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Model file · LincolnUpdated · 11 sources

Selling a Lincoln MKS that's reached the end

Steering is the word that keeps coming up in the MKS file. Of the 374 complaints owners filed with NHTSA on this sedan, 105 name the steering, and it is the top component on five of its eight model years. If your MKS has a steering fault, a dead engine or a repair list longer than it's worth, you can sell the whole car as it sits. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

A silver Lincoln MKS sedan seen from the side, parked between yellow lines in a lot
Photo: Bull-Doser · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Model years
2009-2016
Engines
3.7 L V6 or 3.5 L EcoBoost twin-turbo V6
Transmission
6-speed 6F50 automatic
Built at
Chicago Assembly, Illinois
Built in the US, 2009-2016
100,248
Complaints to NHTSA
374 (105 name steering)
Recall campaigns
11

Why its recalls name the Taurus and the Flex

Ford built the MKS at its Chicago Assembly plant on the D3 platform, the same base as the Ford Flex, the Lincoln MKT and the fifth-generation Taurus, per Wikipedia. That is why nearly every MKS recall campaign covers those models too. Engines were a 3.7 L Cyclone V6, later an upgraded Ti-VCT version making up to 304 hp, and a 3.5 L EcoBoost twin-turbo V6. All used the 6-speed 6F50 automatic, with front- or all-wheel drive. US production for 2009-2016 reached 100,248 before the 2017 Continental replaced it.

What owners reported, early cars and late

There was one generation, so this splits the EPA years in half.

2009-2012

These four years hold 167 complaints. The 2009 is the odd one: brakes lead it, with service brakes, hydraulic (9) and service brakes (8), and air bags have 8. Recall 16V247 lists 2009 and 2011 MKS cars whose driver frontal air bag module dealers inspect and replace; that campaign counted 695 vehicles across Ford's D3 cars.

From the 2010 on, steering moves to the top: 13 on the 2010, 18 on the 2011, 8 on the 2012. Recall 15V340 covers the electric power assist system on 2011-2013 MKS cars, with dealers checking the steering module for trouble codes. Vehicle speed control has 8 on the 2010.

Other recalls in this stretch: a fuel tank seam on the 2012 (13V109) and interior door handles on 2011-2013 cars (15V040).

2013-2016

These hold 207 complaints, and 142 of them are on the 2013. On that year, steering has 54, the electrical system 23 and the engine 19. The 2013 also lists 7 recall campaigns, more than any other MKS year:

  • fuel delivery modules (13V227 and 15V812)
  • the 3.5 EcoBoost fuel pump module (16V621, 2013-2015)
  • door safety locks (13V270)
  • halfshaft retention (14V393, 2013-2014)
  • door handles (15V040) and power steering (15V340), carried over from the earlier years

The 2015 adds a parking brake check (15V464) and loose fuel tank bolts on cars built July 24, 2015 (15V605). The 2016 has 3 complaints, all electrical, and no recalls.

MKS complaints and recalls, 2009-2016

Numbers pulled from NHTSA's database on October 10, 2026. The last MKS years had fewer seasons in service for owners to report problems, which keeps their counts lower. Recall campaigns are counted on each year they list, so the column adds to more than 11.

Model yearComplaintsMost-named componentReported a crashRecall campaigns
200956Service brakes, hydraulic (9)41
201051Steering (13)80
201143Steering (18)33
201217Steering (8)13
2013142Steering (54)67
201444Steering (10)12
201518Electrical system (3)03
20163Electrical system (3)00

Fix the MKS, or sell it unrepaired?

The MKS ended production with the 2016, so even the newest is about ten years old. Compare the shop's quote with the price a working MKS of your year gets. If the quote is close, selling as it sits is usually the better trade.

  1. Steering warning or heavy steering on a 2011-2013? Ask a Lincoln dealer whether 15V340 was done on your VIN. Selling with an open recall covers the rest.
  2. EcoBoost won't start or stalls? Check 16V621 and 13V227 at NHTSA.
  3. Warning lights everywhere? The electrical problems guide helps you decide.
  4. Engine done? See blown engine.

How the sale works

  1. Have the VIN, the miles and the problem ready. Say whether it steers and rolls.
  2. Ask for an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
  3. Point us to your MKS, be it parked at home, on the street or at a shop.
  4. Sell it whole. Keep the wheels and catalytic converters on.
  5. When we collect the MKS, have its title and your photo ID out. No title? See selling with no title.

Related Lincolns: the Continental that replaced it, the MKT built on the same platform, and the MKZ.

Questions people ask

Which MKS year has the most NHTSA complaints?
The 2013, with 142 as of October 10, 2026. Steering is named in 54 of them, the electrical system in 23 and the engine in 19. The 2015 has 18 and the 2016 has 3. Later years have spent fewer years with owners, which pulls their counts down.
Was there a recall for the MKS power steering?
Yes. Recall 15V340 lists 2011-2013 MKS model years and the electric power assist system. On the MKS, dealers scan the power steering control module for stored codes. The campaign counted 393,623 vehicles, including the Fusion, Milan, Taurus and Flex, so that number covers far more than the MKS.
My MKS has the 3.5 EcoBoost. Is there a fuel recall?
Recall 16V621 covers 2013-2015 MKS cars with the 3.5L EcoBoost. Dealers check the part number of the fuel pump module and replace it if needed. That campaign counted 77,502 vehicles, shared with the Taurus, Flex and MKT.
Will you buy an MKS that won't steer right or won't start?
Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US. Mention if the MKS can roll and turn its wheels, since that shapes how our truck loads it.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.

  1. NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaints flat file (FLAT_CMPL.zip), downloaded October 10, 2026 nhtsa.gov
  2. NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
  3. NHTSA recall 15V340: electric power steering, 2011-2013 MKS nhtsa.gov
  4. NHTSA recall 16V621: fuel pump module, 2013-2015 MKS 3.5L EcoBoost nhtsa.gov
  5. NHTSA recall 13V227: fuel delivery module, 2013 MKS nhtsa.gov
  6. NHTSA recall 13V109: fuel tank seam, 2012 MKS nhtsa.gov
  7. NHTSA recall 14V393: halfshaft, 2013-2014 MKS nhtsa.gov
  8. NHTSA recall 15V040: interior door handles, 2011-2013 MKS nhtsa.gov
  9. NHTSA recall 16V247: driver frontal air bag, 2009-2011 MKS nhtsa.gov
  10. EPA fuel economy data (model years and classes) fueleconomy.gov
  11. Wikipedia: Lincoln MKS (engines, plant, platform, production total) en.wikipedia.org