What breaks most · 2009 to 2016 model years
Lincoln MKS problems by year
Owners have filed 183 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Lincoln MKS across model years 2009 to 2016. Three years stand out: 2009 for brakes (hydraulic) complaints, 2013 for engine complaints and 2010 for speed control and throttle complaints. The quietest years are 2012, 2014 and 2011.
- Years to check closely: 2009, 2013, 2010
- Fewest complaints: 2012, 2014, 2011
- Complaints on file
- 1832009 to 2016, all trims
- Worst year
- 200950 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 164 fires · 11 injuries · 19 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 45kMedian 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 3 | 1 | Brakes (hydraulic) (11) | |
| 36 | 7 | 0 | Speed control and throttle (10) | |
| 24 | 2 | 3 | Steering (9) | |
| 6 | 1 | 3 | Unknown or other (2) | |
| 49 | 3 | 7 | Engine (15) | |
| 15 | 0 | 2 | Fuel system (4) | |
| 1 | 0 | 3 | Engine (1) | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (2) |
What fails on the 2009 Lincoln MKS
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 22% |
11 | 0 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2009 Lincoln MKS |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 16% |
8 | 1 | Shop brakes parts for the 2009 Lincoln MKS |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 14% |
7 | 1 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Air bags | 12% |
6 | 2 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Unknown or other | 10% |
5 | 0 | — |
| Seats | 8% |
4 | 0 | — |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 6% |
3 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2009 Lincoln MKS |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 6% |
3 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
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.
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Multiple instances of front brakes grinding when braking. Purchased car as a demo in december 2009 with 7800 miles. Brakes were grinding within 30 days. Has been in the dealership multiple times. Going for fourth (?) repair as soon as parts arrive. Apparently there is an tsb issued by FORD/lincoln.
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Keyless ignition deaths, rina & pasquale fontanini pass rules & regulations on keyless autos [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).' *pm
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Lincoln mks 2010 lost power on highway and started shaking. Towed to a mechanic who did a tune-up, checked the turbos and now says it needs the motor replaced due to a bad cylinder. FORD needs to fix these ecoboost engines which are failing.
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 30, 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, 2009, 2013, 2010 carry the most filings on the Lincoln MKS. The 2009 alone has 50 complaints, led by brakes (hydraulic).
What is the most common Lincoln MKS problem?
On the 2009 model year, the most-reported component is brakes (hydraulic) with 11 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 45,000 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.