2013 Lincoln MKS reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2013 Lincoln MKS has 141 complaints with NHTSA after 14 years, or 6 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 5 MKS years on this site. NHTSA has 7 recalls on file, including Fuel pump, Fuel system, gasoline, and Electric power steering.

2012 Lincoln MKS — Photo by Mr.choppers, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0

Complaints

141

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Steering (60 of 141), then Electrical system (25) and Engine (22). Those filings include 6 that report a crash, 4 that report a fire, 7 that report an injury, and 9 that report a death.

Next to 2012 and 2014

The 2012 MKS has 17 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2014 has 44 complaints, 2 per year. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2012. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2014.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2013 Lincoln MKS. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (7)

Recall Fuel pump 2016-08-25 · NHTSA campaign 16V621000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI Ecoboost engines and 2013-2015 Ford Taurus Police Interceptor vehicles. A component within the fuel pump electric module (PEM) may overheat causing a loss of electrical power to the fuel pump.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel PEM part number and replace the fuel PEM, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 1, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S31.

Recall Fuel system, gasoline 2015-12-02 · NHTSA campaign 15V812000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013 Explorer, Explorer Police Utility, Taurus, Taurus Police Interceptor, Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the fuel delivery module may crack, allowing fuel to leak.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel delivery module, free of charge. The recall began on December 21, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 13S04-S1.

Recall Electric power steering 2015-06-02 · NHTSA campaign 15V340000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford Fusion vehicles without a 3.5L engine and Lincoln MKZ hybrid electric vehicles, 2011 Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with a 3.5L GTDI engine and 2013 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with any available engine. The affected vehicles have electric power steering assist systems that may shut down as a result of a steering motor sensor fault.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will check the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) for Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC). If dealers find any loss of steering assist DTCs, the steering gear will be replaced, free of charge. If, no codes are found during the PSCM inspection, the PSCM software will be updated, free of charge. The recall began on July 21, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S18.

Recall structure, body, door 2015-01-28 · NHTSA campaign 15V040000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Ford Taurus vehicles manufactured December 1, 2009, to July 31, 2010, and 2011-2013 Lincoln MKS vehicles manufactured June 1, 2011, to October 31, 2011. In the affected vehicles, the interior door handle return spring may unseat, resulting in interior door handle that does not return to the fully stowed position after actuation.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect all four of the interior door handles and either repair or replace them, free of charge. The recall began March 23, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S02.

Recall powertrain, axle assembly, axle shaft 2014-07-02 · NHTSA campaign 14V393000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles manufactured September 2, 2010, to November 30, 2013; 2013-2014 Ford Taurus and Lincoln MKS vehicles manufactured August 25, 2011, to November 30, 2013; and 2013-2014 Ford Flex and Lincoln MKT vehicles manufactured September 12, 2011, to November 30, 2013. In the affected vehicles, the halfshaft retention circlip may not have been properly installed, and as a result, the halfshaft may move outward and disengage from the linkshaft while driving and without prior warning.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles to make sure that the halfshaft is properly retained. If it is not, dealers will replace the linkshaft and also replace the halfshaft if it shows evidence of spline damage, free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S10.

Recall Latches, locks, and linkages 2013-06-26 · NHTSA campaign 13V270000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013 Ford Explorer, Taurus, and Lincoln MKS vehicles manufactured November 29, 2012, through December 12, 2012. In the affected vehicles, with sufficient door openings and closings, the child safety locks may change from an activated position to a deactivated position without notice.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will test the safety locks. If necessary, the locks will be replaced free of charge. The recall began on August 2, 2013. Ford's recall number is 13S07. Owners may contact the Ford customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332.

Recall Fuel system, gasoline 2013-05-31 · NHTSA campaign 13V227000

Summary Ford is recalling certain model year 2013 Explorer, Taurus, Flex, Fusion, Police Interceptor Sedan and Police Interceptor Utility vehicles; and certain model year 2013 Lincoln MKS, MKT, and MKZ vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the fuel delivery module may develop a crack, allowing fuel to leak.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel delivery module, free of charge. The recall began on July 20, 2013. Owners may contact Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's recall campaign number is 13S04.

Complaints by component (141 total)

Steering

Electrical system

Engine

Fuel and propulsion system

Powertrain

Exterior lighting

Fuel system, gasoline

Lane departure

Seats

Visibility

Equipment

Structure

Suspension

Air bags

Engine and engine cooling

Service brakes

Speed control

Visibility and wipers

Wheels

Back-over prevention

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Forward collision avoidance

Tires

Show 15 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"While driving home in the center lane on the XXX[XXX] Parkway, my steering wheel locked suddenly, preventing me from turning left or right. As I used my full strength to turn right against the tightness of the steering…"
Steering · filed 2026-08-13
"Lose the ability to control the steering of the vehicle"
Steering, Electrical system · filed 2026-04-01
"Rear camera backup camera fails to show, says to contact dealership and does not display image although camera is properly intact."
Back-over prevention · filed 2025-11-07
"Recall Notice: NHTSA 25V270 My Lincoln MKC VIN# [XXX] has a recall 25V270. I also have a 2013 Lincoln MKS Vin # [XXX] with no recall BUT which has the issues with the rear view camera it intermittently displays a blank…"
Unknown or other · filed 2025-10-21
"Water pump failure or malfunctioned causing the engine to over heat and then to engine stall going 75 mph. After having it towed it was determined the water pump was leaking. It put myself and others at risk of an…"
Engine · filed 2025-09-15

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2013 Lincoln MKS 4 DR AWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2013 Lincoln MKS 4 DR FWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
MKS all-wheel drive	3.7L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	All-wheel drive	18	26	21 MPG	$3100
MKS all-wheel drive	3.5L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	All-wheel drive	17	25	20 MPG	$3250
MKS front-wheel drive	3.7L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	18	27	21 MPG	$3100

Specs and fitment

1st generation, 2012–2016

Body styles Sedan

Oil 5W-30 , 6 qt capacity

Tire size 235/55R18, 255/45R19, 245/45R20 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 16V-621 covers certain 2013-2015 Lincoln MKS vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI EcoBoost engines, and also certain Ford Taurus, Flex, and Lincoln MKT vehicles: dealers inspect the fuel pump electronic module part number and replace the fuel PEM as necessary. Recall 15V-464 covers certain 2015 MKS vehicles among other Ford and Lincoln models: dealers test the parking brake system and, if necessary, replace the parking brake control module.

Compare

Previous year 2012 Lincoln MKS Next year 2014 Lincoln MKS See every Lincoln MKS model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Lincoln MKS reliable?

What are common problems with a 2013 Lincoln MKS?

Is the 2013 Lincoln MKS more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2012 MKS has 17 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2014 has 44 complaints, 2 per year. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2012. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2014.

Has the 2013 Lincoln MKS been recalled?

The 2013 Lincoln MKS has 7 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2013 Lincoln MKS?

Owners have filed 141 complaints about the 2013 Lincoln MKS with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2013 Lincoln MKS get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2013 Lincoln MKS is 20.7 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Lincoln MKS take?

5W-30; capacity is about 6 quarts with filter.

What does recall 16V-621 cover on the MKS?

Certain 2013-2015 MKS vehicles with 3.5L GTDI EcoBoost engines (and certain other Ford/Lincoln models): see the NHTSA campaign for the defect and remedy.

What tire sizes did the MKS use?

235/55R18, 255/45R19, or 245/45R20 depending on trim.