thinkin bout buyin an LS...need the truth!

[jthorn75]

ok im an 18 year old kid thinkin bout buyin an LS ive herd some bout tha problems and im thinkin bout goin with a 2001 used from a lincoln/ford dealership so i can pick up and good warrenty...truthfully how much problems and faulty parts come with an LS and will tha warrenty honor it...about how often does an LS owner encounter a problem? thanks!

 

[Kevin]

An 01 is out of warrenty, unless there's extended warrenty and such.

The LS can get expensive, don't get in over your head with this, or any car. If you can only just barely afford the payments, insurance, gas, etc., without much extra for the repairs it is bound to need - don't buy one.

Within a month of owning my 2000 (bought about 2 years ago) it needed a PCM, and power steering lines. Thankfully it was warrentied. That kind of stuff gets expensive.

Other repairs, valve cover gaskets, coil packs, all wheel nuts, and then there's the mods - those aren't cheap either!

In all, they're great cars that are good value (not best though), and you'll like the car. But like I said - just be prepared to spend money on repairs.

 

[Kelleyo]

ok im an 18 year old kid thinkin bout buyin an LS ive herd some bout tha problems and im thinkin bout goin with a 2001 used from a lincoln/ford dealership so i can pick up and good warrenty...truthfully how much problems and faulty parts come with an LS and will tha warrenty honor it...about how often does an LS owner encounter a problem? thanks!

Look at it this way, The depreciation on these cars kind of hide the cost of ownership. Not because they are problem cars but because the parts and labor are expensive. You are probably looking at 12 to 14K I would guess for this car, probably half the price you would pay for a 2000 BMW 540 (a very good comparison). So the purchase price is great cause you are getting what is eqiuvlinat to a 540 in terms of performance and handling.

Here is the catch: It will cost as much to maintian as a 540 not half as much. Tires, brakes, etc, are not cheap on this car just cause the purchase price is.

 

[Fordman]

From what I'm seeing 2000 is the worst year for problems. I have an 01 and have had very minimal problems. A/C compressor. Valve cover gaskets and 1 COP,and a broken stabalizer link. Otherwise its been a great car. I really love driving it. Definetly get an extended warranty there expensive to fix. And any car that is starting to get up in mileage is bound to start having problems. How many miles do you have on yours??? Good luck !!! :W

 

[Dartastic]

Look at it this way, The depreciation on these cars kind of hide the cost of ownership. Not because they are problem cars but because the parts and labor are expensive. You are probably looking at 12 to 14K I would guess for this car, probably half the price you would pay for a 2000 BMW 540 (a very good comparison). So the purchase price is great cause you are getting what is eqiuvlinat to a 540 in terms of performance and handling.

Here is the catch: It will cost as much to maintian as a 540 not half as much. Tires, brakes, etc, are not cheap on this car just cause the purchase price is.

My .02 cents.... Ive owned nothing but Fords. My mustangs were damn cheap to own and maintain. Had a Lincoln Mark VIII and it was cheap to own up to about 100k miles. Air bag suspension gave out. Cost about $1200 or so. Brakes were expensive to have done. Id be damned if I was going to have a "midas" do my brakes over the dealer. I can tell you though the fit and finish in a LS is heads and shoulders above my Mark VIII. It's a very "sporty" 4 door but not sure why an 18 year old is looking at it before something like a 2005 Mustang. I consider it my sporty family car and it still doesnt fit my whole family!

 

[Quik LS]

remember the LS was designed to compete with the BMW 5-series - and did very well, espically in value since the car stickered at $45,000.

Think of your maintenance costs like that - a BMW is expensive to service, the LS - is expensive for a domestic. Most of the parts are available only from the dealer. Most of any aftermarket parts are designed for better performance and since are sold to a small group of owners - are very expensive.

Like Kelleyo states above - the car is a STEAL at the prices they go for in 3-4yrs later - but remember what you bought was a $40K car.

 

[eL eS]

From what I'm seeing 2000 is the worst year for problems. I have an 01 and have had very minimal problems. A/C compressor. Valve cover gaskets and 1 COP,and a broken stabalizer link. Otherwise its been a great car. I really love driving it. Definetly get an extended warranty there expensive to fix. And any car that is starting to get up in mileage is bound to start having problems. How many miles do you have on yours??? Good luck !!! :W

I can back the Y2k assertion up. I have an 00 V6 Sport.. Same problems as above but add 4 trips to the dealer for 1200+ dollar tranny fixes. Heated seat problem 2, 8 windows regulators, two fuels pumps and the REM. I am sure I am leaving something out.

Despite the issues, some of which were coverd under warranty, I enjoy driving my car!

 

[GrayGhost1]

I'd stay away from the 2000 models and focus on a 2001 or 2002 LS. It seems first year production model cars always have "bugs". I have an 01 and haven't had a lot of problems with it. Worse two things were the replacement of 4 leaky fuel injectors and a faulty DATC module.

 

[jthorn75]

im thinkin bout gettin an LS with about 60 thousand miles and an extended warrenty im just worryed about dishing out all this extra money because i can afford it and everything but if im payin extra money alot to get it fixed then its not worth it to me because im looking to get something that will last me for about 5 years and ive herd when the LS gets alot of miles on it they have trouble, thats why i was thinking bout a tacoma or something with more well known deriablity

 

[eL eS]

im thinkin bout gettin an LS with about 60 thousand miles and an extended warrenty im just worryed about dishing out all this extra money because i can afford it and everything but if im payin extra money alot to get it fixed then its not worth it to me because im looking to get something that will last me for about 5 years and ive herd when the LS gets alot of miles on it they have trouble, thats why i was thinking bout a tacoma or something with more well known deriablity

shop for a lower milage car an 02 or 03. That fact of the matter is all cars have the potential to have costly problems. My wifes 03 altima has been flawless but i bet you there are a 100 owners that are bitchin at a dealer right now about the same car.

 

[Fordman]

:iconcur: I have had my share of problems with Nissan, so there is no perfect car. Like I said as any car gets up in mileage you'll have problems. It's a given. I agree with EL, shop for one with a little less mileage.

 

[MAT88GT]

I can back the Y2k assertion up. I have an 00 V6 Sport.. Same problems as above but add 4 trips to the dealer for 1200+ dollar tranny fixes. Heated seat problem 2, 8 windows regulators, two fuels pumps and the REM. I am sure I am leaving something out.

Despite the issues, some of which were coverd under warranty, I enjoy driving my car!

agreed

My '00 had a broken sway bar link when I bought it, fixed by the dealer for no cost

2 months later it developed an exhaust manifold leak and now the cam covers are starting to leak as well.

Heated seat is non-working, hvac control buttons fall off easily, and the brakes could use new pads soon

keep in mind that no car is problem free, but many cars are cheaper to repair than an ls...easier to work on as well

IMO this is the best car I've ever owned in terms of quality, fit and finish..comfort and so on

 

[loveLSE]

02

I have 02 and have not had any problem yet.
only time I went to dealer was for regular maintenance.
and time when I got in an accident. it was simple bumper swap and some minor body damage. because of LSE bumper, it took some time for part to arrive. all in all, it took about 3 weeks to get my car back.
I was pissed that I drove merq sable for that time. I felt like I borrowed my grandma's car.
so far, no problems yet.
had brake light blow out but it's simple task.
I still cant figure out how to get to the third brake light. :Bang

I would recomment staying away from early years.
I think 02 with decent mileage goes for 15-20k.

 

[eL eS]

I would find a low mileage car and be prepared to put them on the ropes when negotiating. They are getting these cars on trade for a song. Always be prepared to walk away from a deal. Hit teh KBB.com website or edmunds.com and look at trade values it is sick.

 

[Aviatorguy]

I agree with everything said here in regards to your consideration of an 2000 LS. I know that the first initial production models (first off the assembly line) did have numerous problems. Those were built in mid 1999 when the LS first was introduced as a 2000 model. I have a LS that was built in early 2000 (later model run) and I have not had that many problems. I currently have 52k miles on it and the problems that I have had besides the dealer recalls have been the front seat heater seats, the valve covers, and the PCM valve which were covered by the factory warranty. THe LS faced the new model bugs just like many other notable cars, even BMW and Lexus. My boss bought a 2002 BMW 745i, the first year they were out with the new design and the Idrive. He has had a tremendous amount of problems with that car, something that to me is unexcusable for a $75k automobile. But it happens to autos that most of us consider to be immune to that because of their build and quality history. I would suggest that if you buy a 2000 LS make sure that it has low mileage and that it has been well maintained. These cars are more sophisticated than most people realize and have to be well taken care of. If you are lucky enough to find one, you will become addicted to it once you drive it. You will feel good in how could you have found such a solidly built, well-balanced, and fun to drive car for so little money. Not to mention its good looks. Good luck.

 

[lsbit]

I would like to add that getting an '00 might be your best buy "IF" all the common repairs have already been done to it. Fixing the quirks brings it to late 2002 status, for the most part. Almost all of them have the coil, valve cover, fogged headlight, heated seat, delayed trans shift, and rear window problems, but if they have already been fixed, that could be a great thing. This could be done at 40,000 miles or 100,000 miles, so the mileage isn't going to tell you if the work has been done. Try to buy one from someone who knows enough about the car that he/she knows what repairs have been done and why they were done.

If I was looking for something reliable and cheap to maintain, the LS would not be my car. Also, most people don't know how to troubleshoot complex problems, and the LS is a pretty complex car. I was looking for something that had a workable back seat, good handling, comfortable and a little bit of power to it with looks that I could stand. It was a match. I have another car for backup.

Good luck!!

 

[eL eS]

¿Isnt your other car an LS? man are you crazy! j/k I know you have a bad :q stang stabled on the farm.

 

[ez2h8]

My first LS was a 2000 sport V6 with 32k miles on it with a Certified Warranty. 3 hours after I signed the papers, the rear diff gears shattered pulling out of a mall onto a busy street. Dealership was cool about that. After that, I loved the car and it ran great, no other problems. I just traded it in on a 04 LS V6 and 1 day after leaving the lot, the catalyst convertor went bad so back to the dealership. They fixed that, faulty trans fluid put in at factory wrong and radiator hose. Get it back, running great. Car is setting in and I hear a rattle in the rear deck. Go back there digging and can't find anything. Back to dealership and faulty speaker that they have to order. LOL This cracks me up. I think I have actually put more miles on the 05 town car loaner they keep giving me then my new LS at this point.

I agree with everyone though, once the warranty runs out, Lincolns are expensive to maintain. And if you trade it back in too soon, expect some nasty negative equity.

Exhaust all your options before getting an 00 if your funds are tight.
Chuck

 

[ND4SPDLSC]

It's better if you can do some of your own maintenance on the car, regardless of brand. If you really like the car, get it, but understand any $40k car won't be as cheap or easy to maintain and fix as a car costing much less initially.

 

[lsbit]

¿Isnt your other car an LS? man are you crazy! j/k I know you have a bad :q stang stabled on the farm.

Crazy might be the right word.

 

[Ric]

When I was Eighteen, you couldn't have PAID me to drive a car like the LS. I like mine well enough now that I'm 53, but there are times when I still feel like I want something that's got some real b*lls. The LS is nice but it can best be described as "peppy" and it takes corners "OK". As soon as the new Cobra comes out, I'l be at the Ford dealer.

 

[lsbit]

When I was Eighteen, you couldn't have PAID me to drive a car like the LS. I like mine well enough now that I'm 53, but there are times when I still feel like I want something that's got some real b*lls. The LS is nice but it can best be described as "peppy" and it takes corners "OK". As soon as the new Cobra comes out, I'l be at the Ford dealer.

When I was 18, the car I wanted and finally got was a Mustang LX 5.0. It had 225hp which was alot back in the 80s. We didn't have anything that could handle like the LS. Back then, all my friends and I cared about was acceleration. We ran cheap used tires, Kraco stereos, crappy paint and interior, brakes (who needs them), and totally worn out suspension.

Things have changed.