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2013 Lincoln Mkz

Buyable, but go in with open eyes: this car has specific known issues to check before money changes hands.

Recalls, complaint breakdown & inspection checklist, all in a shareable PDF

108 owner complaints · 13 recalls · data verified July 21, 2026 · source: NHTSA

Cautionwillitcar.com

Buy-rated alternatives from this era

Other 20112015 cars in the same rough price bracket with a clean, matured Buy verdict — worth cross-shopping before you commit to the 2013 Lincoln Mkz.

2012
Nissan 370Z
Buy100/100
2012
Nissan 370Z Roadster
Buy100/100
2011
Mercedes-benz Sprinter 2500 Cargo Van
Buy100/100

Why caution?

13 recall campaigns (6 safety-critical). Confirm every one shows "remedy completed" on the seller's VIN.

Score breakdown, by factor

Full methodology →

#214 of 424Among the 2013 models with a matured record, the 2013 Lincoln Mkz ranks #214, scoring higher than 16% of them. See the 2013 ranking →

Complaint volume84
Severity82
Recall load8
Trend67

Complaints filed per year

Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.

20132026 YTD

How it crashes

NHTSA’s own crash tests, separate from the reliability score above.

5/5 overall

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Rating · 2013 Lincoln MKZ 4 DR AWD

Front crash
Side crash
Rollover

Rollover risk in a single-vehicle crash: 11%

Stability control: StandardForward collision warning: OptionalLane departure warning: Optional

4 open NHTSA defect investigations on file, separate from the recalls above.

Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.

The road ahead

What breaks on a 2013 Lincoln Mkz, plotted where owners report it happening.

030k mi60k mi90k mi120k mi

Also reported (mileage varies): Electrical system (17) · Steering (16) · Transmission & drivetrain (15) · Seat belts (12)

Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint, a rough guide, not a schedule.

Electrical system

16%

17 complaints · 4 in the last 2 years

the driver side mirror blind spot stopped working and all most hit a vehicle coming up alongside of me. Yes it is available No in October

Read the electrical system complaints →

Steering

15%

16 complaints · 3 in the last 2 years

I was slowing down to take a turn and I see an error message saying “power steering assist failure”. And steering went stiff..

Read the steering complaints →

Transmission & drivetrain

14%

15 complaints · 1 in the last 2 years

NOTED A NATURAL GAS SMELL IN MY CAR ONLY WHEN HEAT ON IN CAR AND NOT CONSTENT, JUST IN SPIRTS I WOULD GET A STRONG SMELL. THEN LAST WEEK MY CAR STARTED MAKING A WEIRD …

Read the transmission & drivetrain complaints →

Seat belts

11%

12 complaints

The rear seatbelt buckle isn't functioning correctly and is causing a seatbelt light. We are now told we have to spend close to $1,000 to get the buckle replaced OR th…

Read the seat belts complaints →

Check it against this car’s mileage

Type the odometer reading on the actual car you’re looking at to see which of these problem areas owners tend to report before it, around it, or after it.

miles

Too few owners named a mileage on this model to place issues against an odometer yet.

Read all 108 owner complaints in their own words → · just the 5 crash/fire/injury reports →

Recalls (13)

Safety recall repairs are free at the brand’s franchised dealers. Before buying, run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and make the seller show the work was done.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic · 23V162000

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. The front brake hoses may rupture and leak brake fluid.

Risk: A brake fluid leak will increase brake pedal travel and extend the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will replace the front brake hoses, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 27, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S12.

Latches/locks/linkages · 20V331000

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Fiesta, 2013-2014 Fusion, 2015 Mustang, 2013-2015 Escape and C-Max, 2012-2015 Focus, 2014-2016 Transit Connect, 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ, and 2015 MKC vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and repaired under recalls 15V-246, 16V-643 or 17V-210, however the repair may not have been completed properly. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.

Risk: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.

Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the latch date codes to confirm if the repair was done correctly, and replace the side door latches if necessary, free of charge. Owners will also have the option to inspect their own vehicle's door latches and enter the date codes into a website to determine if the latches are correct. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S30.

Exterior Lighting · 20E025000

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain Replacement Headlamps, part number DP5Z-13008-T and DP5Z-13008-V, sold for use with 2013-2016 Lincoln MKZ vehicles. The headlamps may have an improper beam pattern and incorrect horizontal adjustment, the side markers may not illuminate and DOT markings may be missing. As such, these headlamps fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Risk: The incorrect headlamps may reduce the driver's visibility or make the vehicle less visible, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Ford will notify vehicle manufacturers, and dealers will inspect the headlamps, and replace the headlamps, as necessary, free of charge. Additionally, Ford will instruct dealers to return all improper headlamps and not to install them on any vehicles. The recall began June 3, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20C10.

Steering · 19V632000

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2016 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 Ford Edge, and 2016 Lincoln MKX vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Road salt or other contaminants may corrode the electric power steering gear motor attachment bolts.

Risk: If the bolts corrode, the steering gear motor may detach from the gear housing resulting in a loss of power steering assist, requiring a greater steering effort, especially at lower speeds, and increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gear motor bolts and apply a wax sealer. If any of the steering gear motor attachment bolts are broken or missing, a new steering gear will be installed in the vehicle. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began October 18, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S26.

Latches/locks/linkages · 17V210000

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Ford Fiesta, 2013-2014 Ford Fusion and 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ vehicles. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.

Risk: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.

Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace all four door latches, free of charge. The recall began May 1, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S16.

Seat Belts · 16V875000

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Ford Fusion vehicles manufactured November 2, 2012, to July 31, 2014, and 2013-2015 Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured November 14, 2012, to July 31, 2014. In the event of a crash, heat from the deployment of a seat belt pretensioner may cause a front seat belt anchor cable to fail.

Risk: If the driver or front passenger seatbelt cables cannot properly restrain the front seat occupants, they would be at an increased risk of injury.

Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will apply a protective coating to the seat belt cable, free of charge. The recall began May 16, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S42.

Steering · 15V250000

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured February 3, 2012, to March 20, 2015, and 2015 Ford Edge vehicles manufactured February 26, 2015, to February 28, 2015, and originally sold, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. In the affected vehicles, snow or water containing road salt or other contaminants may corrode the electric power steering gear motor attachment bolts.

Risk: If the bolts corrode, the steering gear motor may detach from the gear housing resulting in a loss of power steering assist. Loss of power steering assist would require a higher steering effort, especially at lower speeds, which may increase the risk of a crash.

Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will apply sealer and replace the steering gear motor bolts as required. If one or more of the steering gear motor attachment bolts are broken or missing, a new steering gear will be installed in the vehicle. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on June 24, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S14.

Latches/locks/linkages · 15V246000

Ford Motor Company (Ford) notified the agency on April 23, 2015, that they are recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured July 1, 2012, to May 31, 2013, and 2012-2014 Fiesta vehicles manufactured February 1, 2012, to May 31, 2013. On April 30, 2015, Ford expanded the recall to cover an additional 119,567 vehicles, including certain model year 2011 Ford Fiestas manufactured from November 11, 2009, to May 31, 2013 and certain model year 2013 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured from February 1, 2012, to June 30, 2012. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.

Risk: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.

Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace all four door latches with an improved part, free of charge. Interim notifications were mailed to owners on June 5, 2015. The recall began on December 18, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S16.

Air Bags · 14V597000

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Ford C-Max vehicles manufactured January 19, 2012, to November 21, 2013; Ford Fusion vehicles manufactured February 3, 2012, to August 24, 2013; Ford Escape vehicles manufactured October 5, 2011, to November 1, 2013; and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured April 25, 2012, to September 30, 2013. The coating on portions of the Restraint Control Module (RCM) may crack, and when exposed to humidity, circuits on the printed circuit board may short.

Risk: The short circuits could cause the frontal air bags, side curtain air bags and the seat belt pretensioners to not function as intended when needed, increasing the risk of occupant injury in the event of a crash.

Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the RCM, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. The recall began on May 26,2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 14S21.

Seats · 14V164000

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured August 15, 2012, through September 10, 2013, 2013-2014 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured June 5, 2012, through August 12, 2013, and 2013-2014 Ford C-Max vehicles manufactured from July 23, 2012, through May 28, 2013. The driver and passenger seatback assemblies may have been produced with sub-standard weld joints used to attach the seat back recliner mechanism to the seat frame. The affected seat backs may have insufficient strength to meet the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 207, "Seating Systems."

Risk: The back of the subject seats may become loose or lean while driving and potentially increase the risk of injury in certain crashes.

Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the seatback, free of charge. The recall began on May 30, 2014. Owners may contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14C03.

Power Train · 13V594000

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid vehicles manufactured April 26, 2012, through September 24, 2013. Due to a manufacturing error, the transmission range sensor may not function properly allowing the affected vehicles to be shifted out of the Park position without first applying the brake pedal. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 114, "Theft Protection."

Risk: Without requiring the brake to be pressed, the vehicle may be unintentionally shifted out of Park, allowing it to roll which may result in a crash.

Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) with new software, free of charge. The recall began on January 2014. Customers may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 13C09.

Electrical System · 13V230000

Ford is recalling certain model year 2013 Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured April 25, 2012, through March 15, 2013 and equipped with an engine block heater. During use, the engine block heater cords may be bent and in certain temperatures, the wire insulation may crack, exposing the electrical wires.

Risk: Exposed electrical wires increase the risk of electric shock.

Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the block heater cord, free of charge. The recall began on June 28, 2013. Ford's recall number is 13S05. Owners may contact the Ford customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332.

Fuel System, Gasoline · 13V227000

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.

Questions to ask the seller

Questions worth asking the seller of this Lincoln before you buy, drawn from its public record:

  1. NHTSA lists 13 recall campaigns for the 2013 Lincoln Mkz. Can you run this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and confirm each one shows "Remedy Completed"?
  2. Owners of this model report electrical system problems more than anything else. Has this car shown any electrical system symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
  3. Owners of this model report steering problems more than anything else. Has this car shown any steering symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
  4. Has this car been in any accident or had any structural, airbag, or flood-related repair? Do you have a clean title and a recent history report (Carfax / AutoCheck)?
  5. How many owners has it had, do you have the maintenance records, and why are you selling it?
  6. Are you open to me having an independent mechanic inspect it before we settle on a price?

Before you hand over money

Verify the recall work was done

NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.

Free NHTSA VIN check

Get a pre-purchase inspection

A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2013 Lincoln MKZ beats every score on the internet, including ours.

What to ask for

Not set on the 2013? See how every Mkz model year scores →

Cross-shopping? Compare the 2013 Lincoln Mkz against another car →

What owners say

Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.

See what owners are saying about other cars →

The fine print: this verdict is computed from public NHTSA complaint and recall records for the 2013 Lincoln Mkz as a model, not for any individual car. A well-maintained example of an “Avoid” can outlast a neglected “Buy”. Informational only, so always get a professional pre-purchase inspection.