2003 Lincoln LS Brakes Problems

We have owned this car for about 3 years and it has been one problem after another and see same problems on line 1) Will start over heating sometimes at idle sometimes while driving (try being in DFW rush hour traffic and deal with that 2) Wife was driving one day and a bolt on right lower control arm broke sending her across 4 lanes of traffic including on coming. 3) All of a sudden when brake pedal was depressed started hearing vacuum leak under dash, brake pedal real hard , and couldn't hardly get car to stop, traction control light started flashing. Found bad brake booster and sensor located on it (both unavailable from manufacturer), also found on line that to get light to stop flashing you have to take to dealer and have reprogrammed (nobody else has the ability) 4) Have constantly had problem with check engine light staying on and running rough, no power, and having to replace ignition coils 5) While wife was driving with no advance notice of any kind heading home on farm market road with no shoulder to pull off on transmission went out completely and stopped pulling 6) Rear control arm bushings go from ok to extremely bad causing back end to drift from side to side going down the highway in a blink of an eye 7) Right front sway bar link keeps wearing control arm and snapping stud off 8) Sunroof drain hoses constantly failing and allowing water to get to electrical components The list goes on but all you have to do is a online search of the LS sport with the 3.9 v-8 and see all the problems. I was in automotive for over 16 years and every vehicle generally has its know couple problems but this is way beyond that. There hasn't been any accidents or injuries but real close to it.

NHTSA ID

11477698

Incident

Aug 17, 2021

WHILE DRIVING THIS CAR ON A HIGHWAY OR STREET ANY TIME IT ENCOUNTERS SMALL BUMPS THE WHEEL TURNS AND THERE'S A LOUD SLAMMING SOUND FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE OF THE CAR. IT'S WORSE GOING INTO TURNS SPEED DOES NOT MATTER YOU CAN GO SLOW OR FAST AND THE LOUD SLAMMING SOUND IS THERE. IT FEELS VERY UNSAFE AND DANGEROUS. BUT ME BEING A SENIOR CITIZEN WITH A SON WHO AS A DISABILITY WE CANNOT AFFORD TO GET THIS FIXED OUR SELVES. IT STARTED A WHILE AGO BUT WAS NOT THAT BAD BUT IT JUST PROGRESSED AND GOT WORSE. WE NEED THIS CAR FOR DOCTORS APPOINTMENTS AND FOOD SHOPPING. WE CANT TRAVEL FAR FOR FEAR OF BEING IN A CRASH OR BEING STRANDED.

NHTSA ID

11203919

Incident

Feb 1, 2016

Mileage

58,778 mi

COMING TO A STOP APPLIED THE BRAKES PEDDLE WENT TO THE FLOOR MADE A STRANGE NOISE WOULD NOT STOP.ALMOST RAN INTO THE BACK OF THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME.CHECKED OUT COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG EXCEPT SMALL AMOUNT OF BRAKE FLUID AROUND THE MASTER CYLINDER AT THE CAP. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID

10652888

Incident

Oct 8, 2014

Mileage

72,000 mi

ABS LIGHT, PARKING BRAKE AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT COMING ON AND THEN GOING OFF; ONLY TO REAPPEAR AGAIN. AT TIMES, BRAKES ARE NOT PROPERLY WORKING. ENGINE LIGHT WILL ALSO SOMETIMES APPEAR TO BLINK WHEN THIS HAPPENS. I HAVE CALLED THE LINCOLN CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS TOLD THAT ALL WARRANTIES RAN OUT AT 50,000 MILES SO THIS PROBLEM WILL NOT BE COVERED. ALSO AM HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION. THE CAR HAS 90K MILES. THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING UNDER 50K MILES BUT THE DEALERSHIP ASSURED ME THAT IT WAS NOT A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM AND THEY RESET SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE COMPUTER. IT HAS ONLY GOTTEN WORSE. I DID NOT INSIST THAT THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM BE FIXED WHILE UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE I WAS TRUSTING THAT THE DEALERSHIP FOLKS KNEW WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT WHICH IS A LESSON FOR ME. *TR

NHTSA ID

10341840

Incident

Jan 1, 2008

Mileage

80,000 mi

ON A 2003 LINCOLN LS, THE BRAKES HAVE FAILED TO ENGAGE PROPERLY ABOUT A DOZEN TIMES OVER THE PAST 2 YEARS. EACH TIME, THE PAVEMENT IS DRY AND FREE OF DEBRIS OR GRAVEL. WITH EACH INCIDENT, THERE HAS BEEN A 25%-75% LOSS OF BRAKING POWER WITH A GRATING, OR METAL-ON-METAL, SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT END. WE HAVE BROUGHT THE CAR TO THREE DEALERSHIPS AND ONE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO TRY TO RESOLVE THIS, BUT NONE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM. WITH EACH INCIDENT, THE CAR HAS NOT ILLUMINATED ANY WARNING LIGHTS, NOR HAVE THE LIGHTS INDICATING ENGAGEMENT OF ABS/TRACTION CONTROL ILLUMINATED. THE OBDII MODULE HAS NO CODES RELATED TO THESE FAILURES. ALTHOUGH WE HAVE HAD NO INJURIES DUE TO THIS, TWICE NOW THE CAR HAS BEEN UNABLE TO STOP AT STOP SIGNS AND GONE COMPLETELY THROUGH AN INTERSECTION. WE HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT CONDITIONS TRIGGER THE BRAKE FAILURE. RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET (SEARCHING "LINCOLN LS NOISE BRAKES" OR "LINCOLN LS BRAKE FAILURE") INDICATE A NUMBER OF OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME SYMPTOMS, AND IN EACH CASE, IT APPEARS NO MECHANICAL CAUSE HAS BEEN FOUND. *TR

NHTSA ID

10293486

Incident

Nov 25, 2009

Mileage

77,378 mi

WHILE DRIVING SUDDENLY THE ABS LIGHT, TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT AND THE PARKING BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON. I IMMEDIATELY EXITED THE FREEWAY AND PULLED INTO A PARKING AREA AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. AFTER CALMING MY 87 YEAR OLD MOTHER DOWN I RESTARTED THE CAR AND NONE OF THE LIGHTS CAME ON. I PROCEEDED TO START DRIVING MY CAR HOME AND AGAIN ALL THE LIGHTS CAME ON. I CONTACTED THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED MY CAR AND SPOKE TO THE SERVICE MANAGER WHO INFORMED ME THAT THEY KNEW OF THIS PROBLEM WITH THE LINCOLNS AND THAT I SHOULD BRING IT IN WHICH I DID. I WAS INFORMED THAT IT WOULD COST APPROX. $2,000.00 TO FIX THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE LINCOLN ONLY COVERS AUTOMOBILES THAT ARE LESS THAN 10 YEARS OLD OR HAVE LESS THAN 100K MILES. MY CAR HAS 109K BUT I FEEL THAT LINCOLN SHOULD COVER THIS SINCE THEY HAVE KNOWN ABOUT IT LONG BEFORE MY CAR HAD 100K MILES AND THIS IS A VERY BIG SAFETY HAZARD. I HAVE TAKEN EXCELLENT CARE OF MY CAR GETTING EVERY OIL CHANGE ON TIME AND EACH OF THE SERVICES THAT HAVE BEEN SUGGESTED. LINCOLN HAS SAID THEY CAN'T HELP ME AND THE DEALER SAYS HIS HANDS ARE TIED, WHAT RECOURSE DO I HAVE? ALSO I HAVE ALREADY HAD TO HAVE A NEW TRANSMISSION PUT IN MY CAR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10267898

Incident

Apr 22, 2009

Mileage

109,300 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 LINCOLN LS. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE WHEELS FELL OFF THE VEHICLE AND THE LUG NUTS FELL OUT OF THE WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. ALL FOUR TIRES WERE FLAT AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, SHE HEARD A STRANGE NOISE. THE CONTACT WENT TO A LINCOLN DEALER AT THAT TIME AND INFORMED THEM OF THE NOISE SHE HEARD UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. A NOISE WAS ALSO HEARD NEAR THE STEERING COMPONENT. THE DEALER STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE. IN ADDITION TO THE TIRES, THE BRAKES HAD TO BE REPLACED AS WELL AND THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHY THE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DIFFICULT TO START. SHE WAS CHARGED TO REPLACE THE THERMOSTAT (ASY) IN THE VEHICLE. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 70,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,510. UPDATED 04/29/08 *BF THE EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, THE ENGINE OVERHEATED

NHTSA ID

10220018

Incident

Apr 19, 2005

Mileage

29,150 mi

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

NHTSA ID

10067899

Incident

Mar 26, 2004