Sorry for noob question

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mwmorph

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I'm sure this has been covered a lto but I have no idea what to search for.

Exactly how reliable is a Lincoln LS? I think I'm in love with the LS style and power but I'm not sure about the overall reliability, from what I've gleamed it seems that coil packs, window regulators, transmissions and moisture filled lights seem to be weak points in this car.

Exactly what can I expect out of a 80k-95k miles 2000-2001 Lincoln LS? I'm not as worried about labor as parts costs since I can do most of the work myself(worked at ford dealership for a little while) but I am a relatively poor kid looking for my first [real] car(I have a 2002 camry trade in) so hopefully repair costs will not be too high.
 
plan on alot of things goin wrong but once u get each problem fixed youll see why u keeep putting money into it.
 
Your better off spending more to get a newer one with less miles and a warranty than you are buying an older one with high mileage. Get an extended powertrain warranty and you should be fine.
 
well - I have a little different prospective -

in my opinion:
web sites and forums skew the perception of two things:
- how many problems the average owners has (many people come here for help with a problem - so it can heighten the percentage of people with problems
- how easy a DIY repair really is


you probably have some skills working at the dealership and access to manuals/DVD ...etc - so you are in a better position than many.

The LS is more costly than a mustang - less costly than a BMW - for parts and labour.
- limited aftermarket makes the dealer the only choice for many parts and so you pay the price
- if you do not DIY then the local garage is not your best choice for repair - and again it's back to the dealer at their prices


for the price range of what a new LS was ($43k ~ish) it is similar to others in that price range.

Very little room to work under the hood and all the latest in electronics.
 
I got a hell of a good deal on my '02 LSE with a great extended warranty package through a non-Ford dealership. Remember that Lincoln factory warranties are typically 5yr-56,000. If you can find an '03-'05 model and have the option of an extended warranty, do it. My LS has been the most reliable car I've ever owned in my life (this is #4, the other's weren't too new so it's a bad comparison) and it's comforting to know that I still have a few months and almost 10,000 mile sleft on my (INCLUDED) factory warranty and when that goes up, I have an extended warranty that will last me for four more years and up to 100,000 miles, enough to last me till I graduate. That being said, I've never had to use the warranty for work done besides minor trim stuff.

To Recap:

Bad: No extended warranty on a high mileage Ford product

Good: Paying a little extra and getting the newer model with an extended warranty

Bad: Owning a Toyota product

Good: Lincoln LS
 
You see very few posts on any car forum that say "Just wanted to post that my car is running great and I haven't had to work on it."

People just don't take the time to post that, so take the negatives with a grain of salt.

Any car that has almost 100k on it will need parts replaced. Lincoln parts aren't cheap. Most of the minor work can be done with a little mechanical aptitude and the help of a good manual and board members from sites like this.

I would skip the 2000 as they were the new baby and several improvements were made in '01.
 
I have a 2000 LSV8 with 110k+ miles and so far I've only needed new COPs (changed at 75k), O2 sensors (at 90k), and now the airbag light is on. The car runs great, I've got the Xcal and Modded Air Intake its still a great car. See what has been changed so far on the car and then test drive it. Be wary that the CEL can be reset before test driving the car, as it takes a few runs before it cuts back on. (In case the seller tries to squeeze that by.)

If you're willing to spend $15k, look for a deal on a '03-04 model. If you can get afford $7,5k-$10k try to get a deal on an '01. I've seen the LS prices range for '00-'04 from $7,5k to $18k.

Good luck.
 
To me i think its the luck of the draw. Meaning its past driving habits and maintenace. Some seem to come from the factory problem prone. Also what quik said is very true, there are thousands of Lincoln Ls's on the road and a very very small representation here on this forum, most of which tend to be "enthusiast's" which probably put alittle more abuse on their cars. I'd stay away from the 2000 model with its "first year curse". I have had two now and they have been great cars.
 
jiggajatt said:
PLEASE TELL ME THATS A TYPO?
Click to expand...

Nope, I typed that correctly.

I'm not so much against their products (however bland, dull, and boring they may be) but more fo their business attitude. They are aiming to put American automakers out of business. The sell bland products with no innovative design and use sketchy sales techniques to swindle customers into buying economical little boxes. American products are simply superior in my general opinion. I've owned five different cars: three American SUVS, an Isuzu SUV, and an American sedan. The Isuzu was a wreck. N matter how much we put into fixing one problem, another problem sprang up that cost twice as much. I must've payed twice the cost of the car to keep that thing running for one year. And it's not just isuzu, toyota, honda, and all them are equally bad. I will admit they have some great products in the Truck and SUV segment (Tacoma, 4runner) and of course who wouldn't love to drive a Supra turbo. But all their products look the same. Bland little sedans. Take a look at most American competitors to these cars and you will find a lot more originality. I will say that keeping up maintainence on all thee of my 3 SUVs and my LS has cost me less than what I bought that Rodeo for. American cars are much more durable and they are designed more interestingly. I think the greatest exmaple of this comes from the Ford's bold moves video series. They drive over to where the new Toyota truck plant is being built in Texas. When they get to the job site, lo and behold, the entire construction site is covered with Ford superduties helping to build a toyota truck plant. If that's not irony I don't know what is.

I apologize if any of this seems a little unusual r misstyped, but I just took a sleeping pill and I cannot concentrate very well right now.
 
Alright, i've been thinking about it. It dosent look like reliability is stellar but it is about average to slightly below average.

The olny problem is, i like to drive my car spiritedly, and at my budget, i can only afford a 200-2001(~11k).

It's a hard decision, This, a 1997 Lexus SC300/400 or a 2000 MR2 Spyder, similar mileages for all of them.(Yes i'm a toyota fanboy, since as early as I can remember, my family has always had at least 1 toyota in the driveway)

The only thing that scares me is the whole electrical/tansmission gremlins thing. If electrical problems rear their head, I know I'm SOL since electrical and auto transmissions are the only ase test/ford cert i've never been able to pass.

When I go buy a car anything in particualr i should check out?
 
I had my LS for about one year and nothing went wrong. then after the year mark the problems slowly started coming around..mainly the ones you read on this forum. i've taken care of every problem myself to save some cash plus i didnt want a mechanic touching it anyway. but yea make sure you have something set aside for anything that mite go wrong. but thats with any automobile, right?
 
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