WITH APPROX. 2300 MILES, TRANSMISSION WENT. TOOK 31 DAYS TO REPAIR. LESS THAN 50 MILES UPON IT'S RETURN, IT WENT AGAIN. AFTER 11 DAYS, VEHICLE WAS RETURNED, SO FAR (800 MILES), IT APPEARS TO BE WORKING WELL.
2003 Lincoln LS complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2003 record →
SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED IN PASSENGER SEAT WHILE CRUISING AT A SPEED OF APROX 65 MPH IN LEASED CAR. 2003 LINCOLN LS SEDAN. I WAS IN PASSENGER SEAT AND ARM & EAR WERE INJURED. DID NOT HIT OR RUN OVER ANYTHING. DEALER IS CLAIMING CAUSED BY ROAD DEBRIS OR SMALL ROCKS, AND THEREFORE IS OUR FAULT AND NEEDS TO BE PAID FOR BUY US OR AUTO INSURANCE. CLAIMING AIR BAGS NEVER GO OFF ON THEIR OWN. *JB
DRIVER WAS SLOWLY APPROACHING A LOW CURB WHILE PARKING IN A CHURCH PARKING LOT CAR WAS MOVING AT NO MORE THAN 1 OR 2 MILES PER HOUR AS THE CURB WAS APPROACHED AND THE BRAKE WAS LIGHTLY APPLIED PENDING A FULL STOP. VEHICLE SUDDENLY LURCHED FORWARD WITH THE SOUND OF HIGH ENGINE REVOLUTIONS. CAR CROSSED OVER A THREE FOOT WIDE SIDEWALK AND COLLIDED WITH TWO TREES JUST BEYOND THE SIDEWALK. SKID MARKS ON THE SIDEWALK INDICATED THAT THE BRAKE WAS FIRMLY APPLIED AS THE CAR CROSSED IT UNDER UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. CAR HAS BEEN AT DEALER BODY SHOP FOR ALMOST 10 DAYS FOR REPAIRS. DEALER PROMISES TO "DIAGNOSE" ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MECHANISM BEFORE RETURNING CAR TO OWNER. TELEPHONE CALL TO LINCOLN ELICITED NO INTEREST AND FIRM DENIAL THAT SUCH PROBLEM HAD EVER BEEN REPORTED TO THE COMPANY. WE WERE UNSURE THAT THIS CAR WAS SAFE TO OPERATE.
DRIVING VEHICLE ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT 70MPH ALIGNMENT STOPPED WORKING, THE EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL LIGHTS WENT OUT, ENGINE, POWER STEERING, POWER BRAKES STOPPED WORKING FOR 5 OR MORE SECONDS. THIS OCCURRED TWICE WITHIN FIVE MINUTES AT 4:00 AM LEAVING THE VEHICLE ROLLING DOWN THE HIGHWAY IN THE DARK.*AK
HEADREST ARE TOO LARGE. *JB
SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT IN PASSANGER SEAT WHILE CRUSING AT SPEED LIMIT OF 55MPH IN MY LEASED COMPANY CAR; A 2003 LINCOLN LS SEDAN. WE DID NOT HIT OR RUN OVER ANYTHING. DEALER IS STATING WE MUST HAVE DONE SO. MY WIFE'S ARM, BACK AND SHOULDER WERE BRUISED IN THE INCIDENT.*AK
2003 LINCOLN LS 3/15/04- EXPERIENCING CLICKING NOISE ON RIGHT TURNS, SUN ROOF LEAKS UNDER CARWASH,AND VEHICLE COASTS TO THE RIGHT. DEALER STATES THAT SUN OOF NOT MADE TO WITHSTAND SUCH PRESSURE, VEHICLE COASTS BECAUSE CARS ARE MADE TO COAST TO THE RIGHT IN CASE YOU FALL ASLEEP IT WOULD AVOID HEAD-ON COLLISON ON LEFT, CLICKING NOISE IS BRACKET ASSEMBLY, SHOCK ASSEMBY AND FRONT COIL. DEALER REPAIRED ONLY CLICKING NOISE FROM 3/15/04 TO 4/7/04. I PICKED UP THE CAR AND DROVE ~ 10 MILES WHEN THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON AND HAD TO RETURN VEHICLE. FINAL REPAIRED ON 4/9/04. *AK
TRIED TO START VEHICLE AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT STAY ON AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE.CONTACTED DEALER AND ARRANGED FOR TOW TRUCK . ON 6/3/04 CONTACTED DEALER FOR STATUS REPORT AND TO ARRANGE FOR ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION. SERVICE REP. STATES THAT VEHICLE THROTTLE ASSEMBLY FAILED THEREFORE NOT ALLOWING OXYGEN INTO THE ENGINE. APPROXIMATE PART ARRIVAL IS 3 DAYS. I DO BELIVE THIS VEHICLE IS A LEMON. NEVER PURCHASING ANOTHER LINCOLN.*AK
THE CONSUMER STATED IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SHIFT GEARS. *JB
2003 LINCOLN LS HAS HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS. 1. VEHICLE VIBRATES EXCESSIVELY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS - DEALER STATES THIS IS THE LUXURY THAT IS THE LINCOLN. 2. CD PLAYER HAS BROKEN TWICE - RADIO SYSTEM REPLACED ONCE, NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. 3. ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM WENT OUT - DEALER FIXED.*AK
WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS VEHICLE VIBRATED. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO INSISTED THERE WAS NO RESOLUTION FOR THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE IT WAS A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VEHICLE. *AK
RADIO/INDASH CD PLAYER HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE. STILL VERY LIMITED RECEPTION ON RADIO, BOTH FM AND AM STATIONS. CAR HAS BEEN RETURNED TO DEALERSHIP MANY TIMES, EACH TIME I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THEY RUN "DIAGNOSTICS". WHILE RADIO HAS BEEN REPLACED, THE CABLE BETWEEN SYSTEM AND ANTENNA (LOCATED IN REAR WINDOW) HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED. FORD AND DEALERSHIP READILY ADMIT THAT A SIMILAR PROBLEM EXISTED PREVIOUSLY ON TOWN CARS, BUT NOTHING REPORTED IN LS. THEREFORE, THEY CANNOT REPLACE CABLE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH CONSUMER KEPT HEARING A GRINDING/METAL ON METAL SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER, WHO INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT A NEW RACK PINION STEERING ASSEMBLY WAS NEEDED. MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK THIS WAS A COMMON FAILURE IN THE 2003 LS AFTER 11K MILES. *SC
LEFT SIDE AIRBAG SPONTANEOUSLY DEPLOYED IN 2003 LINCOLN LS INJURING ROTATOR CUFF OF DRIVER. THERE WAS NO IMPACT, SIDE OR OTHERWISE. TALC BLINDED THE DRIVER, THE EXPLOSION WAS LOUD AND BURNING ON ARM AND SHOULDER MADE DRIVER THINK THE CAR HAD EXPLODED AND CAUSED PANIC TRYING TO GET OFF THE ROAD AND GET THE CAR STOPPED. WAS ON LIGHTLY TRAVELLED, SMOOTH ROAD, LITTLE TRAFFIC. *AK
SPARK KNOCK UNDER LOAD (PASSING OR FROM 0) OCCURS WITH LOW RPM AND HIGH RPM UNDER LOADS CURRENTLY TOLD TO WAIT UNTIL LINCOLN FINDS A FIX SINCE THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OR DEALT WITH THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. TRANSMISSION HAS HAD REPAIRS DONE ALSO. SHIFTING HAS GOTTEN BETTER SINCE REPROGRAMMING OF COMPUTOR. SINCE THIS IS A UNIQUE PROBLEM TO THIS VEHICLE COMPLAINTS ARE NOT TAKEN TOO SERIOUSLY BY LINCOLN OF CANADA.
WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
JUST PURCHASED 03 LINCOLN LS V-8 SPORT THREE WEEKS AGO, ALREADY INTO SERVICE. THE TRANNY IS SLOW ON UP AND DOWN SHIFTS. THE SERVICE DEPT. ( NEIL LINCOLN MERCURY @ 1900 RT 112 MEDFORD NY) SAID THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM ON MY INITIAL CALL, JUST BRING IT IN AND THEY WILL REPROGRAM THE TRANNY SHOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM. MY SECOND COMPLAINT IS I NOTICED AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF UNCOMFORTALBE HEAT UNDERNEATH THE DRIVER SIDE DASH WHILE DRIVING, I SUSPECT THIS IS DUE TO THE LACK OF AN INSULATED COVER. THIS COVER I COME TO FIND OUT WAS IN THE 2000, 2001, 2002, MODEL YEARS. UNFORTUNATELY SOME GENUIS DECIDED TO FORGET IT. THAT'S A PROBLEM, AS IT IS NOT JUST A LITTLE WARM, BUT REALLY HOT, I CAN'T IMAGINE MY COMPLAINT WAS THE FIRST FOR THIS, AS NONE OF THE 03'S ARE EQUIPED WITH THIS PROTECTIVE COVER. THE LINCOLN SUPPORT CUSTOMER SERVICE HAS ADVISED ME I MUST TALK WITH SERVICE, AS THIS IS NOT A PART ON THE 03, AND SERVICE TELLS ME TO SPEAK TO LINCOLN, AS THIS IS A VALID COMPLAINT. WHAT THE HECK AM I SUPPOSE TO DO? OH AND BACK TO THE TRANNY WHAT IF IT DECIDES TO JUST GO TO MUSH WHILE I'M CROSSING AN INTERSECTION. TO LATE TO SAY SORRY THEN! I'VE HEARD THAT THE 30,000 MILE TRANNY TUNE UP WILL OFTEN SOLVE THIS TRANNY ISSUE, CAN I MAKE THEM SERVICE IT NOW I'VE GOT 1,500 LOGGED TO DATE. THANK YOU FOR THE ASSISTANCE, IT IS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED, SORRY FOR THE LONG MESSAGE. BRIAN
CONSUMER STATES WHILE TRAVELING WITHOUT ANY INDICATION AN ROCK CRACK FUEL TANK IN RESULT OF LEAKING GAS. DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT FUEL TANK IS MADE OUT OF FIBER GLASS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS
Reading these
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 2003 Lincoln LS → · Every LS year → · How the figures are calculated →