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors): other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1 | 3% |
| 2018 | 1 | 5% |
| 2001 | 2 | 6% |
| 2000 | 11 | 17% |
| 1998 | 7 | 10% |
| 1997 | 15 | 16% |
| 1996 | 8 | 17% |
| 1995 | 10 | 14% |
| 1994 | 10 | 5% |
| 1993 | 8 | 7% |
| 1992 | 3 | 2% |
| 1991 | 14 | 7% |
| 1990 | 9 | 6% |
| 1989 | 2 | 1% |
| 1988 | 2 | 2% |
Other parts of the 1998 Lincoln Continental
14 complaintsVehicle speed control
13 complaintsElectrical system
7 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
7 complaintsSeat belts
5 complaintsBody and structure
5 complaintsAir bags
4 complaintsEquipment
3 complaintsExterior lighting
3 complaintsSteering
3 complaintsSuspension
3 complaintsTires
3 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1998 Lincoln Continental
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology