Should I buy A lincoln Ls?

[jtb74]

Hi everyone,


new member here, ive always loved the lincoln ls , it seems to be the perfect vehicle for a bigger guy.


Im thinking about buying a used 2000-2001 Lincoln Ls V8



You guys are scaring me with all the transmission problems that are on this board.

Is this car a lemon? Due to my budget i can only afford probably 17,500 for a ceiling and thats going to land me a fairly high mileaged car.

Im going to school full time and need a car that will be reilable for the next 5 years to get me through the rest of my school.

Ive always been a ford guy however my parents have a 2003 Nissan Maxima wich i really like.

Im thinking either a older maxima or lincoln ls , what do you guys think?



Thanks Alot

james

[CGGorman]

Ever hear the saying, "when when she's good, she's very, very good; when she's bad, she's awful"?

That pretty much sums up the LS...

My LS has been less than trouble-free, but she;s NEVER left me stranded and ALWAYS puts a smile on my face. Things break. It happens. You have to pick the one that fits you best and hope that it's easy to live with.

I know more satisfied LS owners (even one's who've had more than a little trouble...there's just ~something~ about the car...) than I do those who are/were DISsatisfied.




Edit... BTW, I've had over $5,000 worth of repair work (not including upgrades, brakes, and tires) done on my LS and I STILL consider it the best car I've ever owned. It just seems to do everything right. If only it had another 100 horse.. :dream:

[jtb74]

Originally Posted by CGGorman

Ever hear the saying, "when when she's good, she's very, very good; when she's bad, she's awful"?

That pretty much sums up the LS...

My LS has been less than trouble-free, but she;s NEVER left me stranded and ALWAYS puts a smile on my face. Things break. It happens. You have to pick the one that fits you best and hope that it's easy to live with.

I know more satisfied LS owners (even one's who've had more than a little trouble...there's just ~something~ about the car...) than I do those who are/were DISsatisfied.




Edit... BTW, I've had over $5,000 worth of repair work (not including brakes and tires) done on my LS and I STILL consider it the best car I've ever owned. It just seems to do everything right. If only it had another 100 horse.. :dream:

i understand nothing runs for ever,however i cant afford to drop 4,000 dollars on a tranny . Thats what scares me because the year that i can afford 2000-2001 is going to have around 50,000 miles on it. I suppose i could and should get an extended warranty if offered.

Someone told me that 2000 was the year to get ,because lincoln changed things for the worse after that year , is that a bunch of crap? I cant afford any newer than a 2002 , so if you happend to know what are the big differences (if any ) between the 2000,2001,2002?

I appreciate your help and respect your opinion



I love the car too , and i havnt ever driven one lol.

[CGGorman]

Driving is the thing the LS does best...

There weren't really any notable changes after July '99 (there was a gear change and a minor structural change, later ('01?) they made the in-dash CD changer available). If you can find one built pre-July '99, they seem to be the most relaible of the first generation. Chalk it up to heightened employee awareness at new product launch. Even then, the statistical differences are practically meaningless.

I've got 100,000+ miles and almost 6 years on mine and it drives and looks like a new car.

If you're concerned about the automatic tranny, find a manual. They seem to be dead-reliable. They also keep up with the V8s on the track and are more fun to drive (unless you only do stop-n-go traffic). People dismiss them because of the V6, but the gearing makes up for lower HP.

[bill05]

There are a few things that you can expect to happen; such as rear window regulator failure, leaky/fogged headlamps, the infamous front end "clunk", rear view mirror failure. All of this stuff seems to happen before 50K. That said, I'm still very pleased with my 61K 2000 V8 auto and would recommend the car highly. I did opt for an extended warranty, due to the high cost of repairs/parts on all cars these days. Given your budget you can own a 2000 and have a lot of money to spare.

[dbuseman]

Mine has 106,000 and she's really starting to become a pain. It's a great car when it runs good, but I definitely think you're better off for reliability with a Nissan

[Quik_LS]

one thing to remember - this board in particular - most people are posting about an issue - some looking for help. So it kind of gives the impression that all there are soooooo many issues.

If your thinking about a LS you should spend some time on this board and other boards that also talk about all the good things - racing, driving, ...not just the problem.

Some times I think this board it like a 'satisfaction survey' where the people that need to air an issue of course fill out the form and need to tell someone, but the majority of people who are happy never respond.

[chawee]

Originally Posted by jtb74

Hi everyone,


new member here, ive always loved the lincoln ls , it seems to be the perfect vehicle for a bigger guy.


Im thinking about buying a used 2000-2001 Lincoln Ls V8



You guys are scaring me with all the transmission problems that are on this board.

Is this car a lemon? Due to my budget i can only afford probably 17,500 for a ceiling and thats going to land me a fairly high mileaged car.

Im going to school full time and need a car that will be reilable for the next 5 years to get me through the rest of my school.

Ive always been a ford guy however my parents have a 2003 Nissan Maxima wich i really like.

Im thinking either a older maxima or lincoln ls , what do you guys think?



Thanks Alot

james

I'd advise against it! We're on our 4th transmission and second A/C problem. There is very little tech support for this car and it's a 2002! Buy a Caddy CTS.

[gray1g]

No. Look for another car. Wish I did. Maybe I just bought a lemon.

[LS_on20z]

I just recently (2 weeks ago) bought an 02 LS with 28k on it from a dealership for around $17k. It is still under factory warranty for a full year and the 30k mile checkup is under warranty as well.

I looked at a used 3.2TL and I30, concerned about reliability as well. However, the driving experience with an LS cannot even begin to compare with those 2 models. The LS grips the road and responds extremely well and gives you a good feel.

There are a lot of LS's around with low miles if you take the time to look and dealers are willing to get rid of them at relatively low mark up.

I am extremely happy that I went with an LS, and my advice is to look for an 02 because it doesnt have as many of the little problems as the prior years. Good luck and I hope you decide on an LS.

[KenRosier]

Originally Posted by LS_on20z

I just recently (2 weeks ago) bought an 02 LS with 28k on it from a dealership for around $17k. It is still under factory warranty for a full year and the 30k mile checkup is under warranty as well.

I looked at a used 3.2TL and I30, concerned about reliability as well. However, the driving experience with an LS cannot even begin to compare with those 2 models. The LS grips the road and responds extremely well and gives you a good feel.

There are a lot of LS's around with low miles if you take the time to look and dealers are willing to get rid of them at relatively low mark up.

I am extremely happy that I went with an LS, and my advice is to look for an 02 because it doesnt have as many of the little problems as the prior years. Good luck and I hope you decide on an LS.

I would have to second the above statements. I have an '02 V8 and there is nothing tha compares with the drivability of this machine. The handling and the way it hugs the road is outstanding.

It is true that the cost of repairs can be very expensive (from what I've seen on this board) but I haven't had a problem as of yet. I guess that's one of the reasons we all belong the this forum... so we can help one another out.

Best of luck with your decision.

Ken,

[94bmw]

The car is great if it is under warrantee and has under 75k miles. I have a 2000 and have replaced or repaired: all four brake rotors due to frozen calipers, most front suspension parts, hydraulic fan pump, transmission, valve cover seals, 3 coils on plug, and many more things. If you are on a tight budget this car is NOT for you. Once it gets any miles on it, it just starts to fall apart inside and out. Spend your money on a more reliable car. I bought the car for the performance when it had 50k miles on it...what a mistake. I currently have a 98 BMW 740il which I paid about 17k with 49k miles and it is 10 times the car of the LS. BMW's are not cheap to own or maintain (I'm on my 4th) but they will last 250k - 300k miles easy and still be a nice car. My LS has 105k and is one problem after another. And I can't believe I would ever get 250k miles on it!! If it was me I would look for something that doesn't require the repairs that this car definitely will require.

[CGGorman]

10 times, huh? Wow. I've heard those bimmers are pretty nice. I guess that would a Bentley like, what, 1,000 times better. And a Maybach would be like 10,000 times better?

[LS_on20z]

It appeared to me when I was looking at the LS that the 2000 - 01 model has more problems than the 02. The 02 has had no recalls, and many of the problems I have read on this forum concern the 00-01 models. I am not sure how completely accurate that statement is, but it seemed to me to be that way.

[dodge4Life]

Transmission problems, specifically the valve body.
At 2500 miles the trans light came on and the dealer told me dont drive the car. When my mom asked for a loaner car, she recieved a snide remark from one of the service guys. I had to go and take care of that. They evenually told me it was the valve body and 45 days later I got the car back.
Three days after I drove the car to NJ and felt a slight bucking between gears. After returning from a 30 mile trip and was back on the street, I felt like I was on a bucking Bronco. The car went back. Again, A fight ensued about a loaner car.
Two weeks later, I got the car back. A short time later I had the car on my lift in my garage and noticed a drip from the tranny plug. The car went back and I was told, "ITS ONLY A LITTLE LEAK" ARGGGHHHHHHHHHH. They say they cahnged the plug but they failed to realize I marked it and they only tightened it, now it leaks more.
The arbitraitor says they will take my case under the Lemon Law and if I win I WANT MY MONEY BACK
NEVER WILL I BY A FORD PRODUCT AGAIN. Gonna stick to my DODGE'S
General comments?
Would never buy another Lincoln or buy anything from Dana Lincoln Mercury again.