There are 24 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2001 Lincoln LSin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
THE PLASTIC TENSIONERS THAT THE MANUFACTURER PUT IN BROKE CAUSING A HUGE ENGINE MISFIRE. THE VEHICLE HAD THESE PLASTIC TENSIONERS BUT A RECALL SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED AS IT APPEARS SOMEONE KNEW ABOUT THIS SINCE MANUFACTURER CAME UP WITH GENERATION II AND GENERATION III AND THESE ADDED GENERATIONS, ARE MADE OF METAL WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN PLACED WHEN THEY FIRST BUILT THE ENGINE. AWESOME ENGINE, LOUSY TENSIONERS THAT AT HIGH SPEEDS, COULD HAVE CAUSE ME TO LOSE CONTROL AND PERHAPS GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT OR KILLED MYSELF OR KILL SOME ONE ELSE. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THERE IS A RECALL FOR THESE TENSIONERS. I AM ABOUT TO SPEND 1,500 TOP REPLACE THEM. *TR
THE PLASTIC TENSIONER FOR TIMING CHAIN BROKE DUE TO BEING MADE OF PLASTIC. INTERNAL PARTS SHOULD NOT BE PLASTIC. ALTHOUGH NO ACCIDENT, CAR IS DISABLED. WHOEVER BUILT THOSE CARS, HAVE NO REGARD FOR SAFETY. *TR
MY AIR BAGS LIGHTS ARE ALWAYS ON FOR NO REASON, I DONT FEEL SAFE DRIVING IT BECAUAE IM SCARE ITS GOIN TO BRAKE DOWN ON MY ONE DAY AND I HAVE MY NEW BORN BABY WITH ME MOST OF THE TIME I DRIVE THE CAR. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 LINCOLN LS. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT HE WOULD NEED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE DUE TO THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER BEING FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 126,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. UPDATED 04/15/11*LJ UPDATED 12/19/2011 *LN
THE CAR STARTED MAKING KNOCKING NOISE WHILE RIDING ON HWY 85 AND I PULLED OVER OFF ON AN EXIT AND THE CAR STOP WOULD NOT CRANK. IT ONLY HAPPEN THIS ONE TIME. IT HAD TO BE TOWED. I HAD TO BUY A NEW ENGINE. MY LINCOLN LS ONLY HAS 108,000 MILES ON IT. MY CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AND I TOOK THE CAR FOR INSPECTION. THE SPARK PLUGS WERE REPLACED AND THE FAILURE SEEMED TO BE REMEDIED HOWEVER , THE VEHICLE BEGIN TO BACKFIRE AND DRIVE ABNORMALLY ROUGH ,,IN ADDITION , THE ENGINE WOULD EXHIBIT ABNORMAL NOISES AND AN OVERPOWERING OIL ODOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS IN FORMED THAT THE HEAD GASKET AND COIL WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000 AND THE CURRANT MILEAGE WAS108,000. THE POWER WINDOWS HAVE FAILED TWO TIMES AND THE PAINT IS PEELING. I BOUGHT THIS LINCOLN LS BECAUSE I NEW IT WAS A GOOD CAR BUYING IT FROM THE FORD & MERCURY DEALER . I M SAD TO SAY THEY HAVE LET ME DOWN AND I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE PAYING DOUBLE FOR IT. I AM A PERSON WHO BELIEVE IN TAKING CARE OF WHAT I LIVE TO PAY FOR. I ALWAYS KEEP UP WITH OIL CHANGING AND KEEPING A CLEAN CAR . I HAVE OVER PAID MORE THAN WHAT THIS 2001 LS LINCOLN IS WORTH. I AM SERIOUSLY THINKING ABOUT NOT BUYING ANOTHER FORD VEHICLE AGAIN.THE COST OF AN NEW ENGINE AND OTHER REPAIRS OUT OF POCKET REPAIRS COST ME OVER $7000.00 IN CASH ADDED ON TO MY CAR BEING PAID OFF. I PAID $ 23000.00 AND MAID MY PAYMENTS ON TIME . THANK YOU FOR YOUR SINCERE CONCERN. *TR
2001 LINCOLN LS WITH V8. VEHICLE HAD 70,000 MILES WHEN PURCHASED ONE YEAR AGO, NOW HAS 102,000. I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE ENGINE MISFIRES (WHICH CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO STALL OR SPUTTER DURING ACCELERATION,) WHICH RESULTED IN ME HAVING TO REPLACE THE COIL ON PLUG ASSEMBLIES AND SPARK PLUGS. THE REASON THESE COIL PACKS GO BAD IS BECAUSE OF A DEFECTIVE VALVE COVER GASKET, WHICH LEADS TO OIL GETTING IN THE SPARK PLUG WELLS. FORD HAS RECOGNIZED THE VALVE COVER GASKETS FROM THE FACTORY ARE FAULTY, BECAUSE THE REPLACEMENT GASKETS THEY MANUFACTURE ARE MADE OF A BETTER MATERIAL. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON BOTH VALVE COVER GASKETS AND THE COIL ON PLUG ASSEMBLIES. I NOTICED THAT THE FORD THUNDERBIRDS USE THE SAME 3.9L V8 ENGINE, HAS THE SAME PROBLEM, AND FORD HAS ISSUED A RECALL FOR THE VALVE COVER GASKETS ON THESE ENGINES, JUST NOT FOR THE LINCOLN LS. *TR
2000 TO 2006 LINCOLN LS ALL HAVE MISFIRE PROBLEMS , COMING FROM FAULTY VALVE COVER GASKETS, 2000 TO 2006 FORD T-BIRDS HAVE SAME PROBLEM, ONLY THING IS THE LINCOLN DIDN'T MADE THE RECALL LIST . SAME ENGINE THOUGH, SEEMS THAT THE VALVE COVER GASKET LEAKS OIL INTO SPARK PLUG WELLS CAUSING SHORT AND MISFIRE. *TR
SEVERAL ENGINE MISFIRES CAUSED BY LEAKING OIL. COIL PACKS, BOOTS, SPARK PLUGS, AND THE IGNITION SWITCH HAVE BEEN REPLACED. ON SEPARATE OCCASIONS, WE HAVE FIXED THE REAR AND DRIVER SIDE WINDOWS WHICH FELL IN THE WINDOW TRACKS, THE TRUNK RELEASE WAS REPAIRED, THE REAR VIEW MIRROR SHOOK WHEN DRIVING AND THE BRAKES ARE STILL SQUEAKING SINCE WE BOUGHT THE CAR. *TR
MIS-FIRING COILS DUE TO FAULTY DESIGN OF VALVE COVER GASKETS. HAD TO REPLACE ALL 8 COILS AND VALVE COVER GASKET SEALS. PARTS $$ OVER 800, LABOR FOR WORK WAS ANOTHER $1000. *NM
THE CAR WAS RUNNING OUT OF COOLANT VERY FAST. THEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT KEPT COMING ON. YOU CAN SMELL FUMES COMING THROUGH THE HEATING VENTS. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER & OIL IS MIXING WITH THE SPARK PLUGS & WITH A WATER MIDST. BOUGHT THE CAR IN 09/2005 WITH 39,000 MILES. ENGINE NEEDS REPLACED AT 67,000 MILES. HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR IN 5 MONTHS. ESTIMATE COST TO REPLACE WITH A USED ENGINE IS $3,794.60. THE DEALER SOLD THIS CAR IN THIS CONDITION. THEY NEED TO RECALL ALL THE LINCOLN LS. *JB
STALLING AT IDLE, ENGINE CODES 171,174 BOTH BANKS LEAN FUEL MIXTURE. REPAIRED AT DEALER $450 FOR PVC HOSE FAILURE. OTHERS HAVE THE SAME FAILURE. *JB
INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED. OWNER WENT TO START THE VEHICLE AND THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION UNDER THE HOOD, AND A PUFF OF SMOKE THAT SMELLED LIKE FIRE WORKS CAME FROM UNDER THE HOOD. OWNER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHO DISCOVERED A CRACKED INTAKE MANIFOLD, AND 4 FUEL INJECTOR WAS NOT WORKING. *AK *NM
WHILE STOPPED IN TRAFFIC OR WAITING AT A STOP SIGN, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY PICKS UP ACCELERATION TO 4-5 THOUSAND RPM - THIS OVERPOWERS THE BREAK POWER AND THE VEHICLE FORCES ITSELF AHEAD OR INTO TRAFFIC - ONLY FLIPPING THE GEAR SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL AVERTED A DISASTER.. THE ACCELERATION CYCLE LASTED 15-20 SECONDS.*AK
MY 2001 LINCOLN LS V8 HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP NUMEROUS TIMES, WAY MORE THAN I CAN REMEMBER. THERE HAS BEEN ISSUES WITH THE IGNITION COILS, HYDRAULIC FANS, STARTER, COIL PADS. THIS HAS ALL BEEN REPAIRED WITH NUMEROUS AMOUNTS OF DOLLARS. I CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO KEEP UP WITH THIS CAR. THERE IS CONSTANT MISS FIRES AND BAD SHIFTING. *TR
DT: THIS VEHICLE HAS 8 COILS IN IT. ITS HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERS 8 TIMES. THEY REPLACED THE COILS IN THE ENGINE #'S 4,6,7, AND 2. THIS FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED WAS ON SEPTEMBER 3, 2003. CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, THEY SAY NOTHING THEY COULD DO. THIS WAS NOT A DEPENDABLE VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT IF ONE COIL FAILED, THEY ALL WILL FAIL. *AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WENT THROUGH A PUDDLE OF WATER AND DIED OUT. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THIS WAS CAUSED BY WATER GETTING INTO THE ENGINE MOTOR AND BLOWING IT. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS. TS
WHINE IN ENGINE OR TRANSMISSION DURING IDLE WHEN THE ENGINE RPM IS INCREASED OR DECREASED. NOISE IS MORE NOTICEABLE AT CITY SPEEDS (1000 TO 1400 RPM).PITCH CHANGES WITH ENGINE RPM. *NLM
DURING NORMAL OPERATION, WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE CAR SUDDENLY SHUT DOWN WITHOUT WARNING. ATTEMPTS TO RESTART (10), ENGINE WOULD TURN OVER BUT SHUT DOWN IMMEDIATELY ON IDLE. DEALER REPROGRAMED PCM WITH LATEST UPDATE.*AK
ENGINE STALLED DURING NORMAL OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH. CONSUMER LOST CONTROL BEFORE TRAVELING INTO A DITCH. DEALERSHIP HAS EXAMINED VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THAT ALTERNATOR FAILED WHICH RESULTED IN STALLING OF ENGINE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / DOCUMENTATION. *NOTE: ENGINE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPLACED IN SEPTEMBER 2001 DUE TO AN UNKNOWN PROBLEM.*AK
VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE IS WATER IN STREET. THE DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK
Showing 1–20 of 24 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026