What breaks most · 2009 to 2016 model years
Lincoln MKS problems by year
Owners have filed 373 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Lincoln MKS across model years 2009 to 2016. One year stands out: 2013 for steering complaints. The quietest years are 2012, 2011 and 2014.
- Years to check closely: 2013
- Fewest complaints: 2012, 2011, 2014
- Complaints on file
- 3732009 to 2016, all trims
- Worst year
- 2013142 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 237 fires · 54 injuries · 59 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 70kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 19Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56 | 4 | 1 | Brakes (hydraulic) (11) | |
| 51 | 8 | 0 | Steering (15) | |
| 43 | 3 | 3 | Steering (21) | |
| 17 | 1 | 3 | Steering (8) | |
| 142 | 6 | 7 | Steering (61) | |
| 44 | 1 | 2 | Steering (12) | |
| 17 | 0 | 3 | Engine (5) | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (3) |
What fails on the 2013 Lincoln MKS
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 43% |
61 | 2 | Shop steering parts for the 2013 Lincoln MKS |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 18% |
25 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2013 Lincoln MKS |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 15% |
22 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2013 Lincoln MKS |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 8% |
12 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2013 Lincoln MKS |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 6% |
9 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Unknown or other | 4% |
6 | 0 | — |
| Lane departure systemCamera sensors | 3% |
4 | 0 | Shop lane departure system parts for the 2013 Lincoln MKS |
| Seats | 3% |
4 | 0 | — |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Power steering assist faulty. To regain power steering control turn the car off. Throughout the past six months, this happened several times.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Lincoln MKS years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2013 carries the most filings on the Lincoln MKS. The 2013 alone has 142 complaints, led by steering.
What is the most common Lincoln MKS problem?
On the 2013 model year, the most-reported component is steering with 61 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Lincoln MKS problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Lincoln MKS complaints that include mileage is about 70,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.