Your vehicle report
2003 Lincoln LS
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 68
- Received Jan 2003 to Aug 2022
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips7 complaints · 10% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Airbags fail to deploy in crashes6 complaints · 8.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Transmission fails or loses power while driving5 complaints · 7.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #03V136000On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 17 inch chrome wheels, the chrome wheels were not heat-treated. These wheels may crack at the lug-nut holes, which could result in the loss of the lug-nut torque.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 3 crashes, 0 fires, 3 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 6 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Body, doors & glass
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 3 |
| 2004 | 14 |
| 2005 | 3 |
| 2006 | 4 |
| 2007 | 3 |
| 2008 | 8 |
| 2009 | 4 |
| 2010 | 4 |
| 2011 | 5 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 1 |
| 2014 | 3 |
| 2015 | 3 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 68 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 7 | 10% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 6 | 8.8% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 5 | 7.3% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 4 | 5.9% | – | |
| Infotainment screen ghost-touches and changes on its own | 3 | 4.4% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 3 | 4.4% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #03V136000April 7, 20031,736 vehicles affected
wheels
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 17 inch chrome wheels, the chrome wheels were not heat-treated. These wheels may crack at the lug-nut holes, which could result in the loss of the lug-nut torque.
If this condition occurs, the driver may experience noise and/or vibration while driving the vehicle. Continued operation of the vehicle could result in the wheel separating from the hub, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the wheels to make sure that all the wheels have been heat-treated. Any wheel that has not been heat-treated will be replaced. Owner notification began april 14, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Lincoln at 1-800-521-4140.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2003 Lincoln LS.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN