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2015 Lincoln Mks

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

17 owner complaints · 3 recalls · data verified July 27, 2026 · source: NHTSA

Cautionwillitcar.com

Buy-rated alternatives from this era

Other 20132017 cars in the same rough price bracket with a clean, matured Buy verdict, worth cross-shopping before you commit to the 2015 Lincoln Mks.

2016
BMW 740i
Buy100/100
2014
Mercedes-benz B-class E-cell
Buy100/100
2013
Nissan Quest
Buy100/100

Why caution?

3 recall campaigns (3 safety-critical). Confirm every one shows "remedy completed" on the seller's VIN.

Complaints are still coming in strong late in this car's life, the pattern of a chronic problem that never got fixed.

Very few owner complaints for its age and sales volume.

Score breakdown, by factor

Full methodology →

#346 of 555Among the 2015 models with a matured record, the 2015 Lincoln Mks ranks #346, scoring higher than 14% of them. See the 2015 ranking →

Complaint volume100
Severity91
Recall load74
Trend39

Complaints filed per year

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

20172025

How it crashes

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

5/5 overall

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Rating · 2015 Lincoln MKS 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

No open NHTSA defect investigations on file.

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 2015 Lincoln Mks, plotted where owners report it happening.

030k mi60k mi90k mi120k mi

Also reported (mileage varies): Engine (5)

Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint. Treat them as a rough guide.

Engine

29%

5 complaints · 1 in the last 2 years

The contact owns a 2015 Lincoln MKS. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH or faster, the vehicle lost automotive power. During the failure the vehicle…

Read the engine complaints →

Electrical system

24%

4 complaints · 3 in the last 2 years

Backup camera fails to initialize in reverse causing a safety concern by not knowing what’s behind you.

Read the electrical system complaints →

Fuel system

18%

3 complaints · 1 in the last 2 years

AT TIMES, WHILE DRIVING, MY ENGINE WILL STALL AND SLOW DOWN REGARDLESS IF I'M STILL PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL. I GENERALLY SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN AND WAIT LIKE THIRTY SECON…

Read the fuel system complaints →

Transmission & drivetrain

18%

3 complaints

AT TIMES, WHILE DRIVING, MY ENGINE WILL STALL AND SLOW DOWN REGARDLESS IF I'M STILL PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL. I GENERALLY SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN AND WAIT LIKE THIRTY SECON…

Read the transmission & drivetrain 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 17 owner complaints in their own words → · just the 2 crash/fire/injury reports →

Recalls (3)

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.

Fuel System, Gasoline · 16V621000

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 · 15V605000

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Ford Taurus, Lincoln MKS, and 2016 Ford Explorer vehicles manufactured on July 24, 2015. During vehicle production, the fuel tank attachment bolts may not have been properly tightened. As a result, the fuel tank straps may fracture and the fuel tank could separate from the vehicle.

Risk: If the fuel tank separates from the vehicle, a fuel leak may occur, increasing the risk of a fire.

Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will tighten the fuel tank attachment bolts, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on October 19, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S26.

Parking Brake · 15V464000

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, and Lincoln MKS vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to May 23, 2015, Lincoln MKT vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to May 21, 2015, and 2015-2016 Ford Explorer vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to May 23, 2015. The affected vehicles have a parking brake that may not fully engage when applied. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."

Risk: If the parking brake does not fully engage and the transmission is left in a gear other than 'Park' while on a slope, the vehicle may roll away, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will test the operation of the parking brake system, and if necessary, replace the parking brake control assembly, free of charge. The recall began on September 4, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15C07.

Questions to ask the seller

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

  1. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2015 Lincoln Mks. Can you run this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and confirm each one shows "Remedy Completed"?
  2. Owners of this model report engine problems more than anything else. Has this car shown any engine symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
  3. 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)?
  4. How many owners has it had, do you have the maintenance records, and why are you selling it?
  5. 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 2015 Lincoln MKS beats every score on the internet, including ours.

What to ask for

Not set on the 2015? See how every Mks model year scores →

Cross-shopping? Compare the 2015 Lincoln Mks 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 2015 Lincoln Mks 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.