Transmission question

2002 LS-V8 230k miles.

Recently, I'm noticing that when the car is cold, the transmission is sporadically shifting hard. Sometimes from P to R it kicks into gear hard. From R to D the same thing. Whenever I shift to to N first, and then go to R or D it never happens.

I would start by checking the transmission fluid, both level and quality. Take some and rub it between your fingertips and see how it feels. If it feels nasty and gritty it should probably be changed and even a full transmission flush. If the fluid feels smooth and relatively clean, it could just be your transmission and/or torque converter getting worn out. 230k is a lot of mileage on a Lincoln.

As mentioned above, checking the level and condition of the transmission fluid is a good place to start. If the level is correct though, the symptoms you describe are pretty consistent with a shift solenoid issue with this car/transmission. There was a TSB for the harsh reverse engagement, although I'm not sure if it applied to the 2002 model year.

-Rod