Car Defect Radar
Built from NHTSA complaints and recalls collected for this model, generated September 22, 2026. Totals reflect what has been collected, not every complaint ever filed.

Recalls

0 total

Safety issues the manufacturer must repair for free. A recall means confirm the fix was done, not walk away.

No recalls on record for this model

No safety recalls were found in this dataset. It is still worth entering the exact VIN on NHTSA before purchase, since recalls can be added at any time.

Owner complaints by system

43 total

Unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA, grouped by the part of the car. Useful for spotting patterns. Open a group to read recent examples.

Engine & powertrain

Read closely
10

Most reports here involve fluid leaks. Of these, 2 mention a crash, 38 mention an injury.

fluid leaks 3sudden stalling 3
A recent report: Engine/Coolant Reservoir, Yes you can inspect it. When driving, or stop at a traffic light or just parked, the car will just start smoking and getting hot, the temperature gauge would not show it was…
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Engine/Coolant Reservoir, Yes you can inspect it. When driving, or stop at a traffic light or just parked, the car will just start smoking and getting hot, the temperature gauge would not show it was getting hot until after it started smoking. The car would stop in the middle of the street or on the freeway. All the Antifreeze would leak out of the Reservoir and be all over the Engine and the ground, when you put Antifreeze in the reservoir the next day, you can drive for a little distant, but it will start doing the same thing all over again. The Cooling Fan would come on and never goes off, it gets louder and louder, it has never done this before. I have taken my car to the Dealer 3 times and they charged me over $4.000 and still couldn't fix it. They told me that they do not know what's wrong with it. The Engine Cooling System / Reservoir should be Recalled.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11515682 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Electrical & infotainment

Minor
3

Most reports here involve other issues.

other issues 3
A recent report: NON CONNECTED DAY TIME RUNNING LIGHTS. I AVOIDED A TOTAL OF THREE HEAD ON COLLISIONS WITHIN THE PAST THREE WEEKS (THE MOST RECENT WAS 08/19/2013). MY CAR IS SILVER AN APPARENTLY DRIVERS HAVE…
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NON CONNECTED DAY TIME RUNNING LIGHTS. I AVOIDED A TOTAL OF THREE HEAD ON COLLISIONS WITHIN THE PAST THREE WEEKS (THE MOST RECENT WAS 08/19/2013). MY CAR IS SILVER AN APPARENTLY DRIVERS HAVE COMPLAINED TO ME, THEY HAVE GREAT DIFFICULTY SEEING MY CAR IN DAYLIGHT HOURS. IN MY CASE I MADE THREE TRIPS TO MY CLOSEST LINCOLN DEALER, PRESENTS A WEBSITE WHICH INFORMED THEIR STAFF HOW TO CONNECT THE DRL FROM THEIR SERVICE MANUAL. MY PROBLEM WITH THESE DRL SEEMS TO BE A MAJOR CONCERN TO OTHER 2011 LINCOLN MKS OWNERS!. THIS MORNING, THE SERVICE MANAGER HAD HIS STAFF CONNECT MY DRL, *TR

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #10536290 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Brakes

Worth reading
3

Most reports here involve premature wear. Of these, 1 mention a crash.

premature wear 1unintended acceleration 1
A recent report: WHEN PULLING INTO A PARKING SPOT GOING UNDER 5 MPH AND COMING TO A STOP, THE CAR SURGED FORWARD JUMPING THE SIDEWALK AND CRASHING INTO A CEMENT PATIO TABLE AND BENCH. SMOKE APPEARED AND RADIATOR…
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WHEN PULLING INTO A PARKING SPOT GOING UNDER 5 MPH AND COMING TO A STOP, THE CAR SURGED FORWARD JUMPING THE SIDEWALK AND CRASHING INTO A CEMENT PATIO TABLE AND BENCH. SMOKE APPEARED AND RADIATOR FLUID WAS LEAKING.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11039550 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Steering, suspension & tires

Minor
21

Most reports here involve loss of steering.

loss of steering 21
A recent report: What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Power Steering While driving yesterday, doing shopping and online order deliveries, the steering…
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What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Power Steering While driving yesterday, doing shopping and online order deliveries, the steering wheel started having slight resistance during turns. It became worse shortly after. As I attempted to leave a grocery store, less than 5 minutes away from home, the steering wheel was extremely difficult to turn. I didn't see any leaks under the hood nor on the ground underneath my car. Nor was there any smells nor odors. On 5/1/2026, I did hear a slight noise when I turned the steering wheel to back into the driveway at home. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Steering wheel became difficult to turn right or left. I barely made it home to park it, as the longer I drove to get home, the more difficult it became to make turns. I parked it immediately as I didn't want to make too wide of a turn on a road, risking any accidents. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Not yet. I will need the car towed to a local Ford/Lincoln dealership for assessment. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Not yet, in the process of contacting my auto insurance about it. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? The message on the dashboard was "Service Power Steering" and it appeared on 5/2/2026 for the very first time. Also, the power steering icon showed in a stable amber color. This message did not appear before.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11735344 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Airbags & seat belts

Minor
2

Most reports here involve software faults.

software faults 1
A recent report: The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKS. The contact stated that upon start of vehicle, the air bag warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact had initially called the dealer and was…
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The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKS. The contact stated that upon start of vehicle, the air bag warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact had initially called the dealer and was informed that his vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V247000 (Air Bags). The contact then called the manufacturer and was provided the same information as the dealer. The manufacturer referred him to NHTSA for further assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11433825 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Structure & body

Worth reading
3

Most reports here involve other issues. Of these, 1 mention an injury.

other issues 3
A recent report: The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKS. The contact stated that while attempting to secure items into the trunk of the vehicle, the rear trunk door suddenly came down and struck the contact on the head…
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The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKS. The contact stated that while attempting to secure items into the trunk of the vehicle, the rear trunk door suddenly came down and struck the contact on the head. During the incident, the contact sustained a head contusion which did not require medical treatment. The contact indicated that the failure had occurred on multiple occasions. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 100,000.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11567154 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Other systems

Minor
1

Most reports here involve other issues.

other issues 1
A recent report: I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MY 2011 LINCOLN MKS. I SMELL EXHAUST OR GAS FUMES IN THE CABIN WHEN DRIVING. THE SMELL IS GIVING ME HEADACHES. WHEN I CHECK UNDER THE HOOD I DON'T GET THE SMELL. PLUS THE SMELL…
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I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MY 2011 LINCOLN MKS. I SMELL EXHAUST OR GAS FUMES IN THE CABIN WHEN DRIVING. THE SMELL IS GIVING ME HEADACHES. WHEN I CHECK UNDER THE HOOD I DON'T GET THE SMELL. PLUS THE SMELL IS STRONGER WHEN I PUT THE AIR FLOW ON RECIRCULATION. I'M NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE MY CAR. HAVE YOU RECEIVED ANY OTHER COMPLAINS ABOUT FUMES IN THIS VEHICLES? THANKS FOR YOUR HELP WITH THIS ISSUE.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11063607 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Is 43 complaints a lot? They were filed between 2011 and 2026, roughly 3 a year, which is more than the typical model in this dataset. We do not have sales figures for this model, so treat this as a rough volume, not a rate per car on the road. Popular, high-volume models naturally collect more complaints over time.