Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 91 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2004 Lincoln LS, most frequently naming the engine, electrical and airbags categories. 68 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 2004 | 1 | 1 |
| Apr 2004 | 1 | 2 |
| Jun 2004 | 1 | 3 |
| Jul 2004 | 1 | 4 |
| Aug 2004 | 1 | 5 |
| Dec 2004 | 2 | 7 |
| Feb 2005 | 2 | 9 |
| Mar 2005 | 1 | 10 |
| Apr 2005 | 1 | 11 |
| Jun 2005 | 1 | 12 |
| Jul 2005 | 1 | 13 |
| Aug 2005 | 2 | 15 |
| Jan 2006 | 1 | 16 |
| Mar 2006 | 2 | 18 |
| Apr 2006 | 1 | 19 |
| Jul 2006 | 1 | 20 |
| Dec 2006 | 1 | 21 |
| Jan 2007 | 1 | 22 |
| Aug 2007 | 1 | 23 |
| Dec 2007 | 1 | 24 |
| Jan 2008 | 1 | 25 |
| Aug 2008 | 1 | 26 |
| Sep 2008 | 1 | 27 |
| Oct 2008 | 2 | 29 |
| Jan 2009 | 2 | 31 |
| Mar 2009 | 3 | 34 |
| Apr 2009 | 1 | 35 |
| May 2009 | 3 | 38 |
| Jun 2009 | 1 | 39 |
| Jul 2009 | 2 | 41 |
| Nov 2009 | 1 | 42 |
| Dec 2009 | 1 | 43 |
| Mar 2010 | 3 | 46 |
| Apr 2010 | 2 | 48 |
| May 2010 | 2 | 50 |
| Jun 2010 | 1 | 51 |
| Jul 2010 | 7 | 58 |
| Sep 2010 | 3 | 61 |
| Jan 2011 | 1 | 62 |
| Feb 2011 | 3 | 65 |
| Jul 2011 | 1 | 66 |
| Aug 2011 | 3 | 69 |
| Dec 2011 | 1 | 70 |
| Jan 2012 | 1 | 71 |
| Feb 2012 | 1 | 72 |
| Apr 2012 | 1 | 73 |
| Jul 2012 | 1 | 74 |
| Oct 2012 | 1 | 75 |
| Dec 2012 | 1 | 76 |
| Feb 2013 | 1 | 77 |
| Jun 2013 | 1 | 78 |
| Jul 2013 | 3 | 81 |
| Apr 2014 | 2 | 83 |
| Jun 2014 | 1 | 84 |
| Oct 2014 | 2 | 86 |
| Jan 2015 | 1 | 87 |
| Jan 2016 | 1 | 88 |
| Dec 2017 | 1 | 89 |
| Sep 2019 | 1 | 90 |
| Jan 2020 | 1 | 91 |
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
THE TRANSMISSION IN THESE CARS GO OUT WITHOUT WARNING. THEY WILL STOP THE VEHICLE FROM ACCELERATING WHEN DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. YOU WILL HAVE TO PULL OVER AND ONCE YOU PULLOVER AND COME TO A COMPLETE STOP IT WILL NOT LET THE CAR ENGAGE INTO GEAR AND MOVE.
HI. I BOUGHT THIS CAR AND I KEPT SMELLING GAS VERY BAD. TO THE POINT THE WHOLE HOUSE SMELT AND WHEN I PARK THE CAR I CAN SMELL IT. I FIGURED THERE HAD TO BE A PROBLEM BUT COULD NOT FIND A LEAK. I DECIDED TO LOOK ONLINE AND FOUND LINCOLN HAD A RECALL FOR DEFECTIVE GAS TANKS WHICH HAS THE SYMPTOMS I'M ENCOUNTERING. ITS A HIGH SAFETY ISSUE WHICH CAN START A FIRE AND OR HAVE HEALTH ISSUES WITH ME AND THE KIDS. WELL TURNS OUT MY CAR WITH THAT VIN DID NOT HAVE A RECALL EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS A RECALL FOR SAME YEAR AND MAKE BUT NOT MINE FOR SOME REASON. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT MY VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE RECALLED TO FIX IT. IM IN DESPERATE NEED TO HAVE IT REPAIRED AND DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO. I DONT HAVE THE FUNDS TO FIX THERE MISTAKE. PLEASE HELP IN ANY WAY YOU CAN. THANK YOU, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
WHILE DRIVING IN THE EVENING, ON A SLIGHTLY WINDING, SMOOTH, GRAVEL ROAD AT ABOUT 30 TO 35 MPH, TEMPERATURE ABOUT 34 DEGREES F, THE AIRBAG IN THE PASSENGER SEAT DEPLOYED. THERE WAS NOT ANY FORM OR TYPE OF COLLISION. DURING THE TIME I HAVE HAD THE CAR, ABOUT 2 YEARS, THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY FORM OF COLLISION DAMAGE, AS FAR AS I KNOW THERE WAS NOT ANY PRIOR HISTORY OF ANY TYPE OF COLLISION DAMAGE. THERE WAS AN OCCUPANT IN THE SEAT, HIS SHOULDER FELT SORE AND HIS HEARING WAS AFFECTED AT THE TIME.
NORMAL CLEAR WEATHER DRIVING DOWN BUSY STREET WHEN CARE SUDDENLY SLOWED DOWN ALMOST RESULTING IN A COLLISION WITH VEHICLES BEHIND ME. THE ENGINE STOPPED , I RESTARTED WITH VERY LIMITED DRIVABILITY THE ETC FAILSAFE MODE KICKED IN FOR NO APPARENT REASON THIS ISSUE MUST BE ADDRESSED BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED.
WAS COMING HOME FROM THE STORE I WAS GOING 55MPH AND OUT OF NO WHERE THE HEADLIGHTS TURN OFF....PULLED OVER TURNED OFF THE CAR THEN BACK ON AND WORK FOR LIKE A MIN THEN AGAIN I ALMOST CRASH BECAUSE NO LIGHT..A 15MIN DRIVE HOME BECAME 50MIN HAD TO BE PULLING OVER ALL THE WAY HOME....DUE TO THE LIGHTS TURNING OFF ON THERE OWN... *TR
WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH ON A DRIVEWAY, THE PASSENGER CEILING AIR BAG DEPLOYED FROM THE FRONT SEAT TO THE BACK SEAT. THE CAR DIDN'T HIT ANYTHING. PASSENGER WAS INJURED. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 LINCOLN LS. WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A REDUCTION IN ENGINE POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. UPON RESTARTING, THE WRENCH WARNING SYMBOL DISPLAYED CONTINUOUSLY UNTIL AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE FAILURE OCCURRED THREE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,900.
BRAND NEW BATTERY IN CAR. COME OUT TO START CAR. BATTERY IS DEAD. MY MECHANIC HAS CAR FOR THREE DAYS. HE TRIED TO FIND A SHORT. HE INSTRUCTED ME TO MAKE SURE ALL DOORS ARE COMPLETELY CLOSED AND LIGHTS ARE ALL OUT. THIS WAS AFTER MULTIPLE DEAD BATTERIES. I MADE SURE OF ALL THE ABOVE AND STILL CAME OUT TO DEAD BATTERIES. I MANUALLY TURN OFF THE LIGHTS AS I CAME OUT TO THEM BEING ON AFTER I HAD WATCHED THEM DIM AND GO OUT. I REPLACED THE NEW BATTERY WITH ANOTHER NEW BATTERY AND I AM STILL HAVING PROBLEMS. *TR
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
STRUCTURE
This article supersedes TSB 19-2026 to update the vehicle model years affected. Some 2000 and newer Ford/Lincoln/Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. Panel replacement is recommended.
EQUIPMENT; STRUCTURE
Some 2000 and newer Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. Panel replacement is recommended. Follow the Service Procedure steps to correct the condition
STRUCTURE
Some 2000 and newer Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. Panel replacement is recommended. Follow the Service Procedure steps to correct the condition
ENGINE; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:HOSES/LINES/PIPING/FITTINGS; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OTHER FUEL TYPES:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CRANKCASE (PCV); ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE); ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
The Powertrain Control/Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) manual has been revised for diagnosing electronic throttle bodies (ETBs). The ETC_ACT and ETC_DSD PIDs should not used to diagnose possible ETB concerns. The IDS has a limited refresh rate when reading these PIDs and cannot display quickly enough to validate a concern. The PCM automatically monitors these inputs more accurately and will set diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) when appropriate. Using these PIDs for diagnostics will lead to inaccurate results and improper ETB replacements. If a concern is intermittent and no DTCs are present, refer to historical DTCs and the PC/ED, Section 3 No DTCs Present Index chart for further information.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY; ENGINE
FORD/LINCOLN/MERCURY: MAY HAVE SLUDGE BUILDUP IN THROTTLE BODY LEADING TO LESS AIRFLOW OR ENGINE IDLING RPM FLUCTUATION AND HARD STARTS OR BATTERY DISCONNECT OR DEAD BATTERY AFTER KEEP ALIVE MEMORY (KAM) CLEAR. MODELS 2003-05 THUNDERBIRD, 05-06 MUSTANG, 06-08 FUSION, 04-05 EXPLORER, 05-06 EXPEDITION, 05-07 F-150; 2003-06 LS, 06 ZEPHYR, 05-06 NAVIGATOR; 06-08 MILAN. *PE
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
FORD/LINCOLN MERCURY: CERTAIN 2003-2005 MODEL YEAR LINCOLN LS AND FORD THUNDERBIRD VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 3.9L ENGINE WITH EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE ON IGNITION COIL ASSEMBLIES AND ON 2003 MY VEHICLES ONLY , ENGINE VALVE COVER GASKETS. *PE
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.