Lincoln LS Reliability — Best and Worst Years by the Data

Quick answer

The 2000 draws 6.7 complaints per run and the 2003 2.68, a 2.5-fold gap within the same model. Half of all complaints arrive by 5 years of age, so 70.6% land after the 4-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Suspension, with 241 complaints, typically at 7.3 years.

Lincoln LS years to avoid — and the best ones

FIG.01·Lincoln LS — complaint rate by model year
Model year	Per run	Complaints	Runs	Enough history?
2006	1	13	13	yes
2005	3.32	73	22	yes
2004	3.23	71	22	yes
2003	2.68	59	22	yes
2002	3.67	88	24	yes
2001	6.35	197	31	yes
2000	6.7	288	43	yes

ROWS 7·SOURCE NHTSA complaints, grouped by VIN production run

Does the market discount it? In our listings a 2000 LS asks a median $2,500, against $4,000 for a 2001, the next model year: about 38% less, so sellers do price some of the trouble in.

Among the 6 Lincoln LS years with enough history, the three to walk away from are 2000, 2001, 2002; the three worth hunting are 2003, 2004, 2005.

When it starts to break

FIG.02·Lincoln LS — age at failure
Age at failure	Complaints	Running total	Warranty
0 years	57	7.8%	covered
1 year	61	16.2%	covered
2 years	33	20.7%	covered
3 years	63	29.4%	covered
4 years	64	38.1%	you pay
5 years	91	50.6%	you pay
6 years	68	59.9%	you pay
7 years	76	70.4%	you pay
8 years	61	78.7%	you pay
9 years	33	83.3%	you pay
10 years	27	87%	you pay
11 years	16	89.2%	you pay
12 years	23	92.3%	you pay
13 years	19	94.9%	you pay
14 years	19	97.5%	you pay
15 years	18	100%	you pay

ROWS 16·SOURCE NHTSA complaints with incident dates

Basic warranty on this car is 4 years / 50,000 miles. Only 29.4% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 70.6% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (4 years / 50,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for about 26% of the complaints here.

What actually fails — and at what age

On the Lincoln LS, the early trouble is Service Brakes and Hydraulic — reported at around 3.9 years, so a car still under warranty is the one to check for it. What waits further out is Suspension at 7.3 years — past every basic warranty, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car then.

FIG.03·Lincoln LS — what fails and when
System	Complaints	Typical age	Crash	Fire
Suspension	241	7.3 yrs	13	1
Engine And Engine Cooling	110	4.2 yrs	5	—
Air Bags	107	5.9 yrs	23	—
Power Train	95	6.1 yrs	3	2
Electrical System	80	5 yrs	6	2
Vehicle Speed Control	60	4.7 yrs	17	—
Service Brakes	59	3.9 yrs	10	—
Hydraulic	45	2.4 yrs	8	—

ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaints

What else in this class

6 models share the LS's vehicle class. Per production run, the Toyota Camry draws 5.65, the Honda Accord 4.02 and the Dodge Challenger 3.27, against 4.67 for the LS.

FIG.05·Lincoln LS — rivals in the same class
Same class as the LS	Complaints on record	Recall campaigns	Years built
Toyota Camry	20,039	161	1983–2026
Honda Accord	24,369	415	1981–2026
Dodge Challenger	1,696	77	1981–2026
Toyota Prius	12,873	109	2001–2026
Hyundai Elantra	9,090	117	1992–2026
Nissan Altima	15,657	148	1993–2026

ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints and recall campaigns

The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.

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Everything on the Lincoln LS

Recalls7 campaigns Fuel economy21 mpg best Common problems1,008 complaints Check a VINAgainst this exact build Cargo space13 cu ft Used prices84 listings What yours is worthValue by year & mileage Window stickerOriginal Monroney label Decode a VINWhat each character means About this car2000–2006

Frequently asked questions

Is the Lincoln LS reliable?

By complaints per production run it is worse than typical: 4.67 against 3.73 for the average car, and in the middle of its class rivals.

Which LS years should you avoid?

By complaints per production run, 2000, 2001, 2002. The cleanest years old enough to judge are 2003, 2004, 2005. Years newer than 6 are left out: complaints keep arriving for years after a car is sold.

When do LS problems usually start?

Half of all complaints arrive by 5 years of age. The most reported system is Suspension, typically at 7.3 years, followed by Engine and Engine Cooling.

Will the warranty cover LS problems?

Mostly not: basic cover is 4 years / 50,000 miles, and only 29.4% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 26% of the complaints here.

Is the LS more reliable than the Toyota Camry?

Yes: 4.67 complaints per production run for the LS against 5.65 for the Toyota Camry.

Complaint records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Rates, age-at-failure and warranty coverage computed by ForCar. Model years newer than 6 years are excluded from rankings — complaints accumulate for a decade (how we measure). Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.

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