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2001 Lincoln Ls Recalls & Complaints

1

open safety recall on record

Serious

319 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.53 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious00V359001

Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower Ball Joint

IF THE BALL JOINT ATTACHING NUTS ARE NOT ADEQUATELY TIGHTENED, THEY CAN LOOSEN AND, ULTIMATELY, RESULT IN FRACTURE OF THE BALL JOINT STUD.

Remedy & full details

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.

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

Complaint volume

319 this model-year 7 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

31Crashes
3Fires
17Injuries
3Deaths

Across 319 complaints. Severity Index 0.53.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Suspension · Front · Cont…67 · 21%Suspension23 · 7%Air Bags22 · 7%Suspension · Front21 · 7%Steering10 · 3%Visibility · Power Window…10 · 3%Engine And Engine Cooling9 · 3%Power Train · Automatic T…8 · 3%
  1. Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower Ball Joint — 67 reports
  2. Suspension — 23 reports
  3. Air Bags — 22 reports
  4. Suspension:Front — 21 reports
  5. Steering — 10 reports
  6. Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls — 10 reports
  7. Engine And Engine Cooling — 9 reports
  8. Power Train:Automatic Transmission — 8 reports
  9. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine — 6 reports
  10. Vehicle Speed Control — 6 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

2000 (1) · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 (1) · 2004 · 2005 (1) · 2006

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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