Most common 2011 Lincoln MKS problems
Share of the 43 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 →
2011 Lincoln MKS recalls (3)
Air bags › Frontal
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 Ford Flex, 2008 and 2010-2012 Ford Taurus, 2008-2009 Ford Taurus X, 2008 Mercury Sable, 2009 and 2011 Lincoln MKS vehicles. The driver frontal air bag may improperly inflate during second-stage deployment in the event of a high speed crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the driver's frontal air bag module, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on June 13, 2016.
Steering › Electric power assist system
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford Fusion vehicles without a 3.5L engine and Lincoln MKZ hybrid electric vehicles, 2011 Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with a 3.5L GTDI engine and 2013 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln…
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will check the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) for Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC).
Structure › Body › Door
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Ford Taurus vehicles manufactured December 1, 2009, to July 31, 2010, and 2011-2013 Lincoln MKS vehicles manufactured June 1, 2011, to October 31, 2011.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect all four of the interior door handles and either repair or replace them, free of charge. The recall began March 23, 2015.
What 2011 Lincoln MKS owners say
Steering all 21 →
The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKS. The contact stated while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, she became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly. The contact's daughter was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, and after restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the power steering control module and gear. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 94,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKS. The contact stated that while reversing into a parking space, the power steering warning light illuminated. The vehicle was later restarted, and the traction control and power steering warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle then experienced a loss of power steering assist. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the steering gear had failed and that the steering rack needed to be replaced; however, the steering rack was no longer manufactured so the vehicle required an aftermarket steering rack. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 212,000.
Brakes
the steering system locks up and loses power assist,and the brakes and traction control sys also malfunction, and several failure lights all come on ,as I was making a left turn in front of a police car the steering locked up and I almost hit the police car,the vehicle isn't driveable,the policeman advised me not to drive the car,he verified the steering didn't work,when the problem occurs the steering gets extremely hard and at the same time lights and bells start ringing in the car and it's very scary because between the steering and brakes not working the bells and lights are very distracting
Power steering randomly locks and unlocks its self, causing the vehicle to pull to the left and displaying difficulty to steer wheel to the right or straight ahead. Brakes seem to lock or slip in certain enviroments at moderate speeds.
Engine & cooling
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.
The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKS. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the temperature gauge would rise from cool(C) to hot(H) and the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact stated that once she turned off the cooling fans, the vehicle would cool off while idle; however, the temperature would rise once she resumed normal driving. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where she was informed that the failure could not be duplicated. The contact then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who informed her that there was a service bulletin on the vehicle and referred her back to the dealer. The dealer was again notified about the failure and referred her to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred her to the NHTSA Hotline. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
2011 Lincoln MKS engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cyl turbo | 6-speed automatic | AWD | 17 / 25 / 20 |
| 3.7L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | AWD | 16 / 22 / 19 |
| 3.7L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 24 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Large car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2011 Lincoln MKS a good car?
Based on 43 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2011 MKS rates average: 29% fewer complaints than a typical year of the MKS at the same age. It is one of the best MKS years by this measure. 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 2011 Lincoln MKS?
The steering — 21 complaints, 49% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the brakes (5) and engine & cooling (5).
How many recalls does the 2011 Lincoln MKS have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2011 Lincoln MKS, the most recent from April 26, 2016 (frontal). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the 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 2011 Lincoln MKS problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 50,000 miles; 45% 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.