I have a 03 Lincoln aviator, and it makes a rattle noise on cold start and when it sits for a while but goes away within 1-3 seconds. It has 185405 miles
Sounds similar to the camshaft phaser startup rattle issues that Toyotas have. The engine uses engine oil to actuate a hydraulic camshaft timing unit that tweaks the cam timing in certain conditions. They're supposed to have a locking pin to hold them when you shut off the engine and oil pressure bleeds off... when this pin fails to engage, the actuator clatters until oil pressure builds back up. Look into the exact model engine you. have and see if it has these cam actuators and what's the popular fix. Personally, I don't get too excited, it's mostly a question of embarrassment.
