2003 Lincoln LS Engine Problems
- Complaints
- 7about this part
- Share
- 10%of 68 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 162,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 7 complaints about the engine of the 2003 Lincoln LS, 10% of the 68 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 162,000 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Car gets to hot my fill bucket for the radiator keeps getting a hole in the bottom of it or some where I have replaced it twice and again the same problem with this car. And it has over heated and goes all the way to h now because of this problem it mite now need head gaskets y can't you make this car better then it is and make it with no problems there junk I won't even tell anyone to buy this piece of junk.and it saying safe fail mode over and over like this car is problem after problem can someone fix my car for me at no cost please.”
NHTSA complaint #11256011, filed 2019-09, 200,000 miles“While driving the car it misfires it doesn't want to go on acceleration..it is leaking oil into the spark plug wells and affecting coils..there was a extension warranty on these parts.but it was 10 years or 100000 mile . I didn't purchase this car till after it already had more than 100000 miles so I was unaware of these extensions and time frames..I spoke with ford/Lincoln and basically told the extended warranty would not cover.I feel this should be a recall not extended warranty.”
NHTSA complaint #10649745, filed 2014-10, 162,000 miles“Hello, I bought a 2003 Lincoln LS and I'm getting a message on the dash that is saying etc fail safety mode and the car is not able to go over 30 MPH, and has very slow pick up and is running very hard. I have found that sometimes if I turn the car off/on the message does not come up the car drives normally. I have tried replacing the throttle body after getting the check engine light came on with to codes p0207 and p02110 and I'm still having the same problem. I have read allot of complaints about this problem with fix.”
NHTSA complaint #10549022, filed 2013-10, 107,000 miles“Car hesitates on acceleration since it was new. Took the car to the selling dealer and they could not find a problem. The condition got worse. When traveling down the highway the car starts bucking and misfiring. Took the car back to the selling Lincoln dealership (sesi Lincoln mercury). They dealership said the drivers door needed adjustment. This made no sense to me and did not fix the problem. The car went out of warranty shortly after that. Now check engine light comes on intermittently and car hesitates, bucks, stalls and runs rough, misfires at highway speeds, and mil starts flashing. …”
NHTSA complaint #10595849, filed 2014-06, 1 miles“I purchased my 2003 Lincoln LS june/2015. Excellent condition, 35,000 miles. Interior immaculate condition leather seats and carpet virutally untouched. Underneath hood the same, hadn't look as if been driven. Exterior body and paint again excellent. The car appeared as if it had stood still in time. Upon investigation, only one owner of the vehicle who'd maintained a first class maintenance record. Over the last week the vehicle my wife was driving she said while driving the vechicle began to stall while she was accelerating in traffic. …”
NHTSA complaint #10816186, filed 2015-12Related service bulletins
- 10048099Aug 1, 2012Ford/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…
Engine: other model years
Other parts of the 2003 Lincoln LS
20 complaintsElectrical system
11 complaintsBrakes
8 complaintsEngine cooling
8 complaintsSuspension
7 complaintsVehicle speed control
7 complaintsAir bags
6 complaintsSeats
6 complaintsSteering
6 complaintsWheels
6 complaintsFuel system
5 complaintsEquipment
3 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2003 Lincoln LS
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology