What breaks most · 2000 to 2006 model years
Lincoln LS problems by year
Owners have filed 982 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Lincoln LS across model years 2000 to 2006. Three years stand out: 2000 for suspension complaints, 2001 for suspension complaints and 2002 for engine and cooling complaints. The quietest years are 2003 and 2004.
- Years to check closely: 2000, 2001, 2002
- Fewest complaints: 2003, 2004
- Complaints on file
- 9822000 to 2006, all trims
- Worst year
- 2000354 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 763 fires · 57 injuries · 2 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 76kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 4Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 354 | 18 | 1 | Suspension (123) | |
| 240 | 20 | 1 | Suspension (110) | |
| 121 | 21 | 0 | Engine and cooling (25) | |
| 68 | 3 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (20) | |
| 91 | 8 | 0 | Engine and cooling (25) | |
| 90 | 4 | 1 | Electrical system (21) | |
| 18 | 2 | 0 | Air bags (4) |
What fails on the 2000 Lincoln LS
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 35% |
123 | 4 | Shop suspension parts for the 2000 Lincoln LS |
| Air bags | 13% |
47 | 7 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 12% |
42 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2000 Lincoln LS |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 11% |
38 | 2 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 7% |
24 | 1 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2000 Lincoln LS |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 6% |
22 | 6 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2000 Lincoln LS |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 6% |
20 | 4 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2000 Lincoln LS |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 6% |
20 | 0 | Shop all visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
My car sways from side to side due to the ball joints not being torqued down properly which can cause loss of control which can end in a fatality. The dealership said their are no recalls yet the number for the recall is 00v359001.
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I got this car in july & shortly thereafter i started hearing a pop here & there in the front end. And its gradually getting worse. I was told to check to see if there may be a recall for the ball or u joints. I need to know if this car is included in a recall or not. And if so how do i go about getting it fixed.
-
Vehicle in firestone, checking why heat blowing cool air, overheated twice since the repairs car has overheated 5 times, every time returned to shop they can't find a problem.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Lincoln LS years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2000, 2001, 2002 carry the most filings on the Lincoln LS. The 2000 alone has 354 complaints, led by suspension.
What is the most common Lincoln LS problem?
On the 2000 model year, the most-reported component is suspension with 123 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Lincoln LS problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Lincoln LS complaints that include mileage is about 76,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.