Better to buy these cars after 95k miles?

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MattRuss

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This is going to be a stupid question. But after reading a bunch of reviews on this machine it seems that a lot of stuff happens inbetween 5k and 100k miles. Many owners put up with this at first (it is a great car after all). But then it seems many give up and trade them in.

Opinions. Better to buy this machine after people have given it a go? Lots cheeper as well.

Matthew
 
Usually the problems start after 50k.

I don't think it matters really cause who's to say the seller had the problems resolved?
 
I am going to take a look @ an 03 LS tomorow that has 93k. Hopefully all the problems have happened and have been resolved properly lol!

Anything in particular I should look for? I am goign to check all power options and everything like the standard. So if you have any hints that would be helpful!

sry to threadjack
 
Reoccuring problems are what you have to worry about, like coils. I traded my LS in at 45k, already had signs of problems, was confirmed by my friend who worked at the dealer that they had replace all of the coils before putting on the lot which the car sold quickly anyway. I heard from friend again about a month ago the car was back with the problem and a couple other things, car had 70k on it.

Only way I'd pick up an LS with high miles is if it was a super deal. I can now afford the downtime for repairs now having a a few backups lol
 
How difficult is it to check the coils, I have read its a common problem that oil may get into the coils and they need replaced. Is there a convenient way to check this while it is @ the lot? I obviously know if its misfiring or running poorly there is a problem. They have reassured me mechanically that their technicians have replaced and gone over the car thoroughly. But of course we all know those classic stealership lines.


I have already seen the carfax for it and there was a minor fender bendor a couple years ago and the carfax lists that the whole throttlebody has been replaced the same year. I dunno if this is a good thing or not lol!
 
Im running 81k miles, and when I bought it the dealer said there was absolutely no major work done on it except oil changes and some cheap tires... It really depends on how you drive and if you maintain it or not. A little bit of luck can be thrown in as well.
 
It's better for your bank account initially to buy ANY car with high mileage. In the long run, usually not too great of an idea.
 
If the car is at a FLM dealer, have them run the VIN through their service dept. to see if it has had any factory service, repairs, or recalls done. If it's not at a FLM dealer, you can take the VIN to any dealer and have them run it to tell you what has been done.
I had this done on my LS that I recently purchased (2004 with 38k miles) and it showed that 4 of the coils had been replaced just 6 months ago along with the shifter cable under a previous warranty repair.
It was a good peace of mind knowing this before I cut the check for the car.

Brent
 
The only time these problems reoccur is when people beat the hell out of the car! Usually you find the people that race every single car they see with a car not designed for that complaining about it!
 
Start the car and pay attention to the smell. You may sense a faint burning oil smell (VCG need replaced, needs new coils and spark plugs).

Try to listen for grinding or squeeking under the front suspention (bad ball joints, call Lincoln yourself. 2000-2002 models had a recall of 1 free set of ball joints but this may have been previously claimed by the old owner... worth a shot to ask! Also, a FLM dealer WILL lie and tell you there was no recall... there definatly was!!)

Check to see all window regulators are working properly.

Listen for a bad Catalytic Converter

These are the most common problems with LS's. I purchased my LS with EVERYONE of these issues (besides the CC, it was still good), but I got it for under $3600 and fixed everything myself (about a $700 fix). Good luck, and dont forget if the car has any of these issues dont completely disregard the car.. Evaluate the cost of repair and haggle for a GREAT price! Know your facts about the car, Dealers cant argue with facts and must haggle. :)
 
Last edited:
NYC LS8 said:
I had no idea Caddy converters would work in an LS! Is it a Northstar converter? Or one from CTS-V? What's the stall speed on it?

;)
Click to expand...

lol!!! Idk where my mind was.. must be thinking about the CTS I REALLY wish I had... Ill correct it:D
 
I bought my 2002 V8 LS in 2003 with 19000 miles and the reliability has been very dissapointing. This is my wife's car and it has never been raced or abused. The car has 111,000 miles on it now. Here is a list of repairs:

  • 2 window regulators on the drivers side and one on the passenger side.
  • Steering wheel clock spring
  • The radio has been repaired twice
  • Door seals on both sides
  • Front speakers had to be replaced because of leaky door seals.
  • Replaced 5 or 6 coils (I lost track)
  • Replaced valve cover gaskets
  • Replaced engine
Things that need to be replaced
  • Both headlights are foggy
  • Both ball joints are loose.
  • Passenger side front wheel bearing is loose
  • Remote trunk latch does not work.
This is just things I remember. There are probably other repairs I have forgotten. The car has great handling and performance. It is just ashame that the quality is no better.

I am going to have to look into the comment above about free ball joint replacement for 2000-2002 cars. That would sure be nice.
 
NOV 03, 2000 | Recall ID# 27634 Hide Details


Recall Reason SUSPENSION : FRONT : CONTROL ARM : LOWER BALL JOINT
Recall Date NOV 03, 2000
Model Affected LS
Potential Units Affected 82300


Recall Summary
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE NOT TIGHTENED TO SPECIFICATIONS WHEN THEY WERE ATTACHED TO THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS.


Consequence
IF THE BALL JOINT ATTACHING NUTS ARE NOT ADEQUATELY TIGHTENED, THEY CAN LOOSEN AND, ULTIMATELY, RESULT IN FRACTURE OF THE BALL JOINT STUD. IF THE BALL JOINT FRACTURES, CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE COULD BE AFFECTED, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.


Remedy
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE TORQUE ON THE TWO BALL JOINT ATTACHING NUTS. VEHICLES WITH LOOSE BALL JOINT ATTACHING NUTS WILL EITHER HAVE THE FASTENERS TIGHTENED TO SPECIFICATION, OR IF NECESSARY, THE BALL JOINTS WILL BE REPLACED.


Notes
FORD MOTOR COMPANY 00S39


Pretty much lincolns way of saying "sorry for the bad suspension.. if you push it enough you will get free ball joints.." But like I said, dealerships will tell you that there is no such thing as this recall. You have to call Lincoln yourself.

LINCOLN BY PHONE:
Toll Free: (800) 521-4140
Hours of Operation:
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Local Time (Monday-Friday)

Call and ask for customer service then give them the recall ID#, and your Vin#. Good luck:)
 
In reading the recall notice it states the year 2000. Earlier post stated 00-02. Does the recall actually cover 02s? And why would they argue about it. A recall that covers a saftey issue is supposed to get done with no arguments or begging no matter what the milage isn't it.
 
Ringmaster said:
In reading the recall notice it states the year 2000. Earlier post stated 00-02. Does the recall actually cover 02s? And why would they argue about it. A recall that covers a saftey issue is supposed to get done with no arguments or begging no matter what the milage isn't it.
Click to expand...

Yes, a recall is a recall no matter the mileage. But I had this issue with the FLM dealer where I meantioned the recall and they claimed that the had never heard of it. We spent nearly an hour arguing. They even attempted to tell me I was miss-informed with some random peice of paper as their proof. I left the dealership and immediately called Lincoln. I must say the Lincoln customer service is A+. They confirmed the recall and called the dealership for me to schedule an appointment. Needless to say I did act a little smug while dropping my car off;) .

I was pretty sure the recall covered all LS's from 00-02 but Im not 100%. Ill check into it and let yall know.
 
- a whin or bad squeek when turning left or right at a slow rate (below 20mph) or possibly a popping sound when turning the wheel left or right at a dead stop = bad ball joints
 
Just great..buying it after 95k miles when alot of ppl may have :q:q:q:qed up the car too much.

It was a pain in the ass to get the tar out of the fabric/door speakers from the retarded last owner....stupid ass smokers have to second hand smoke to their cars...just shameful....
 
I just got back from demoing a 03 LS premium sport with 97k on it.

A/c was dead.
Foglights weren't working.
Slight pull to the right when driving.
Shuddering transmission in lower gears.
Multiple paint imperfections that had been touched up.
And a fender bender in 2007.
Rusted rotors.
Missing trim peice on passenger front fender.
Also the whole throttle body had been replaced... Dunno wut was up with that

Anyways, they sat me down and were asking 8,900 for it.

I laughed and told them I would write them a check for 6k and drive it off the lot. He said they cant budge on it. I told them thanks for the opportunity and walked out.


So the search for a gen 2 LS continues x.x
 
If this recall is for real why have I never received anything from Lincoln. I am the original owner of a 2002.
 
If the recall date is 2000, normally cars after that recall announcement are presumed to be correct from the factory. I would assume the 2002 model year (which I also own) had this problem addressed by having the proper torque on those nuts.

My 2002 was bought with 108K miles. I had some work to do, normal things like tires and brakes, but also the infamous sway bar bushing and a wheel bearing (rear driver side) and all the normal maintenance, but (knock on wood) it is now driving like a new car. I am sure it has been fixed along the way, and the condition was spotless in and out.

I believe in the carfax thing. Do a carfax on any vehicle you are seriously considering, as it lists all the major dealer based service, any accidents, the number of owners and how long the had it, and so on. In my case, it started life as a rental (can be rough but at least well maintained) then a single owner from 14K to 92K miles. This person sold it to someone who drove it for 15K miles and then... got popped for a drug search! They hit the road and someone else bought it at auction dirt cheap then sold it to me for $5K flat. I got all this off the carfax.

I am extremely pleased with the vehicle now that everything is up to snuff, and will do the maintenance required as required as a cheap investment of a car that someone paid a lot for. Great car.

My advice is find one sold by the oldster. They garage them, they take care of them, they sell them cheap. This is one of the things that make Lincolns such great used cars to buy IMO. Plus, they are great vehicles, having owned many over the years.
 
michaelrogers said:
If the recall date is 2000, normally cars after that recall announcement are presumed to be correct from the factory. I would assume the 2002 model year (which I also own) had this problem addressed by having the proper torque on those nuts.

My 2002 was bought with 108K miles. I had some work to do, normal things like tires and brakes, but also the infamous sway bar bushing and a wheel bearing (rear driver side) and all the normal maintenance, but (knock on wood) it is now driving like a new car. I am sure it has been fixed along the way, and the condition was spotless in and out.

I believe in the carfax thing. Do a carfax on any vehicle you are seriously considering, as it lists all the major dealer based service, any accidents, the number of owners and how long the had it, and so on. In my case, it started life as a rental (can be rough but at least well maintained) then a single owner from 14K to 92K miles. This person sold it to someone who drove it for 15K miles and then... got popped for a drug search! They hit the road and someone else bought it at auction dirt cheap then sold it to me for $5K flat. I got all this off the carfax.

I am extremely pleased with the vehicle now that everything is up to snuff, and will do the maintenance required as required as a cheap investment of a car that someone paid a lot for. Great car.

My advice is find one sold by the oldster. They garage them, they take care of them, they sell them cheap. This is one of the things that make Lincolns such great used cars to buy IMO. Plus, they are great vehicles, having owned many over the years.
Click to expand...

You huys are scaring me...I just bought a 2006 LS with 48k on it...did the 2006 have these problems too? or is it mostly the 200-2003? thoughts? I just put another 1200 into it today (new rotors, ceramic pads, 4 tires all the way around) Runs like a dream!
 
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