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What 115 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Lincoln Mkz Hev

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (115)Crash / fire / injury (6)Steering (18)Electrical system (16)Transmission & drivetrain (16)Body & structure (14)Seat belts (13)Engine (11)Latches & locks (10)Brakes (8)Fuel system (8)Wheels (8)

6 of 115 complaints match · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Nov 30, 2022Fuel systemFirerelatedFire

The contact owns a 2013 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated while driving 45 mph, he saw smoke entering through the vents. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact continued driving the vehicle to a near friend's residence. The contact stated when he open the hood he saw the fire was located on the engine. The contact was able to extinguish the fire with water nearby. The contact stated no one was injured nor sought medical attention. The vehicle was not drivable. The fire department did come to the location of the vehicle but a fire report was not filed. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V227000 (Fuel System, Gasoline), however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 136,000.

NHTSA ODI 11495511

Jun 18, 2018EngineFuel systemCrash

WHILE TURNING INTO MY DRIVEWAY I SLOWED TO MAKE THE TURN AND MY CAR IMMEDIATELY ACCELERATED RPMS REVVED UP. NO DAMAGE WAS DONE. THEN A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AND SLOWED TO MAKE THE TURN AND THE RPMS SHOT UP AGAIN CAUSING ME TO HIT A PARKED CAR AND ALSO A BUILDING BEFORE I COULD BRING THE CAR TO A STOP. I TOOK THE CAR IMMEDIATELY TO GRAY DANIELS DEALERSHIP IN BRANDON MS AND THEY TOLD ME THEY CLD NOT EVEN LOOK AT IT UNTIL TUESDAY. THIS WAS FRIDAY JUNE 15, 2018. NO INJURIES OCCURRED, MY AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. CAR HAS SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE BUT WAS DRIVABLE. I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE DRIVING THE CAR SO I GOT A RENTAL CAR AND TOOK THE MKZ BACK TO GRAY DANIELS. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE, IT SEEMS A COMMON PROBLEM AND IT IS CALLED ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERFERENCE CAUSING UNWANTED ACCELERATION. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE THAT FORD HAS KNOWN ABOUT FOR YEARS!!!! THE DEALERSHIPS ARE ALSO AWARE! EVEN THOUGH GRAY DANIELS PLAYED IGNORANT, THEY ARE AWARE. I HAVE SENT THEM AN EMAIL OF COUNTLESS COMPLAINTS MADE BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE AND OVER 5000 DEATHS THAT HAVE OCCURRED AND A HUGE LAWSUIT STIMPSON VS FORD FOR THIS VERY REASON! I WANT THIS PROBLEM RESOLVED AND A FORMAL COMPLAINT FILED. I WILL ALSO BE ADVISING FORD MOTOR COMPANY (NOT THAT THEY WILL DO ANYTHING) OF THE DEALERSHIP AND HOW I WAS TREATED. THE DEALERSHIP WAS COMPLETELY UNPROFESSIONAL AND MY DAUGHTER EVEN WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND EXPLAINED THEIR SERIOUSNESS OF THE ISSUE STILL GRAY DANIELS COULD CARE LESS AND TOLD MY DAUGHTER TO STOP VIDEO AND AUDIO RECORDING. I'VE ATTACHED 5 COMPLAINTS THAT I FOUND ONLINE. I COULD PROVIDE MANY MORE BUT YOUR SITE DOES NOT ALLOW MORE THAN 5. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE!!!!

NHTSA ODI 11102454

Apr 14, 2017EngineFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2013 LINCOLN MKZ HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT OPENED THE HOOD AND SAW FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

NHTSA ODI 10972398

Mar 8, 2017AirbagsSeat beltsSpeed controlCrash2 injuries

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2013 LINCOLN MKZ. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A MINOR FRONT END CRASH. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS EXCHANGING INFORMATION WITH THE OCCUPANT OF THE OTHER VEHICLE, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE UNINTENTIONALLY ACCELERATED INTO A STONE WALL. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE SEAT BELT PRETENSIONER DID NOT RESTRAIN THE OCCUPANT. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A COLLISION CENTER WHERE IT WAS DEEMED DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THERE WERE TWO INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V875000 (SEAT BELTS); HOWEVER, THEY DID NOT RECEIVE NOTIFICATION OF THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 40,000.

NHTSA ODI 10959499

Oct 8, 2014Transmission & drivetrainBody & structureWheelsCrash

THE CAR WAS PULLED INTO A PARKING SPACE (SPACE IN FRONT OF A CANAL) AND PUSHED BUTTONED INTO PARK AND THE CAR THEN LURCHED FORWARD, GOING INTO THE CANAL (FRONT HALF ONLY, THE BACK HALF WAS STOPPED BY THE SEA WALL). WE SEE THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE SAME PROBLEM FOR 2013 LINCOLN MKZ HYBRIDS (OURS IS NOT A HYBRID). *TR

NHTSA ODI 10643296

Jun 27, 2014CrashFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 LINCOLN MKZ. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED BY ANOTHER DRIVER THAT THE VEHICLE HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE FROM UNDERNEATH. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE BUT FAILED TO RESPOND. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A PARK. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE TWICE BECAUSE ONCE IT WAS LOADED ON THE TOW TRUCK THE FIRE STARTED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 350.

NHTSA ODI 10606534

Working with the data? Download all 115 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 21, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2013 Lincoln Mkz Hev verdict →