Trouble with Lincoln LS 2000

New to this site. I'm very disappointed with my "luxury" vehicle, the Lincoln 2000 LS. Both rear window gears broke within 2 weeks of each other. I was told that "this is common in these vehicles". Headlamp burned out one week later. And, today, I limped down the highway with the engine sputtering like an old piece of junk and smelling like sulfa. By the time I got to the dealership, whatever was happening had stopped. Worked hard all of our lives; got this car last August before retirement and have a feeling that there is too much to go wrong with it.
Has anyone else had problems like this? All of the other "lesser" cars we have owned have not had these aggravating problems. Or, have we just been lucky...............? Appreciate your feedback.

Come on! you know the old slogan...."Ford quality....they have none!" errrr....."job 1"? :)

should have done your homework....consumer report didn't have too many nice things to say about the LS last time they wrote anything on it. another 'wannabe' car....

sorry, buy Honda next time :) or Acura.

You Just Didn't give it a chance All Cars Have Problems. The LS is one of the best That I have Seen

I've had the right rear window repaired twice, and the left once. Today the right rear window dropped. I've seen several Lincolns driving around with the rear window down, and I don't think it is for ventilation. This is obviously a chronic problem. Does anyone know of a permanent fix?

Um, a good fix woulda been to buy the 2001 or 2002. If you have the money, you should do that. It's a first year car man...

The rear window regulators have been a problem on the older cars. It's one of the VERY few things you can EXPECT to fail. Lack of use and high temperatures have been known to aggravate the situation. Lincoln engineering has issued two seperate revisions of repair regulators. The first didn't work. The latest (metal instead of plastic) seems to be working well. Make sure your dealer replaces them both with the latest revision. There is a TSB covering this. I would push for warranty coverage...even if you're no longer covered.

The window mechanism was fixed in mid-2001 MY. When you get your window repaired now, it will (should) be repaired with the new mechanism which has solved this problem.

I have owned two LSs and both have been nearly failure free. Like any car, the LS has its problems and lemons do exist. But on the whole, it is a solid car that is very reliable. In fact most of the known problems with the LS involve minor systems like windows, headlights, bushings, and the like. And keep in mind when reading reports in forums that people who have problems are more likely to post. If you're satisfied with the car, you're much less likely to get into a forum and post. That's true of any car... just check out forums for other brands and you'll find lemons there too.

I have visited the factory where the LS is made (Wixom, MI) and I've spoken to the people who are responsible for the car and they are very dedicated and skilled folks.

I have had long-term problems with Consumer Reports conclusions and not just about the LS. I take what they say about cars with a big grain of salt.

This is a follow-up to my earlier post regarding the 4th rear window failure on my 2000 LS. After complaining about the repeat visits for the same problem, my dealer performed the work for $50. With the 2 day rental car and the repair cost, the total was only $125. Not a large dollar amount, but a real pain in the neck to take time away from work to take the car in for the 4th time.

Regarding the note from GC, I don't know if any of the 4 replacement mechanisms were the improved version. The dealer acted like this was an unusual problem, but I've spoken with other LS owners with similar problems so the dealer's credibility is very low. I really appreciate the enlightenment provided by GC, and the lack of use comment is probably the case with my car. Thanks for helping me understand more about my vehicle!
Regards,
PBlythe