IllustrationDEFROSTER/ DEFOGGER SYSTEM FAILED. AS A RESULT, DRIVER'S VISIBILITY WAS IMPAIRED. *AK
2002 Lincoln Ls
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2002 Lincoln Ls do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 91.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Ls years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
120–25K
1225–50K
1350–75K
2475–100K
18100–150K
10150K+
89 reports with mileage · 32 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
21 crash reports0 fire reports8 injury reports
What owners actually said
121 reportsMY 02 LINCOLN LS HAS HAD 2 NEW REAR ENDS AND NOW POWER STEERING PUMP AND ACTUATOR IS GONE BAD. I HAVE A LIST OF ABOUT 12 THINGS THAT HAS HAPPENED TO MY CAR IN LAST 12 MONTHS, AND MY CAR ONLY HAS 27,000 MILES ON IT. NOT VERY HAPPY AT ALL. *LA
LTR RE HIS DEFECTIVE 2002 LINCOLN LS, THE AXLE BROKE AND THE WHEEL AND THE HUB CAME OFF THE CAR, WOULD LIKE SOMEONE TO LOOK INTO THIS DEFECT.*MR WHILE DRIVING ON THE GARDEN STATE PARKWAY, THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL CAME OFF AND THE CONSUMER WAS PULLED INTO THE CONCRETE MEDIAN STRIP. CONSUMER HAD ENOUGH EXPERIENCE NOT TO HIT THE …
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LTR RE HIS DEFECTIVE 2002 LINCOLN LS, THE AXLE BROKE AND THE WHEEL AND THE HUB CAME OFF THE CAR, WOULD LIKE SOMEONE TO LOOK INTO THIS DEFECT.*MR WHILE DRIVING ON THE GARDEN STATE PARKWAY, THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL CAME OFF AND THE CONSUMER WAS PULLED INTO THE CONCRETE MEDIAN STRIP. CONSUMER HAD ENOUGH EXPERIENCE NOT TO HIT THE BRAKE, SLIGHT ACCELERATION AND HE GOT CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. IT TOOK A HALF OF MILE TO GET THE VEHICLE ACROSS 3 LANES OF BUSY TRAFFIC AND ONTO THE SHOULDER. A PASSERBY CHECKED TO SEE IF THE CONSUMER WAS O.K. HE THEN INFORMED THE CONSUMER THE ENTIRE WHEEL FELL OFF. APPROX. 30 MINUTES LATER THE STATE TROOPER ARRIVED WITH THE WHEEL STILL ATTACHED TO THE HUB. IT CROSSED OVER 4 LANES OF TRAFFIC AND DIDN'T CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. CONSUMER WAS TOLD THE LOWER BALL JOINT CAME OFF, WENT INTO THE INSIDE OF THE WHEEL AND THE AXLE BROKE. HE SUSTAINED BRUISES BUT NO LASTING INJURIES. CONSUMER HAD A HOLD PUT ON THE REPAIR WORK UNTIL FORD HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER SERVICE REP. STATED THE CONSUMER MAY WANT TO HAVE THE DEALER LOOK AT IT. THE CONSUMER REPLIED THAT SINCE THE DEALER MAY BE AT FAULT, HE DIDN'T WANT THEM TO LOOK AT THE VEHICLE. VEHICLE SUSTAINED DAMAGE IN THE AMOUNT OF $8000. THE WHEEL WAS BEING HELD FOR SOMEONE TO INSPECT IT. SOMEONE DID CONTACT THE CONSUMER STATING THEY WERE FROM FORD AND "THERE IS NO PROOF THAT THE ACCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY A DEFECT." THE CALLER WOULD LEAVE THEIR NAME OR NUMBER SO THE CONSUMER COULD RETURN THE CALL. *PH *NLM
LUG NUT COVER STRIPS AWAY FROM LUG NUT. LUG WRENCH TURNS COVER ONLY. I HAD TO PRY THIS ALUMINUM COVER OFF TO REMOVE LUG. POOR FIT OF LUG NUT WRENCH. *LA
ENGINE STALLS WHEN SLOWING TO MAKE A RIGHT HAND TURN. BATTERY POWER REMAINS, BUT POWER STEERING IS OUT AND CAR MUST BE STOPPED TO RESTART.
WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH. ANOTHER VEHICLE HIT CONSUMER'S VEHICLE FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR. UPON IMPACT, SIDE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
2002 LINCOLN LS EXPERIENCES SPORADIC ENGINE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAS STALLED AT LOW AND HIGH SPEEDS. I HAVE SPOKE TO TWO SEPARATE REPRESENTATIVES FORM FORD. THEY HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE PROBLEM EXISTS AND AS OF THIS DATE THEY HAVE NO REPAIR AVAILABLE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM IS WITH A COMPUTER PROGRAM. *AK
MAKING A SOFT RIGHT TURN AT SPEED OF 10MPH, ENGINE FAILED, SHIFTED INTO N TO RESTART THE VEHICLE WHILE MOVING WITHOUT POWER STEERING, REAR-ENDED A FRONT VEHICLE. ENGINE STARTED WITHOUT A PROBLEM AND HASNT HAPPENED SINCE. DAMAGE TO FRONT VEHICLE WAS AT $310. DAMAGE TO LS WAS AT $960.
2002 LINCOLN LS EXHIBITING RECURRING BRAKE SYSTEM DEFECTS.*MR BRIEFLY, THE WARNING LIGHTS FOR THE BRAKE SYSTEM, ANTI-LOCK SYSTEM AND THE ADVANCED TRAC SYSTEM ILLUMINATED UNDER NORMAL DRIVING, WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY A HARD BRAKE WITH A SEVERE PULL TO THE SIDE. THE DEALER FOUND FAULTY GROUND WIRE CAUSED A LOSS OF BATTERY VOLTAGE …
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2002 LINCOLN LS EXHIBITING RECURRING BRAKE SYSTEM DEFECTS.*MR BRIEFLY, THE WARNING LIGHTS FOR THE BRAKE SYSTEM, ANTI-LOCK SYSTEM AND THE ADVANCED TRAC SYSTEM ILLUMINATED UNDER NORMAL DRIVING, WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY A HARD BRAKE WITH A SEVERE PULL TO THE SIDE. THE DEALER FOUND FAULTY GROUND WIRE CAUSED A LOSS OF BATTERY VOLTAGE TO THE ABS MODULE, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM RECURRED WHILE DRIVING, THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH BOARD, THE VEHICLE MADE A HARD TURN TO THE RIGHT AND A HARD BRAKING FORCE WAS APPLIED, THE CONSUMER HAD GREAT DIFFICULTY TRYING TO KEEP THE VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL, MINUTES LATER THE ENGINE SHUT OFF BY ITSELF AND THEN RESTARTED BY ITSELF, THE DEALER REPLACED NUMEROUS PARTS, BUT THE PROBLEM RECURRED. ALSO THE CRUISE CONTROL FAILED TO ACTIVATE DURING NORMAL HIGHWAY DRIVING. *JB
THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL WHICH MADE IT DIFFICULT TO DRIVE AT TIMES. *NLM. *AK *CB *JB
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.