Buyer's Guide to the 1995-2002 Continental

These gadget-packed, front wheel drive Lincolns can be a great deal in 90s luxury, if you buy smart. I am writing this for anyone who is looking at a used Conti.
 If you have done a little research already, you've no doubt heard some of the horror stories that
many Continental owners will tell. Destroyed transmissions, three thousand dollar repair
bills, electrical gremlins, etc. But there seem to be more good reviews than bad overall, even
from owner's who have spent a lot of money to keep their Conti on the road. The bottom line
is this: they're decent cars with a couple of problems that can get quite expensive. My reason for writing this is to help folks identify potential problems before they buy a Continental that's a money pit.
I wouldn't buy one unless I had a grand or so set aside for mechanical repairs. But that's true of any used car I would buy, 'cause you never know what hidden problems may come up. I bought a Volvo 740 thinking it was the most bulletproof car ever made, and wouldn't need any expensive work done. Then it needed floor repair work and a new transmission (around $3500 total). Sometimes that's the way it goes.

If you're into FWD V8 luxury cars, this is a decent choice,just be aware that like the Cadillacs with Northstar engines, they have some
faults that you may have to deal with as the car gets older and systems wear out.

Below, two reasons why the Continentals sell for peanuts on craigslist, and are
avoided by many people.


1995

 2002

 Reason #1:

• They use the Ford Taurus AX4N transmission which commonly fails

This transmission was used on the Ford Taurus
with the Vulcan and Duratec 3.0L V6 engines, with 145-201 hp.
When this transmission is hooked up to a fire breathing
4.6L, 32V V8 that makes 260 horsepower or more, the transmission's
days are really numbered.  Especially if the driver(s) have had a heavy foot.
The transmission simply can't withstand the extra power of the V8, when
even a 145 hp V6 can burn it up. There are all kinds of inherent design flaws.
Issues include: Clutch failures causing slipping, poor 1st to 2nd gear shifts, accumulator problems,
very harsh shifts from P or N to a drive gear, losing the Park gear, overheating
causing meltdown of the transmission, strange noises, leaks, torque converter problems,
and the list goes on and on. Changing the fluid often (every 20-30K miles) will help longevity, but this has to be done throughout the life of the transmission, and usually isn't. Test drive the car well in all types of driving conditions, and look out for dark brown transmission fluid, especially if it smells burnt.

Reason #2:

• Active air suspension failure can be costly to repair

The 1995-1996 Continental uses a 4 wheel air suspension system controlled
 by a computer and ride control sensors. In 1997 it went to being just the back having air ride, still
computer controlled.
Airbags, along with the electronics mentioned often fail with age. And often more than once.
Nice stuff when it's all working right, allows the driver to dial in the firmness of the suspension to their liking, and provides a smooth ride, load leveling, and tight handling. This air ride system can be converted to conventional spring/strut suspension, and although ride may be stiffer, and you lose the variability of firmness, it's a lot less maintenance.


Look out for collapsed rear suspension (sitting low in back, car rides extremely rough), and
transmission issues (harsh shifting, delayed shifts, leaks, strange noises.)

 The transmission is really the fly in the ointment here, because a new/rebuilt transmission forthese cars can run well over $1000, in many cases 2 or 3K (sometimes more than car is worth.)

 Front and rear suspension is available for the '95-'96, and rear suspension is also available for the '97-'02, for a few hundred bucks.
Companies like Strutmasters sell kits so you can do this. And this job can be done by the average
DIYer/shadetree mechanic.

If you want to take on a Continental, I would recommend trying to do at least some of your own maintenance to save some money.

These cars are OK. I prefer RWD, but I will admit that there is a lot to like about these cars. They offer a reliable, powerful 32V 4.6L V8 (same as the Mustang Cobra, just detuned a bit), providing brisk acceleration and a great exhaust note. Also gas mileage isn't bad, high teens to mid twenties is the general average, with the required premium gas. These are good size cars, almost full sized, that can hold 6 people with the bench seat, and have a generous cargo capacity in the trunk, so quite practical as well. Overall they are luxurious, sporty, fun to drive cars loaded with technology that is fresh and modern even today.
I'd look for a 1997 or later, because only 1/2 of the suspension (the back) is on air, which reduces repair cost for that system. Also there were more options available in later years.

1) Premature intermediate clutch failure.
2) Poor shifting on the 1-2 shift.
3) Clutch slippage under load.
4) Failure of the neutral drive accumulator. This failure causes extremely harsh shifts when you move the gear selector from Park or neutral to reverse or to any of the forward gears.
5) Broken parking paws. This failure is very worrisome because once the parking paw breaks the car can start rolling on its own. There are cases of these cars rolling down hills and causing a lot of damage.
6) Transmission tends to overheat. Reports have surfaced that owners who installed an aftermarket cooler on their AX4N equipped vehicles have experience longer than average transmission life.

Source: Charlietranny.com

7) Cracks in the forward clutch piston.
8) Leaks at the torque converter hub seal.
9) No fourth gear.
10) Gear train meltdown due to inadequate supply of pressurized oil.
11) Delayed down shifts.
12) Torque converter clutch failing to engage.
13) Slipping into neutral after coming to a stop.
14) Shuddering when accelerating through turns.
15) Whining and ticking noises.
- See more at: http://etereman.com/blog/ford/the-many-problems-of-the-ford-ax4n-automatic-transmission-and-what-to-look-for/#sthash.lTrGIISD.dpuf