U.S. public vehicle records

2003 Lincoln LS problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

68 owner complaints analyzed

1 distinct recall campaigns

59,788 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2003 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 57 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Power Train is the most frequently named component, appearing in 13 of 68 complaints (19.1%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Transmission and shifting	18	26.5%
Braking behavior	15	22.1%
Steering behavior	8	11.8%
Engine operation	6	8.8%
Electrical and battery issues	3	4.4%
Fuel system concerns	1	1.5%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Power Train

Electrical System

Engine

Air Bags:Side/Window

Suspension

Vehicle Speed Control

Wheels

Engine And Engine Cooling

Power Train: 13; Electrical System: 7; Engine: 7; Air Bags:Side/Window: 6; Suspension: 6; Vehicle Speed Control: 6; Wheels: 6; Engine And Engine Cooling: 5

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 16; 25,000 to 49,999: 8; 50,000 to 74,999: 10; 75,000 to 99,999: 10; 100,000 to 149,999: 8; 150,000 and above: 5

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (16). 11 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2021

2022

2003: 3; 2004: 14; 2005: 3; 2006: 4; 2007: 3; 2008: 8; 2009: 4; 2010: 4; 2011: 5; 2012: 1; 2013: 1; 2014: 3; 2015: 3; 2016: 2; 2017: 2; 2018: 3; 2019: 3; 2021: 1; 2022: 1

Pattern summary

Power Train leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 18 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 15 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 8 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10071386 · 2004-01-15 (January 15, 2004)

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.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10071386 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10128400 · 2005-07-12 (July 12, 2005)

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.

Owner-reported narrative. 2,300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10128400 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10067899 · 2004-04-27 (April 27, 2004)

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

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10067899 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10074772 · 2004-06-04 (June 4, 2004)

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 RE…

Owner-reported narrative. 7,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10074772 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10053664 · 2004-02-19 (February 19, 2004)

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

Owner-reported narrative. 14,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10053664 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10081061 · 2004-07-14 (July 14, 2004)

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

Owner-reported narrative. 11,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10081061 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10164473 · 2006-08-04 (August 4, 2006)

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE ELEVATED FOLLOWED BY WHITE STEAM ERUPTING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. ADDITIONALLY, THE AUTOMATIC STABILITY TRACTION CONTROL ACTIVATED WHICH CAUSES THE ENGINE TO STALL. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE TRACTION ASSIST CLUSTER SENSORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM PERSISTED.

Owner-reported narrative. 40,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10164473 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10212443 · 2007-12-20 (December 20, 2007)

CAR HAS CONSISTENTLY JUST SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING (ROUGHLY 30 TIMES IN THE LAST YEAR). BEEN INTO THE DEALER NO LESS THAN 10 TIMES. HAD THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF VALVE COVERS, COILS, PLUGS GASKETS, WINDSHIELD WIPER COMPONENTS REPLACED. NO CHANGE. CAR WILL STILL DIE WHENEVER IT FEELS LIKE IT. LINCOLN/FORD COULD CARE LESS, AND THE DEALER AND FIELD ENGINEERS SEEM TIRED OF SEEING MY CAR. CONSTANT MOVEMENT OF BRAKE PEDAL IN RHYTHM WITH WINDSHIELD WIPERS. DEALER HAS TRIED TO FIX NUMEROUS TIMES AND THE PROBLEM IS WORSE NOW THEN WHEN THEY STARTED. FR…

Owner-reported narrative. 39,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10212443 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10595849 · 2014-06-03 (June 3, 2014)

CAR HESITATES ON ACCELERATION SINCE IT WAS NEW. TOOK THE CAR TO THE SELLING DEALER AND THEY COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. THE CONDITION GOT WORSE. WHEN TRAVELING DOWN THE HIGHWAY THE CAR STARTS BUCKING AND MISFIRING. TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE SELLING LINCOLN DEALERSHIP (SESI LINCOLN MERCURY). THEY DEALERSHIP SAID THE DRIVERS DOOR NEEDED ADJUSTMENT. THIS MADE NO SENSE TO ME AND DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THE CAR WENT OUT OF WARRANTY SHORTLY AFTER THAT. NOW CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY AND CAR HESITATES, BUCKS, STALLS AND RUNS ROUGH, MISFI…

Owner-reported narrative. 1 miles reported. Look up ODI 10595849 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10001835 · 2003-01-02 (January 2, 2003)

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

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10001835 at NHTSA ↗