Problems · by component

2001 Lincoln LS engine and engine cooling problems

28 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2001 Lincoln LS cite engine and engine cooling, 11% of all 251 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
28
11% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the engine and engine cooling

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“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”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 4, 2012Engine and engine cooling, Air bagsODI 10454149
“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…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 21, 2011Engine and engine cooling, Visibility, Structure, EquipmentODI 10397077
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2001 LINCOLN LS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER REPLACED THE SPARK PLUGS AND THE FAILURE SEEMED TO BE REMEDIED HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE THEN BEGAN 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 INFORMED THAT THE HEAD GASKET AND COIL SPRINGS WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 108,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 7, 2011Suspension, Engine and engine coolingODI 10386745
“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”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 3, 2011Engine and engine coolingODI 10373907
“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”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 6, 2008Engine and engine coolingODI 10237223
“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”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 2, 2008Engine and engine coolingODI 10229592

Showing 6 of 28 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 11, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Other 2001 LS problem areas