2003 Lincoln LS problems
Owners have filed 113 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Lincoln LS. Drivetrain & axles is the most reported problem area, at 13% of complaints. Next are engine (13%) and electrical system (11%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 113 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Drivetrain & axles 13% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 3 and 0
- Injuries and deaths
- 3 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 59,000 miles 95 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 20 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 17 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 13 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 18 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 8 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 9 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 4 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 3 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 3 |
What the data shows
Of the 95 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 59,000 miles. For drivetrain & axles specifically, the median reported mileage is about 82,000 miles (14 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 3 complaints mention a crash; 3 injuries reported. Its complaints are less severe on average than those of 83% of model years in our database.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2003 ranks 6th most-complained-about out of 7 model years of the Lincoln LS with enough data (60 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 1 safety recall campaign.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
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.
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.
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.
Shifts hard, when in 20-30 MPH, in gear 2 and 3. After diagnostic, dealer said it may be transmission, but they have to tear it apart. If bands, torque converter, or solenoid pack they have to tear down and rebuild. He did say that one of the solenoids went outer if bands were bent, they would have to rebuild the transmission for a cost of $2500 - $3500. I have read all over the internet where people are complaining about hard shifting and transmission problems. It seems that the part was defective by design.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 lincoln ls. While driving various speeds, the gear shifter became difficult to maneuver. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.