Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2013 Lincoln MKZ, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Electrical system17
- Steering16
- Power train15
- Seat belts12
- Structure12
- Engine10
- Latches/locks/linkages8
- Unknown or other8
- Wheels7
- Fuel/propulsion system6
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 3 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 19 2013 MKZ vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 15 people died inside them, and 3 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2013 Lincoln MKZ failed the safety check 2.26% of the time — 5% less often than the average 2013 passenger car (2.38%). Median odometer at inspection: 92,923 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 3 variants; 3 of 3 rated variants score five stars overall. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 Lincoln MKZ 4 DR AWD | ★★★★★ | 10.9 % |
| 2013 Lincoln MKZ 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ | 10.9 % |
| 2013 Lincoln MKZ HEV 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ | 10.9 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Optional
- Lane departure warning
- Optional
- Best overall rating
- 5 / 5
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 9.0–11.2 L/100 km (about 21–26 mpg US), CO₂ 207–258 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKZ · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 10.5 | 7.1 | 9.0 |
| MKZ AWD · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 13.0 | 9.0 | 11.2 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
11 Transport Canada recalls for the 2013 Lincoln MKZ.
| 2023132 14 Mar 2023 | Brakes Issue: On certain vehicles, the front brake hoses could fail and cause a progressive brake fluid leak. If this happens, the driver may experience a change in … |
| 2019431 27 Aug 2019 | Steering Issue: On certain vehicles, the bolts that attach the electric power steering assist motor to the steering gear may corrode and break. This could cause a loss … |
| 2017183 29 Mar 2017 | Structure On certain vehicles, the door latches may have a broken pawl spring tab. This could result in the door not latching correctly. As a result, doors which appear… |
| 2016601 1 Dec 2016 | Seats And Restraints On certain vehicles, deployment of the driver or front passenger seatbelt pretensioner in a crash may generate internal pretensioner temperatures that can degra… |
| 2015177 28 Apr 2015 | Steering On certain vehicles registered and operated in areas where road salt is used on the roadways during winter months for extended time periods (Ontario, Quebec, Ne… |
| 2015175 24 Apr 2015 | Structure On certain vehicles, the door latches may have a broken pawl spring tab. This could result in the door not latching correctly. As a result, doors which appear… |
| 2014427 30 Sept 2014 | Seats And Restraints On certain vehicles, sealant applied to the restraints control module could fail, allowing moisture to enter the module circuit board. This could cause corrosio… |
| 2014109 2 Apr 2014 | Seats And Restraints Certain vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 207 – Anchorage of Seats. The front driver and passenger seatb… |
| 2013425 27 Nov 2013 | Powertrain Certain vehicles may not comply with Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 102 - Transmission Control Functions. The transmission may be shifted out of PARK with… |
| 2013187 29 May 2013 | Electrical On certain vehicles, insulation on the engine block heater power cord may become damaged if the cord is handled during very cold days (temperatures below -20C).… |
| 2013186 29 May 2013 | Fuel System On certain vehicles, the fuel delivery module may develop a crack which could allow fuel to leak. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could re… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. The front brake hoses may rupture and leak brake fluid.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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."
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.
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.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Lincoln told its dealers about the 2013 Lincoln MKZ: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11008948 | While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions. While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions. |
| 10235153 | For 2000-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis purposes is likely to cause errors and is not recommended. It is also not recommended to order a replacement module using a vehicle identification number (VIN) from a different vehicle. Most modules on these affected vehicles are VIN/vehicle specific and hardware variations between modules do exist. Swapping a module from a vehicle or ordering a module using a different vehicle/VIN can cause ineffective repairs and additional vehicle down time. Make sure all appropriate Workshop Manual (WSM) procedures are |
| 10228876 | Some Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit noise when the brakes are applied. When diagnosing and repairing brake noise conditions, use the Workshop Manual (WSM) and the appropriate pinpoint test in section 206-00. The brake rotors should only be machined if directed by the WSM because one or more of the following conditions are present on the braking surface: scoring, excessive corrosion/rust or pitting, bluing/discoloration and/or heat spots. For additional information, refer to WSM section 206-00. |
| 10226752 | Some 2013-2016 Escape/Fusion/MKZ vehicles may display an error message when updating the All Wheel Drive-ATC Barcode using the IDS service function after installing a new rear drive unit assembly (RDU) or active torque coupling (ATC) clutch assembly. To prevent this error from occurring, enter the universal ATC 4 digit barcode 7772. Once programmed, perform several figure 8 turns at parking lot speeds to verify there is no binding from the all wheel drive (AWD) system. If the vehicle binds in a turn, perform Pinpoint Test A. Refer to the Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 308-07A > Diagnosis and T |
| 10225540 | Certain 2015-2019 Model Year Edge and Lincoln MKX Vehicles and 2013-2018 Model Year Fusion and Lincoln MKZ Vehicles Front Brake Flexible Hose Replacement REASON FOR THIS SUPPLEMENT Parts Requirements / Ordering Information: Part numbers for Edge and MKX vehicles have been added. Edge and MKX model year updated from 2018 to 2019, build dates remain the same. |
| 10225458 | Some 2013-2020 Fusion, MKZ and 2013-2018 C-Max vehicles equipped with an HF35 transmission may exhibit a thumping/rubbing or grinding noise coming from the transmission. The noise may be present in all gear ranges including neutral when the vehicle is moving but will not be present when the vehicle is stationary or in park. |
| 10222788 | Some Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit noise when the brakes are applied. When diagnosing and repairing brake noise conditions, use the Workshop Manual (WSM) and the appropriate pinpoint test in section 206-00. The brake rotors should only be machined if directed by the WSM because one or more of the following conditions are present on the braking surface: scoring, excessive corrosion/rust or pitting, bluing/discoloration and/or heat spots. For additional information, refer to WSM section 206-00. |
| 10222518 | Certain 2015-2018 Model Year Edge and Lincoln MKX Vehicles and 2013-2018 Model Year Fusion and Lincoln MKZ Vehicles Front Brake Flexible Hose Replacement Submitting Owner Letters |
| 10218898 | Certain 2015-2018 Model Year Edge and Lincoln MKX Vehicles and 2013-2018 Model Year Fusion and Lincoln MKZ Vehicles Front Brake Flexible Hose Replacement In some of the affected vehicles, brake fluid may leak from one or both front brake flexible hoses. If the brake fluid reservoir is depleted below a predetermined level, the brake fluid warning indicator light will illuminate. The driver may experience an increase in pedal travel together with a reduction in the rate of deceleration over time. |
| 10211728 | Some 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2020 Fusion/MKZ, 2020-2022 Escape, 2021-2022 Corsair, 2022 Maverick vehicles equipped with HF35/HF45 hybrid transmissions can now be disassembled to repair and clean any contamination that may have been the result of a differential or transfer shaft bearing failure and the transmission can be overhauled/rebuilt. Service tools and service parts are now available. Refer to the Workshop Manual, Section 307-01. |
| 10209209 | This article supersedes TSB 21-2236 to update the models and year affected. Some 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2020 Fusion/MKZ, 2013-2022 Escape, 2015-2018 Focus, 2015-2019 MKC, 2015-2022 Edge/F150/Mustang, 2016-2018 MKX, 2016-2019 Explorer, 2017-2022 F-Super Duty, 2018-2022 EcoSport/Expedition, 2019-2022 Ranger/Nautilus, 2021-2022 Bronco/Bronco Sport/Mustang Mach-E, 2022 Maverick vehicles may experience seat pan looseness, lateral movement, or a clunk/thump noise on turns. This may be due to the seat pan track. To correct the condition, follow the Service Procedure steps to install a reinforcement. |
| 10205040 | Hard start/no start/loss of engine RPM after refueling - built on or before 11/09/2013 |
| 10205031 | Touchscreen navigation system - arabic language - blank screen |
| 10205010 | 2.0L Ecoboost - Fuel odor |
| 10205008 | 6F35 Transmission - Fluid leak at left side halfshaft seal - built on or before 10/14/2013 |
| 10204996 | 2.0L GTDO - Illuminated MIL with DTC p2096 - Built on 09/01/2012 and through 08/01/2013 |
| 10204987 | 49 CFR Part 579.5 Monthly Communications - March 2016 Air bag warning light illuminated with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) B141B and/or B141C |
| 10204986 | 49 CFR Part 579.5 Monthly Communications - January 2016 |
| 10199536 | Some 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2020 Fusion/MKZ, 2013-2021 Escape, 2015-2018 Focus, 2015-2019 MKC, 2015-2021 Edge/F150/Mustang, 2016-2018 MKX, 2016-2019 Explorer, 2017-2021 F-Super Duty, 2018-2021 EcoSport/Expedition, 2019-2021 Ranger/Nautilus, 2021 Bronco Sport/Mustang Mach-E vehicles may experience seat pan looseness, lateral movement, or a clunk/thump noise on turns. This may be due to the seat pan track. To correct the condition, follow the Service Procedure steps to install a reinforcement. |
| 10186409 | Some 2013-2020 MKZ vehicles may need the exterior rear view mirror replaced. The replacement exterior mirror will have different wiring than the originally equipped mirror. Follow the Service Procedure steps below to modify the vehicle-side wiring harness to accept the replacement mirror wiring. |
| 10183776 | Some 2013 Escape, 2013-2014 Fusion and MKZ vehicles built on or before 11/9/2013 may exhibit a hard start, no start and/or a loss of engine RPM after refueling. Some vehicles may also exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P1450 and/or P0456 stored in powertrain control module (PCM) memory. |
| 10183767 | Some 2012-2016 vehicles equipped with a touchscreen navigation system and the language set to Arabic may exhibit a blank screen. This may be the result of the ribbon cables not being fully seated inside the front display interface module (FDIM) or an improper software configuration of the FDIM. |
| 10183418 | Some 2013-2020 MKZ vehicles may need the exterior rear view mirror replaced. The replacement exterior mirror will have different wiring than the originally equipped mirror. Follow the Service Procedure steps below to modify the vehicle-side wiring harness to accept the replacement mirror wiring. |
| 10181933 | This article supersedes 17-2225 to update the vehicle model years affected and Service Procedure. Some 2013-2014 Fusion and 2013-2020 MKZ vehicles may exhibit unintended exterior mirror movement in wet weather conditions. This may be due to water intrusion into the exterior mirror connector. To correct the condition, follow the Service Procedure steps to remove the 16 pin connector and install two weather tight 8 pin connectors. |
| 10180428 | Some 2009-2020 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with turbochargers may exhibit an oil leak from the turbocharger oil supply or return tubes, O-rings or 6.7L pedestal gasket. Although oil may collect on the turbocharger, it is very rare for a turbocharger to leak oil. To isolate the source of the leak, refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 303-00 General Information > Diagnosis and Testing > Engine > Engine Oil Leaks - Fluorescent Oil Additive Method procedure. When an oil leak is present at a turbocharger oil supply or drain tube, remove the affected oil tube and inspect for damage, and re |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Front Brake Jounce Hose Failures
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Door Latch Failures
Door Latch Failure
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation