Suspension complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
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.
I was driving down the highway at 50 MPH when I heard a loud noise coming from the back passenger side. Then I felt the car go out of control and I managed to safely get the car to the shoulder. My passenger door side airbag came out. When I got out of the car my tire was almost completely of the rim. I had my car towed to the repair shop and they said I needed a new axle, wheel bearing, control arm, rotor, rim and tire. Upon further inspection they realized the rim went through the underside of trunk and damaged battery and electrical components. They estimated it would cost about $3,000 to fix not including the body damage. I just replaced the right front hub assembly and control arm in feb. 2011. I have replaced engine coils and valve covers numerous times.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Lincoln LS. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 50 MPH, the trailing arm became fractured. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician diagnosed that the trailing arm failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 131,000.
The contact owns a 2001 Lincoln LS. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH the contact heard an abnormal noise. The contact was able to pull over on the side of the road and the contact noticed the front passenger side tire had separated from the joint. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and the mechanic stated that the vehicle was experiencing a similar failure as NHTSA Campaign Number: 00V359001 (Suspension). The dealer was contacted, and the dealer stated that the vehicle was not under any recalls. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the manufacturer stated that the vehicle was not under NHTSA Campaign Number: 00V359001 (Suspension) and advised that contact NHTSA. The failure mileage was 114,000.
The contact owns a 2001 Lincoln LS. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH, the front suspension ball joint detached. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic; however, it was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 00V359001 (Suspension). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000.
Dt: the consumer was driving on the interstate at 60 MPH when the front drivers side tire swayed into the vehicle. The consumer lostcontrol of the vehicle for a moment. Suddenly flames erupted out of the front tire area. The vehicle skidded to the left into the median about 100 feet and had come to a stop. The consumer put the vehicle in park and turned off the engine and escaped from the vehicle. A pedestrian put out the fire with an extinguisher. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to a tire dealer who sauggested that there was a separation of the front control arm and the lower ball joint that contributed to the problem, as well as a leak in the fuel lines. The consumer searched the internet and found a recall that the consumer believed pertained to her vehicle. (recall 00V359001 which did not include the lower ball joints. …
I was getting on a freeway on ramp that turned not going more than maybe between 30-35 MPH and when almost getting ready to merg on to the freeway my lower right ball joint broke. Causing my wheel to turn side ways and put a dent in the fender. Later after being repaired I saw there was a recall for this, and contacted a dealership and they told me my car was not part of that recall. But the stuff that is described in the recall seemed to fit exactly what happend to my Lincoln LS. I was lucky I was on the on ramp and not driving 65-70mph on the freeway other wise I might not be here to day. The tow truck driver told me he has seen that flip cars. Not only that but I have had nothing but problems with that car since I bought it almost 3 years ago. Just about everything that can go wrong has gone wrong. I have spent somewhere between $10,000 to $20,000 on repairing that car.
Related recalls (1)
Suspension › Front › Control arm › Lower ball joint
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The front suspension lower ball joints were not tightened to specifications when they were attached to the lower control arms.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the torque on the two ball joint attaching nuts. Vehicles with loose ball joint attaching nuts will either have the fasteners tightened to specification, or if necessary, the ball joints will be…
Frequently asked questions
Which Lincoln LS years have suspension problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2000 (123), 2001 (110), 2002 (24) and 2003 (7) model years. Suspension complaints make up 35% of all complaints for the 2000.
Is there a recall for Lincoln LS suspension problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 00V359001 (lower ball joint, Nov 3, 2000). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Lincoln LS suspension problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 93,000 miles; 8% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the front › control arm › lower ball joint (143 mentions), followed by the front (54).
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.