2013 Lincoln Mks problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Steering (54) · Engine (16) · Electrical System (15)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Lincoln Mks model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
91 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (7)
Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump 2016-08-25 · campaign 16V621000 · 77,502 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: A loss of power to the fuel pump will cause the engine to stall or prevent the vehicle from starting, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Fuel System, Gasoline 2015-12-02 · campaign 15V812000 · 868 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
Fix: 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.
Steering:electric Power Assist System 2015-06-02 · campaign 15V340000 · 393,623 vehicles
Defect: 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 ste
Risk: If the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist, extra steering effort will be required at lower speeds, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: 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.
Structure:body:door 2015-01-28 · campaign 15V040000 · 194,889 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: If the interior door handle return spring is unseated, the door may unlatch in the event of a side impact crash, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Fix: 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.
Power Train:axle Assembly:axle Shaft 2014-07-02 · campaign 14V393000 · 83,250 vehicles
Defect: 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 out
Risk: If the halfshaft and linkshaft become disengaged while driving, power will no longer be transmitted to the wheels, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. Additionally, if the parking brake is not applied before exiting the vehicle, the vehicle may roll away despite the transmission being placed in 'Park', increasing the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
Fix: 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.
Latches/Locks/Linkages 2013-06-26 · campaign 13V270000 · 12,569 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: If the child lock is deactivated, the door could be unlocked and opened from the inside which could lead to personal injury to an unrestrained child.
Fix: 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.
Fuel System, Gasoline 2013-05-31 · campaign 13V227000 · 390,783 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
Fix: 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.
Service bulletins (55)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2024-10-10 · SSM 53040 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
while performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 ford and lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions.
Structure 2023-04-04 · SSM 51536 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
for 2000-2024 ford and lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis purposes is likely to cause errors and is not recommended. it is also not recommended to order a replacement module using a vehicle identification number (vin) from a different vehicle. most modules on these affe
Engine And Engine Cooling 2020-09-25 · SSM 49210 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2009-2020 ford and lincoln vehicles equipped with turbochargers may exhibit an oil leak from the turbocharger oil supply or return tubes, o-rings or 6.7l pedestal gasket. although oil may collect on the turbocharger, it is very rare for a turbocharger to leak oil. to isolate the source of the l
Equipment:appliance:air Conditioner 2019-08-14 · SSM 48135 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2013-2020 vehicles equipped with an evdc air conditioning (a/c) compressor may exhibit poor a/c performance/improper climate function. to support the proper diagnosis of this compressor, the evdc control valve tester has been provided to each u.s. dealership (339-evdc100). ensure the a/c system
Visibility:glass, Side/Rear 2019-08-09 · SSM 48130 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2010-2020 vehicles may exhibit distorted glass with a subtle orange peel pattern or streaking etched into the surface. this is caused by hydrofluoric acid which is used in some car wash solutions as a cleaning agent. hydrofluoric acid can attack the glass and cause visual distortion and/or disc
Electrical System 2019-08-07 · SSM 48123 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
for ford and lincoln vehicles that require positive or negative battery terminal replacement, it is not necessary to replace the complete battery cable harness (14300 and 14301) for this concern. positive battery cable clamp bt4z-14450-aa and negative battery cable clamp bt4z-14450-ba are available
Showing the 6 most recent of 55 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-08-13 · Steering“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 wheel, trying to get off at the next possible exit, the power to the steering wheel abruptly returned, causing me to swerve out of …”
2026-04-01 · Steering“lose the ability to control the steering of the vehicle …”
2025-11-07 · Back Over Prevention: Warnings“rear camera backup camera fails to show, says to contact dealership and does not display image although camera is properly intact. …”
2025-10-21 · Unknown Or Other“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 and image is upside down and some times it will be normal. should it be considered a recall due to the image may reduce the dri…”
2025-09-15 · Engine“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 accident. the water pump sits directly in the center of the engine so it can’t be inspected so easily and only option is to just replace…”
2025-09-09 · Unknown Or Other“rear-view camera issue causing inverted, distorted, or blank image. i paid to replace the camera when i purchased the used vehicle. the replacement rear view camera installed at the dealership has the same issue. i would like this rear view camera to be part of the recall ongoing for rear cameras as apparently the replacement parts have the same…”
2025-08-08 · Steering“the lincoln was parked. when i started the car, the steering wheel would not move at all to the right or left. simultaneously, the warning appeared that said, power steering fault. the car was towed to the dealership. they diagnosed the car and fixed the software and replaced the steering module. apparently, there was a recall on lincoln mks vehicl…”
2025-07-02 · Power Train · 112,000 mi“the contact owns a 2013 lincoln mks. the contact stated that while reversing, there was a huge blast of white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. there were no warning lights illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the local dealer for routine maintenance and was diagnosed and determined that the water pump was leaking, the turbo charger was losing p…”
2025-04-08 · Unknown Or Other“rear camera on 2013my lincoln mks has been replaced and the replacment continues to fail. the camera either does not work producing no image, the image is upside down, or the image is grainy. the original camera failed and i replaced it and the replacement is failing the same way. i have spent over $1000 replacing this rear camera. it seems the…”
2025-04-07 · Visibility:defroster/Defogger/Hvac System · 157,000 mi“the contact owns a 2013 lincoln mks. the contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the defroster setting malfunctioned, and the contact was unable to defrost and clear the windows, creating a visibility hazard. the vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the accessory protocol interface module (apim) was faulty and needed to…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.