2004 Lincoln LS
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Lincoln › LS › 2004
These records cover every 2004 Lincoln LS. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Owner complaints
91 complaints8 involved a crash1 involved a fire12 injuries
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Power train
The transmission in these cars go out without warning. They will stop the vehicle from accelerating when driving down the road. You will have to pull over and once you pullover and come to a complete stop it will not let the car engage into gear and move.
- Fuel system, gasoline
Hi. I bought this car and I kept smelling gas very bad. To the point the whole house smelt and when I park the car I can smell it. I figured there had to be a problem but could not find a leak. I decided to look online and found lincoln had a recall for defective gas tanks which has the symptoms…
Hi. I bought this car and I kept smelling gas very bad. To the point the whole house smelt and when I park the car I can smell it. I figured there had to be a problem but could not find a leak. I decided to look online and found lincoln had a recall for defective gas tanks which has the symptoms I'm encountering. Its a high safety issue which can start a fire and or have health issues with me and the kids. Well turns out my car with that vin did not have a recall even though there was a recall for same year and make but not mine for some reason. It IS obvious that my vehicle needed to be recalled to fix it. Im in desperate need to have it repaired and dont know what to do. I dont have the funds to fix there mistake. Please help in any way you can. thank you, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(B)(6). *tr
- Air bags · Seats
While driving in the evening, on a slightly winding, smooth, gravel road at about 30 to 35 mph, temperature about 34 degrees f, the airbag in the passenger seat deployed. there was not any form or type of collision. during the time I have had the car, about 2 years, there has not been any form of…
While driving in the evening, on a slightly winding, smooth, gravel road at about 30 to 35 mph, temperature about 34 degrees f, the airbag in the passenger seat deployed. there was not any form or type of collision. during the time I have had the car, about 2 years, there has not been any form of collision damage, as far as I know there was not any prior history of any type of collision damage. there was an occupant in the seat, his shoulder felt sore and his hearing was affected at the time.
- Electronic stability control (esc) · Engine · Vehicle speed control
Normal clear weather driving down busy street when care suddenly slowed down almost resulting in a collision with vehicles behind me. The engine stopped , I restarted with very limited drivability the etc failsafe mode kicked in for no apparent reason this issue must be addressed before someone IS seriously injured.
- Exterior lighting
Was coming home from the store I was going 55mph and out of no where the headlights turn off....pulled over turned off the car then back on and work for like a min then again I almost crash because no light..a 15min drive home became 50min had to be pulling over all the way home....due to the lights turning off on there own... *tr
- Air bags
While driving 5 mph on a driveway, the passenger ceiling air bag deployed from the front seat to the back seat. the car didn't hit anything. passenger was injured. *tr
- Engine
TL* the contact owns a 2004 lincoln LS. While accelerating from a stop, the vehicle experienced a reduction in engine power. The vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the road and the engine was turned off. Upon restarting, the wrench warning symbol displayed continuously until after the vehicle…
TL* the contact owns a 2004 lincoln LS. While accelerating from a stop, the vehicle experienced a reduction in engine power. The vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the road and the engine was turned off. Upon restarting, the wrench warning symbol displayed continuously until after the vehicle was turned off and restarted multiple times. The failure occurred three times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 57,900.
- Electrical system · Engine
Brand new battery in car. Come out to start car. Battery IS dead. my mechanic has car for three days. he tried to find a short. he instructed me to make sure all doors are completely closed and lights are all out. This was after multiple dead batteries. I made sure of all the above and still…
Brand new battery in car. Come out to start car. Battery IS dead. my mechanic has car for three days. he tried to find a short. he instructed me to make sure all doors are completely closed and lights are all out. This was after multiple dead batteries. I made sure of all the above and still came out to dead batteries. I manually turn off the lights as I came out to them being on after I had watched them dim and go out. I replaced the new battery with another new battery and I am still having problems. *tr
- Air bags · Seats
While traveling at 40 mph on flat, smooth two lane roadway the driver side curtain and side seat airbags deployed striking driver on left shoulder and facial area. There was no side impact or rough road prior to deployment. Driver was able to keep control of vehicle and move to berm. Driver…
While traveling at 40 mph on flat, smooth two lane roadway the driver side curtain and side seat airbags deployed striking driver on left shoulder and facial area. There was no side impact or rough road prior to deployment. Driver was able to keep control of vehicle and move to berm. Driver suffered soft tissue trauma to left shoulder, upper arm and face. Side curtain airbag damaged interior roof header upon deployment. Driver seat side airbag appears to have not fully deployed and expanded inside the seat ripping out a 3 foot area of stitching and tearing the leather seating material in the immediate area. Contacted ford motor company and they refused responsibility. *js
- Service brakes
No brakes till engine warms up. pedal good but no brakes. new pads and rotors. no idiot lite. mechanic can't figure out why it does this. *js
TL- the contact owns a 2004 lincoln LS. The contact stated that when driving at various speeds, the vehicle began to shake violently, the ect engine fail safe mode warning light illuminated and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis and the contact was informed that…
TL- the contact owns a 2004 lincoln LS. The contact stated that when driving at various speeds, the vehicle began to shake violently, the ect engine fail safe mode warning light illuminated and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis and the contact was informed that the throttle body would need to be replaced, and the tcm would need to be reprogrammed. The vehicle was repaired however, two weeks later the failure recurred. The vehicle was returned to the dealer and the contact was informed that there was a coil failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure and current mileage was 122,448. kmj
- Power train
Cars stalls while driving at high speed on highway or side street. *tr
- Power train
TL* the contact owns a 2004 lincoln LS. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from a traffic stop, the vehicle would not respond. the rpm reading increased and the vehicle proceeded to lunge forward. The wrench warning icon was illuminated intermittently. The vehicle was taken to…
TL* the contact owns a 2004 lincoln LS. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from a traffic stop, the vehicle would not respond. the rpm reading increased and the vehicle proceeded to lunge forward. The wrench warning icon was illuminated intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 88,600. *Tr
- Vehicle speed control
TL* the contact owns a 2004 lincoln LS. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle and before shifting gears, the vehicle accelerated without manual force, causing the contact to have to use the parking brake to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis but they were unable to duplicate the problem. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure was 86,000. *tr
- Air bags
TL* the contact owns a 2004 lincoln LS. The contact stated that while driving in inclement weather, she lost control of the vehicle and drove off the road, crashing into a tree. The air bags did not deploy. The contact suffered injuries to the leg, chest, back and neck. The contact was taken to the emergency room for treatment. The vehicle was not repaired. A police report was filed. The failure mileage was 220,000.
- Parking brake · Service brakes
Filled car with gas. pulled up to enter roadway and had to stop for traffic. when I tried to move forward emergency brake came on. put car in park shut off engine and restarted and emergency brake released. this IS the second time this has happened in two days.…
Filled car with gas. pulled up to enter roadway and had to stop for traffic. when I tried to move forward emergency brake came on. put car in park shut off engine and restarted and emergency brake released. this IS the second time this has happened in two days. leaving gas station. Pulled up to enter road. Had to stop for traffic. tried to move forward, but emergency brake came on. put car in park, shut off engine. Restarted and emergency brake came off. this IS the second time this has happened. *tr
- Electrical system · Equipment adaptive/mobility · Vehicle speed control
Driving down the side street and my car goes into limp mode. Reads etc .start up will move about 1/4 of the block and does it again. Had to keep turning it off and on to get home.once stop in the middle of the intersection. From what I have seen this IS not unusual for LS. This IS a safety concern. Have not got my car fix because it IS very expensive to fix. *Tr
- Vehicle speed control
TL* the contact owns a 2004 lincoln LS. The contact stated that while driving 50 mph the vehicle stalled and the engine fail safe mode message illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the throttle body and coil packs were defective and needed to be replaced. The…
TL* the contact owns a 2004 lincoln LS. The contact stated that while driving 50 mph the vehicle stalled and the engine fail safe mode message illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the throttle body and coil packs were defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 81,000.
- Vehicle speed control
TL* the contact owns a 2004 lincoln LS. While driving over a speed bump and depressing the break pedal, the rpms began to increase and the vehicle suddenly accelerated on its own. The contact applied excessive force to the brake pedal in order for the vehicle to stop accelerating. The failure…
TL* the contact owns a 2004 lincoln LS. While driving over a speed bump and depressing the break pedal, the rpms began to increase and the vehicle suddenly accelerated on its own. The contact applied excessive force to the brake pedal in order for the vehicle to stop accelerating. The failure occurred sporadically. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The technicians were unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer advised an engineer to inspect the vehicle. the engineer stated the throttle had to be replaced. Approximately six years after the throttle was replaced the contact experienced the identical failure again. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 6,000.
- Suspension
I have been having problems with air suspension - front and rear. it has the tendency to go up and down at will. we have been to the dealer where we had the second one replaced and it IS giving constant problems. the first one lasted quite a few years.(at approx 43000 miles) the second one only months, at about 86000. *tr
- Electrical system · Engine and engine cooling
I should have done my homework prior to purchasing this car used. 2 months after purchase, car started shaking, and jumping, went into limp home mode. mechanic unable to repair, but replaced coils and car ran "ok" for about 2 weeks and now does exact same thing times 100. car starts, idles at…
I should have done my homework prior to purchasing this car used. 2 months after purchase, car started shaking, and jumping, went into limp home mode. mechanic unable to repair, but replaced coils and car ran "ok" for about 2 weeks and now does exact same thing times 100. car starts, idles at about 200 rpms, shakes, pops, jumps and then dies. mechanic said he has no idea what to do except replace coils again and he not even sure if that will fix the car since that IS what the code on the computer told him to do in the 1ST place. I have a used car that I have made 2 payments on and IS now a beautiful, luxurious pile of scrap metal stuck in a parking lot where it last died. from what all I have read, there IS nothing that can be done with this car and even ford doesn't know how to fix it. this will be my last ford product. *tr
- Electrical system · Engine and engine cooling
Going from a stop or accelerating on the high way the car will throw a etc check engine light and wont move over 3-4 miles per hour. Then goes into a very rough idle, until one turns off the car and restarts then drives fine for a few mins the goes right back into the etc engine fail mode.... Very dangers if merging onto traffic. Almost been hit several times cause of the problem. *tr
- Seats
TL* the contact owns a 2004 lincoln LS. The contact stated that the plastic panel on the rear of the front driver and passenger side seats detached three times. The failure would cause the seat to lean back and expose the electronic wiring in the seat. The manufacturer advised that the part was not…
TL* the contact owns a 2004 lincoln LS. The contact stated that the plastic panel on the rear of the front driver and passenger side seats detached three times. The failure would cause the seat to lean back and expose the electronic wiring in the seat. The manufacturer advised that the part was not covered. The vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 43,000. If not fixed passanger can get hurt. Updated 10/26/2011 *ln *tr
- Engine and engine cooling
TL* the contact owns a 2004 lincoln LS. The contact stated that the check engine light would illuminate and the vehicle would experience difficulty accelerating while driving at various speeds. The failure recurred on an intermittent basis. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, where the…
TL* the contact owns a 2004 lincoln LS. The contact stated that the check engine light would illuminate and the vehicle would experience difficulty accelerating while driving at various speeds. The failure recurred on an intermittent basis. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, where the catalytic converter was replaced on two occasions. The failure continued to occur. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where various unknown repairs were performed. The failure continued. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 67,000. The vin was unavailable.
- Electrical system · Engine and engine cooling › Engine
The car loses power and goes into fail safe mode, at 65 and lots of traffic getting over IS not safe! I've spent thousands on new coils, computer, gas pedal, you name it but ford does not know how to fix it! *kb
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 10177863This article supersedes TSB 19-2026 to update the vehicle model years affected. Some 2000 and newer Ford/Lincoln/Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. Panel replacement is recommended.
- 10156863Some 2000 and newer Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. Panel replacement is recommended. Follow the Service Procedure steps to correct the condition
- 10155551Some 2000 and newer Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. Panel replacement is recommended. Follow the Service Procedure steps to correct the condition
- 10109070The Powertrain Control/Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) manual has been revised for diagnosing electronic throttle bodies (ETBs). The ETC_ACT and ETC_DSD PIDs should not used to diagnose possible ETB concerns. The IDS has a limited refresh rate when reading these PIDs and cannot display quickly enough to validate a concern. The PCM automatically monitors these inputs more accurately and will set diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) when appropriate. Using these PIDs for diagnostics will lead to inaccurate results and improper ETB replacements. If a concern is intermittent and no DTCs are present, refer to historical DTCs and the PC/ED, Section 3 No DTCs Present Index chart for further information.
- 10048099Ford/lincoln/mercury: may have sludge buildup in throttle body leading to less airflow or engine idling rpm fluctuation and hard starts or battery disconnect or dead battery after keep alive memory (kam) clear. Models 2003-05 thunderbird, 05-06 mustang, 06-08 fusion, 04-05 explorer, 05-06 expedition, 05-07 F-150; 2003-06 LS, 06 zephyr, 05-06 navigator; 06-08 milan.
- 10026402Ford/lincoln mercury: certain 2003-2005 model year lincoln LS and ford thunderbird vehicles equipped with 3.9L engine with extended warranty coverage on ignition coil assemblies and on 2003 my vehicles only , engine valve cover gaskets.
- 10025342Lincoln service campaign: see document search button for owner letter. Certain 2003-2005 lincoln LS vehicles equipped with duratec 3.0L 4V engine. Pcv hose assembly replacement. Csc was received.
- 10022299Parking aid system IS inoperative - dtc c1983.
- 10020702Parking aid system inoperative - dtc c1983.
- 10018968Parking aid system inoperative.
- 10018745Wds cop kit diagnostic tip - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - engine misfire or rough running.
- 10017925Water/moisture in cop wells - dtc p0301-p0308 - 3.9L engine - vehicles built through 5/1/2004.
- 10017917Unusual engine noise or engine knock concerns due to regular fuel.
- 10017908Intermittent stumble on rapid tip-in from steady speed, generally between 20-50 mph (32-80 km/h) accompanied by a inductive backfire after the tip-in.
- 10017903No start, rough idle, or malfunction indicator lamp (mil) on with diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) p0171, p0174, p0173, p2195, p2197, p0420, p0301, p0302, p0303, p0304, p0305, p0306.
- 10017898Delayed or harsh reverse engagements - 5r55s transmission - vehicles built prior to 09/23/2004.
- 10014674Customer satisfaction program 04b20. Rear seat latches and owner guide label for vehicles that may have a rear seat latch that IS difficult to latch and supplemental latch verification instruction label which should be affixed to the owner guide.
- 10014672Day time running lamps.
- 10014594Vibration felt for a few miles of driving after parking.
- 10014165Aluminum corrosion - service tip.
- 10014138Safety belt retraction speed.
- 10014086General (pcm) power train control module programming procedures.
- 10014062Rear window defroster grid/integral antenna diagnosis and repair - terminal tab repair.
- 10013401Diagnostic trouble code (dtc) c1145 and/or c1155 stored in anti-lock brake system (ABS) module.
- 10013371Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) and electronic throttle control (etc) lamps on with both diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p2106 and p2135.
- 10013369General power train control module (pcm) programming procedures.
- 10013322Popping or quavering from radio on the am band.
- 10013321Am/fm and cellular phone reception interference - service tip.
- 10013306Improperly formulated transmission fluid that, over time, may cause delayed/harsh reverse engagements. Customer satisfaction program 04b22. 5R55s/e & 5r44e transmission fluid additive. Supplement #1. Supplement #2. Supplement #3.
- 10013116Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) illuminated - system lean diagnostic trouble codes (dtc's) - service tips. Various models including 2004 f-series.
- 10013114Climate controlled seats turning off shortly after initialization - diagnostic trouble codes b2729, b2730, b2731.
- 10012964Am fm and cellular phone reception interference .
- 10012954Safety belt web stop button service.
- 10012947Maf diagnostic service tip - vehicles equipped with egr system module (esm).
- 10011335P225/55r16 continental tires may exhibit excessive tire cupping/feather edge wear at low tire mileage (under 24,000 miles/39,000 km). Oasis.
- 10011162Engine misfire or running - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - wds cop kit diagnostic tips. To include various 2005 models. * ar this article 04161 supersedes tsb 03-14-04.
- 10011159Rear window defroster grid/integral antenna diagnosis and repair - terminal tab repair.
- 10011153Mositure in reverse lamp.
- 10010638Customer satisfaction program 04b21. Water pump hose replacement. The water pump hose may have been manufactured with an incorrect number of woven reinforcement loops, potentially causing the hose to burst at low mileage, causing a loss of coolant.
- 10009344ABS warning indicator on with diagnostic trouble code c1145 and/or c1155.
Every Lincoln LS model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.