Brake complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I am having a problem with my 2005 Lincoln LS v8 with advance trac. While driving the vehicle the ABS system engages under normal dry driving conditions and stays on for over one minute. You can hear something like a motor and clicking leading up to the incident and this happens even when you are not on the brakes. When you do go to apply the brakes it is like you are on ice. The check advance trac light appears and the yellow trac control button flashes and than stays on solid. Even when the car has come to a complete stop and than you proceed to drive it will do it again until the car is shut off and restarted. The system "acts" up out of the blue and you really never know when the brakes are going to fail. The vehicle has been taken to the dealer many times and they were able to see all the lights on the dash, but are not able to fix the problem. …
2005 Lincoln LS with brake failure . Customer states the vehicle stopped when the she hit the accelerator. Computer display showed service etc soon, and the parking brake warning light was on. The consumer attempted to move the vehicle out of the lane of travel using the emergency brake release and the gear shift lever to release the brake but could not move the vehicle except to the side of the road with an extreme bucking motion. The consumer turned off the ignition and restarted the vehicle and the error messages were gone, and the vehicle drove normally. The consumer checked the vehicle and noticed the brakes and rotors were extremely hot. The consumer took the vehicle to the dealer, however they were unable to duplicate the problem the consumer experienced. The consumer stated the road was dry and there was no loose gravel that should have caused the anti-lock brakes to activate. …
Slowed and turned into parking space noted vehicle was not stopping pressed firmer on brakes did not stop hit cement post at chatham county tag department with an officer watching $10,000 damage left driver side damage started at headlight and stopped at wheel. I had pain in neck and from seat belt.
First it started out in July 2007,ac wasn't blowing like it should be replaced control heads. Then my trac control light came on and park brake light was on checked and advised replaced speed sensor. Then check engine light came on found upstream bank 2 02 sensor reading out of spec. Replaced 02 sensor and clear codes. That cost me$1285.51. Which I replaced sensor,spark plugs,coil then in jan 2008 my transmission shift hard into reverse checked and advised found faults in solenoid,valve body,trans filter,repaired clear codes,OK. Replaced drive belt and pulley. That bill was 1318.72. Well then in 08/2008 same thing transmission shifts rough concern cylinder misfire. Check engine light back on. Thank god had a recall from Ford on that. Found contamination in both sides replaced affected coils,plugs,and cover which they only replaced 4 of the 8 coils. That would have been 593.18. …
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. …
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.
The contact owns a 2002 Lincoln LS. The contact stated while driving at 50-55 MPH, the vehicle accelerated unintendedly. The brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that he stood on the brake pedal until the vehicle responded 8-10 minutes later. The vehicle speed was 120 MPH at the time the contact regained control of the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while driving. The contact shifted into neutral (N) and veered to the side of the road where the vehicle came to a complete stop. The contact then shifted into park (P). However, the RPMs revved up to 5,000 MPH. The contact turned off the vehicle. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 230,000.
My daughter was a restrained driver on a highway ---in rush hour traffic, moving about 55mph. The car in front of her braked suddenly and when my daughter pushed on the brake it went to the floor and she had no brakes. She clipped that car rear end and swerved right'hitting a second car as she got to the shoulder. She scrapped along the metal rail for a distance and then went off the road in to a gully and hit a pole and an dirt embankment. Both air bags deployed. The light pole did not look damaged, I think the pole must have had a large cement base, based on the extent and shape of the front end damage. The car is totaled. The air bags did a great job. She has a bad sprain on her ankle that she was trying to brake with and sore everywhere. A family member works at Ford . He asked me to check the brake fluid since both front and rear brakes failed. …
Frequently asked questions
Which Lincoln LS years have brake problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2000 (21), 2002 (15), 2001 (13), 2004 (9) and 2005 (9) model years. Brake complaints make up 6% of all complaints for the 2000.
Is there a recall for Lincoln LS brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for any Lincoln LS model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Lincoln LS brake problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 53,000 miles; 49% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (20 mentions), followed by the pedals and linkages (6).
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.