2001 Lincoln Ls

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Ls years

Owner complaints for the 2001 Lincoln Ls are substantially higher than the model-year median of 91.

Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.

About this comparison →

240Owner complaints

Model-year median: 91

1Recall campaigns

View recall details →

0Investigations

View investigation details →

Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

Inspection summary

2001 Lincoln Ls

NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 240 owner complaints · 1 recall campaigns · 0 investigations.

Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.

Top reported categories (up to 5)

Suspension: 110 reports
Air Bags: 33 reports
Engine And Engine Cooling: 26 reports
Visibility: 16 reports
Electrical System: 14 reports

Full reported-category list and vehicle report

Recall links

00V359001 — Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint

Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year

Compare all Ls years →

Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Suspension

110Air Bags

33 Engine And Engine Cooling

26 Visibility

16 Electrical System

All reported categories

Power Train

14 Steering

14 Service Brakes, Hydraulic

12 Structure

11 Vehicle Speed Control

3 Fuel System, Gasoline

2 Tires

2 Interior Lighting

1 Latches/locks/linkages

1 Service Brakes

1 Traction Control System

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

0–25K

25–50K

50–75K

75–100K

100–150K

150K+

166 reports with mileage · 74 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

Suspension. Review the 110 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Air Bags. Review the 33 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

20 crash reports1 fire reports11 injury reports

Power Train complaints

14 reports

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81,000 miles · May 7, 2005

Power Train

TRANSMISSION FIRST BEGAN SHIFTING ROUGHLY INTO REVERSE, JERKING THE VEHICLE BACKWARD. THEN THE TRANSMISSION ALSO BEGAN ROUGH SHIFTS INTO 1ST AND 2ND GEAR. PCM WAS REPROGRAMMED BY DEALER 8/04. PROBLEM BEGAN TO OCCUR EVEN WORSE. RETURNED TO DEALER AND DEALER PERFORMED ENGINE DIAGNOSITC, THEN DID THIS: "AC BDY ASY-TRANS SOL SHF…

Read full complaint

NHTSA ODI #10120169

Mileage unknown · Jun 14, 2003

Engine And Engine CoolingPower Train

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

NHTSA ODI #10023076

Mileage unknown · Jul 13, 2001

Electrical SystemEquipmentPower Train

INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS DEFECTIVE. RPMS AND SPEED GAUGES WOULD START TURNING/ RADIO SUDDENLY SHUT OFF, AND THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL FROM TIME TO TIME. *AK

NHTSA ODI #892762

Mileage unknown · Apr 13, 2001

Air BagsElectrical SystemPower TrainCrash

Read full complaint

VEHICLE HAD ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, GEARSHIFT PANEL LIGHTS WENT OUT/ BACK UP LIGHT WERE NOT WORKING. *AK CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE DRIFTED ACROSS THE CENTER LANE AND SIDESWIPED 2 VEHICLES, THERE WERE NO INJURIES, HOWEVER THERE WAS PROPERTY DAMAGE, CONSUMER FEELS THIS IS RELATED TO RECALL 00V359001, PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, CONSUMER HAD ALIGNMENT ISSUES WITH VEHICLE AND HAD THE LOWER BALL JOINT REPLACED. CLOCK SPRING WAS REPLACED AND DEALER HAD TO REPOSITION A DROPPED AIR BAG. *SLC

NHTSA ODI #885878

Recall campaigns

00V359001 · Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint

Nov 3, 2000

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE NOT TIGHTENED TO SPECIFICATIONS WHEN THEY WERE ATTACHED TO THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF THE BALL JOINT ATTACHING NUTS ARE NOT ADEQUATELY TIGHTENED, THEY CAN LOOSEN AND, ULTIMATELY, RESULT IN FRACTURE OF THE BALL JOINT STUD. IF THE BALL JOINT FRACTURES, CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE COULD BE AFFECTED, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE TORQUE ON THE TWO BALL JOINT ATTACHING NUTS. VEHICLES WITH LOOSE BALL JOINT ATTACHING NUTS WILL EITHER HAVE THE FASTENERS TIGHTENED TO SPECIFICATION, OR IF NECESSARY, THE BALL JOINTS WILL BE REPLACED.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

Defect investigations

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.