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2013 Lincoln Mkz Hev
Solid pick. The public record on this car is clean for its age. Inspect it, then negotiate with confidence.
115 owner complaints · 0 recalls · data verified July 21, 2026 · source: NHTSA
Why buy?
Zero recalls, rare for a car this age.
Score breakdown, by factor
Full methodology →#91 of 412Among the 2013 models with a matured record, the 2013 Lincoln Mkz Hev ranks #91, scoring higher than 72% of them. See the 2013 ranking →
Complaints filed per year
Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.
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 HEV 4 DR FWD
Rollover risk in a single-vehicle crash: 11%
5 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 Hev, plotted where owners report it happening.
Also reported (mileage varies): Steering (18) · Electrical system (16) · Transmission & drivetrain (16) · Body & structure (14)
Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint, a rough guide, not a schedule.
Steering
16%18 complaints · 2 in the last 2 years
“When turn and more specifically u-turns or sharp turns, the steering is very hard. I noticed that there was a recall on power steering for the Lincoln MKZ 2013 for car…”
Electrical system
14%16 complaints · 2 in the last 2 years
“Video camera in the back is almost unusable at times, get loss of vision completely or it's flipped image and distorted. Don't know if this counts but I had a issue wh…”
Transmission & drivetrain
14%16 complaints
“MKZ 2013 LINCOLN WITH SAME SYMPTOMS AND REQUIRED COMPONENT (BUSHING) CHANGE AS SAFETY RECALL 18S20. PLEASE INCLUDE THE MKZ 2013 LINCOLN SERIES IN THE RECALL 18S20 (VIE…”
Body & structure
12%14 complaints
“The doors of the vehicle fail to latch closed when the temperatures get below freezing. There has been a recall previously repaired in 2016 per vehicle records, howeve…”
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.
Too few owners named a mileage on this model to place issues against an odometer yet.
Read all 115 owner complaints in their own words → · just the 6 crash/fire/injury reports →
Recalls (0)
No recall campaigns on file for this model year.
Questions to ask the seller
Questions worth asking the seller of this Lincoln before you buy, drawn from its public record:
- 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?
- 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?
- 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)?
- How many owners has it had, do you have the maintenance records, and why are you selling it?
- Are you open to me having an independent mechanic inspect it before we settle on a price?
Before you hand over money
Check the VIN for open recalls
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 HEV beats every score on the internet, including ours.
What to ask forNot set on the 2013? See how every Mkz Hev model year scores →
Cross-shopping? Compare the 2013 Lincoln Mkz Hev 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.