Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2001 Lincoln LS owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Lincoln LS. While driving 55 MPH, the engine overheated and stalled. Additionally, the contact stated that the driver's door handle fractured. The vehicle was taken to be diagnosed by an independent mechanic. The mechanic was unable to retrieve a fault code. The contact was informed that the antifreeze reservoir needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 99,999.
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 own a 2001 Lincoln Mercury LS v-8 with 72,678 miles on the odometer .. Frequently (within the last several months) I have experienced sudden and uncontrolled acceleration when driving the vehicle around town in the 25-45 MPH speed range. Hitting the brakes fails to override the acceleration. The only solution to prevent an accident or to slow the vehicle is to throw the automatic gear shifter into neutral and clear the acceleration with a hard press on the accelerator while the car is neutral. The other remedy is to turn off the ignition while in traffic. Neither one of these solutions is acceptable and Ford/lm denies that this issue exists on any of their vehicles dating back 10-15 years. My previous vehicle was a 2000 crown victoria and I experienced the very same issue after the vehicle had exceeded 60,000 miles. …
My 01 Lincoln LS 3.9 v8 caught fire while it was sitting in my driveway at 11:30 pm. By the time it was noticed, the entire front half was engulfed. It exploded about 3 times (possibly the airbags exploding). The fire department put the fire out before it reached the fuel tank. I had driven it around an hour before. The most damage was near the driver side front of car near where the headlight and air filter were located. The passenger side of the engine compartment had not burned as intense as the driver side. (the driver side front of the hood had completely burned away..) the fire dept said it possibly started in the engine but the fire had burned so much that they could not be sure. No investigation since I only had liability insurance. …
Tl contact owns a 2001 Lincoln LS. The contact stated that the throttle body assembly, which leads from the accelerator to the motor, completely fell apart. As a result, the vehicle shut off and the accelerator pedal went all the way to the floor. She was able to coast to the side of the road. She took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that in order to repair the component, the entire unit needed to be replaced. A police report was filed. In addition the contact heard the sound of glass cracking when attempting to roll up the window. She stated that the window fell down into the door panel. The dealer stated that nothing could be done because it was not under warranty. As a result, the replacer unit of the automatic windows unit was replaced. The contact also stated that the coil that leads to the transmission needed to be replaced, however, the warranty was expired. …
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.
The plastic tensioners that the manufacturer put in broke causing a huge engine misfire. The vehicle had these plastic tensioners but a recall should have happened as it appears someone knew about this since manufacturer came up with generation ii and generation III and these added generations, are made of metal which should have been in placed when they first built the engine. Awesome engine, lousy tensioners that at high speeds, could have cause me to lose control and perhaps got into an accident or killed myself or kill some one else. Please let me know if there is a recall for these tensioners. I am about to spend 1,500 top replace them.
Dt: the car had a noise in the right front tire that started 2 weeks after the car was bought. The car has been repaired at least 5 times. Still makes noise and sounds as if the whole front is falling apart. Currently, using oil more than normal, has been checked oil leaks and found none. The engine has an idle miss, and every time starting it has white smoke, this is been going on since January 2003. Dealer has repaired the car with lots of parts, but it is still not fixed. And still using oil, when driving over 60 MPH the check engine light comes on. The brake system had to be changed 8-9 months after purchasing the vehicle.
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.
The car was running out of coolant very fast. Then the check engine light kept coming on. You can smell fumes coming through the heating vents. Took it to the dealer & oil is mixing with the spark plugs & with a water midst. Bought the car in 09/2005 with 39,000 miles. Engine needs replaced at 67,000 miles. Haven't been able to drive the car in 5 months. Estimate cost to replace with a used engine is $3,794.60. The dealer sold this car in this condition. They need to recall all the Lincoln LS.
Engine complaints in other LS years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2001 Lincoln LS?
NHTSA has 31 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2001 Lincoln LS, 13% of the model year's 240 complaints. The component named most often is engine (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Lincoln LS engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2001 Lincoln LS, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2001 Lincoln LS engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 90,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 0 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.