The Lemon Index
Lincoln LS reliability: problems and recalls.
Owners filed 979 complaints about the 2000 to 2006 Lincoln LS with the government, most about suspension.
No Lemon Index score yet: we don't have reliable sales numbers for this car, so here's what YouTube owners say, next to the raw complaint counts.
YouTube rank and complaints, by model year
YouTube rank: we read 198 YouTube videos about the Lincoln LS and ranked each year with 10 or more videos by how much they praise it vs. how much they talk about problems. It measures tone, not failure rates. Complaints are the raw number owners filed with NHTSA: popular years draw more partly because more were sold, and without usable sales figures we can't turn them into a per-car score.
What owners say on YouTube
2000–2006 LS · 190 most-watched videos
Owners praise
Owners complain about
Before you buy, watch
Praise and complaints: the share of each generation's most-watched videos that mention a topic with a praise or trouble word next to it, in the title or what's said. YouTube rank: how positive owners and reviewers sound, compared with every car of the same model year. It measures tone, not failure rates. Videos belong to their creators; we link to them.
Complaints and recalls by model year
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 351 | 1 |
| 2001 | 240 | 1 |
| 2002 | 121 | 0 |
| 2003 | 68 | 1 |
| 2004 | 91 | 0 |
| 2005 | 90 | 1 |
| 2006 | 18 | 0 |
Popular years draw more complaints partly because more were sold. We don't have usable sales for this model, so these are counts, not a score.
What owners complain about
| System | Share of complaints |
|---|---|
| Suspension | 22% |
| Engine | 11% |
| Airbags | 10% |
| Transmission & drivetrain | 9% |
| Electrical | 8% |
| Speed control | 6% |
When problems show up
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 46,000 and 103,000 miles. The middle report was at 74,955 miles, from 699 complaints.
How serious
| Crashes | Fires | Injury reports | Death reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| 75 | 3 | 54 | 2 |
As reported by owners to NHTSA. Not verified.
In owners' words
Vehicle stalls intermittently while traveling at any speed. Dealership has examined vehicle, and cannot determine a cause for this problem. Please provide any additional information / documentation.
2000 Lincoln LS owner · NHTSA complaint 899204
Vehicle had electrical problems, gearshift panel lights went out/ back up light were not working.
2001 Lincoln LS owner · NHTSA complaint 885878
While applying the brakes vehicle will stall without prior warning. Consumer had no power steering or brakes.
2002 Lincoln LS owner · NHTSA complaint 10022603
Recalls 3
05V113000 Mar 2005 Fuel System, Gasoline / Storage
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE FUEL TANK MAY HAVE A LOCALIZED THIN WALL SECTION IN THE LOWER HALF OF THE TANK. THE FUEL TANK MAY CRACK CREATING A POTENTIAL FOR A FUEL LEAK AND FUEL ODOR. THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" INDICATOR MAY ILLUMINATE.
Fix. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL TANK FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 4, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673, LINCOLN AT 1-800-521-4140.
03V136000 Apr 2003 Wheels
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 17 INCH CHROME WHEELS, THE CHROME WHEELS WERE NOT HEAT-TREATED. THESE WHEELS MAY CRACK AT THE LUG-NUT HOLES, WHICH COULD RESULT IN THE LOSS OF THE LUG-NUT TORQUE.
Fix. DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE WHEELS TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE WHEELS HAVE BEEN HEAT-TREATED. ANY WHEEL THAT HAS NOT BEEN HEAT-TREATED WILL BE REPLACED. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN APRIL 14, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT LINCOLN AT 1-800-521-4140.
00V359001 Nov 2000 Suspension / Front / Control Arm / Lower Ball Joint
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE NOT TIGHTENED TO SPECIFICATIONS WHEN THEY WERE ATTACHED TO THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS.
Fix. DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE TORQUE ON THE TWO BALL JOINT ATTACHING NUTS. VEHICLES WITH LOOSE BALL JOINT ATTACHING NUTS WILL EITHER HAVE THE FASTENERS TIGHTENED TO SPECIFICATION, OR IF NECESSARY, THE BALL JOINTS WILL BE REPLACED.
Recall repairs are free at any dealer. Check the exact car's VIN for open recalls.
Quick answers
What are the most common Lincoln LS problems?
In owner complaints to the government, the top areas are suspension, engine, airbags.
How many recalls does the Lincoln LS have?
3 safety recalls on record for the 2000 to 2006 models.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, YouTube videos (titles and channels link to them). We don't give this model a Lemon Index because we don't have its sales by year yet. Complaints are owner reports, not proof of a defect.
Updated · Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com)
. Get the data