Most common 2010 Lincoln MKS problems
Share of the 51 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Lincoln MKS complaints by model year
Best MKS years: 2012, 2015, 2011. Years to avoid: 2013, 2009. Compare all years →
What 2010 Lincoln MKS owners say
Steering
My car will intermittently (more times than not) lose its power steering assist, making it almost impossible for me to drive. I've had the car looked at, replaced the rack and pinion assembly, put on new tires, ran a diagnostic, and the car still lacks power steering most of the time. When starting the vehicle, the wheel will lock up, and the message "Power Steering Assist Fault" displays, no matter how many times I try to restart the car and allow the computer to reset, the fault does not go away. I rarely have times when I can drive with a power steering assist. The car has become a serious problem because I cannot get to work or school safely; when driving the other day, the power steering went out, and I was almost in an accident. …
No power steering and Power steering assist failure warning message. Took to dealer, and they said the epas needed to be replaced. Also, that the oem part was no longer available, so they had to use after market part and would not guarantee the labor. 3 months later same problem. There is a recall for 2011-2013 same car with the same problem, but not for 2010. Defective epas system causing the failure. Spoke to Lincoln concierge and Ford concierge and they would not help with a remedy or with dealer support.
Speed control & acceleration
We had a 2009 MKS which accelerated by it self on April 21, 2014 and caused my wife to hit a tree and spend three days in the hospital and also totaled out our car. Not knowing that there was a problem with the car, we brought a 2010 MKS on May 7, 2010 and on May 8, 2014 when my wife pulled into our driveway, that car also had an unintended acceleration opposite causing it to surge at a high speed running through our garage door and the corner of our house. I then looked on the internet and discovered that there were several class action law suits in about 14 states dealing with the same problem, of unintended acceleration dealing with the electronic throttles causing this dangerous situation. To our surprise both of the cars we brought the 2009 and 2010 MKS was on this list for this scary and frightening problem. Now how you we get this defect corrected, so we can drive the car safely? …
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Lincoln MKS. The contact was driving approximately 50 MPH with the cruise control activated. As the brake pedal was engaged, the cruise control deactivated with an abnormal acceleration. The vehicle then crashed into another vehicle. There were no injuries. A police report was filed of the incident. The vehicle was towed to an independent auto mechanic and had not been diagnosed for the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 21,000.
Engine & cooling
The contact owns a 2010 Lincoln MKS. The contact stated that upon placing her vehicle into park(P), the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was hot. The engine then failed to restart after the failure. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer where she was informed that the water pump was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
During the first incident, I was driving and heard a loud whirling sound then smoke started coming out the exhaust. I was told the problem was with the turbo charger. Then I had them replaced three months down the road while driving my car lost power. The throttle control light came on and I couldn't move the car. I left the car where it was, then came back the next day and it drove fine I took it to the repair shop in the mechanic couldn't find any problems and today when I went to pick the car up the car started smoking again no check engine light or any type of service light came on.
2010 Lincoln MKS engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cyl turbo | 6-speed automatic | AWD | 17 / 25 / 20 |
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | AWD | 16 / 23 / 19 |
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 24 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Large car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2010 Lincoln MKS a good car?
Based on 51 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2010 MKS rates average: 1.2× as many complaints as a typical year of the MKS at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2010 Lincoln MKS?
The steering — 15 complaints, 29% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the speed control & acceleration (10) and engine & cooling (8).
How many recalls does the 2010 Lincoln MKS have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2010 Lincoln MKS. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Lincoln MKS?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2012, 2015 and 2011. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2013 and 2009. See the full Lincoln MKS years comparison.
At what mileage do 2010 Lincoln MKS problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 70,000 miles; 40% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.