Factual error: The blue Volvo 240 Philip and Elizabeth occasionally drive in season 5 (1984) is from 1986 or later.
Continuity mistake: Philip sustains a stab wound a little right of his stomach area but there is no scar in subsequent episodes.
Continuity mistake: Elizabeth sustained a fairly severe wound to her back (left side, if I remember correctly) a little above her waistline, but no scar appears in subsequent episodes.
Factual error: Throughout the first season, set in the early 80s, the two Russian agents are shown carrying and using 3rd version Beretta P92F semi auto pistols. The P92F didn't come out until 1988.
Factual error: In nearly every episode shot outside in city neighborhoods just out of the camera's focus you can see so many cars from the late 2000s.
Factual error: The helmet is a Cooper/Bauer HH3000 that wasn't made until 1989 or 1990. (00:26:30)
Factual error: When they are playing hockey in the driveway, the FBI agent says he lived in the city in St. Louis. He then says they had street names like 1st street, 2nd street, Washington, Lincoln. First and Second street exist, but they are both in industrial areas and no-one ever talks about them. More to the point, there is no Lincoln Street in St. Louis at all. (00:27:00 - 00:28:00)
Other mistake: Elizabeth states her father died in Stalingrad when she was 2, which was 1942-1943, and she claims she came to America at 22 when it was 1965 and she would have been 24-25.
In Control - S1-E4
Other mistake: Reagan was shot in March, but Elizabeth is digging her crate from the ground with autumn leaves around her.
Visible crew/equipment: When Phillip is being bundled into the back of a van there are 4 men and Phillip in shot with no-one else on the street. As the van door closes you can see a crew member through the gap in the door. (00:02:56)
Factual error: A German bio-metric passport is shown that was only issued after 2005. (00:14:40)
Factual error: When Elizabeth confronts Sanford Prince in the restroom, there are modern, automatic flush sensor urinals visible. The first automatic flush urinal wasn't invented until 1988. (00:06:46)
Factual error: The picture of the shipyard party way into the episode shows the CVN 75 Harry Truman which wasn't even under construction until 1988. (00:16:00)
Factual error: Philip is reading an advertisement for the 1982 Camaro and tells Henry about the car. He claims the Camaro has the following specs: "386 horsepower, 4 on the floor, direct overhead cams." The 1982 Camaro had nowhere near 386HP. Obviously he is talking about the Z28 with the V8 engine. The Z28 came in two V8 engine configurations in 1982, with a carburettor or with cross-fire fuel injection. The carburettor version had 145hp and the cross-fire fuel injection version had 165HP. Next he states there is a "4 on the floor." This would refer to the number of gears the transmission had. Philip buys an automatic transmission Camaro in early 1982 (it was winter and snowing). The early year Camaros that year came with 3-speed automatic transmissions. The 4-speed automatic transmissions didn't come out until around spring/summer that year. Also, the 4-speed manual was not available in the 165HP Z28, but was with the 145hp model. Philip got the 165HP version. Finally, "Direct overhead cams." Cams refers to the camshaft. As for the camshaft installed in Camaros in the 80's, it was not overhead, it was not direct contact with the valves, and it was not plural "cams", but instead, one singular camshaft, installed below the cylinder heads, using pushrods to made contact with the valves.
Continuity mistake: In an earlier episode, FBI agent Stan is shown parking on the left of the drive and going into the house on the left. In episode 2.8, Elizabeth is shown coming out of her house to see the New Car, but it's the same house on the left that was shown to be Stan's house earlier. Same house used for both families.
Other mistake: When Phillip is in the pastor's office, the book Partners in Power can be seen on the bookshelf behind the pastor. That book was published in 1996, and pertains to the Presidency of Bill Clinton.
Factual error: A scene shows a Wyoming ANG C-130H with 6-bladed props and a modern striped tail flash. The shown aircraft, tail 37314, was made in 1993 and assigned to Wyoming ANG around 2007. In the 80's the Wyoming ANG had much older C-130B aircraft. The stripe style tail flash didn't come around until the mid-1990s. In the 80's Wyoming C-130's would have had a large black "WY" on their tail. The 6-bladed props didn't appear until after 1999 (first on C-130 J models). (00:03:48)
Factual error: Sierra Nevada beer would not have been available in DC during this time period.
Open House - S3-E3
Factual error: A Su-27 model, apparently in the Russian air force aeronautics colours, is shown in front of a window. They were not introduced until 1985.
