2009 Lincoln MKS problems & reliability
56 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2009 Lincoln MKS, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
4 complaints report injuries (5 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2009 Lincoln MKS vehicles were involved in 19 fatal crashes with 6 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 11 | 20% |
| Service Brakes | 9 | 16% |
| Air Bags | 8 | 14% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 7 | 13% |
| Unknown OR Other | 5 | 9% |
| Engine | 4 | 7% |
| Seats | 4 | 7% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 5% |
| Power Train | 3 | 5% |
| Structure | 3 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 73,350 miles (middle 50% between 14,920 and 110,735 miles), based on 44 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The brakes keep failing on my 09 Lincoln mks. It has happen 4 times. Each time 4 different shops said the brake booster, abs system or master cylinder is bad. Have replaced each time and it will last 6 months and it the brakes will go bad again. A few times I was in traffic and couldn’t stop until the last minute…”
Suspension · filed Dec 8, 2024
“As I was drving the vehicle stopped in the middle of traffic with no warning or no warning lights on the dash. I had it towed to the nearest dealer where they informed me that the motor was blown at 86,000 miles after buying it at 66,000 miles from lexus of lincoln. The dealer informed me that they cold not do…”
Engine · filed Nov 6, 2020
“Tl* the contact owns a 2009 lincoln mks. The contact stated his wife the driver was at a stopped sign and while preceding into the intersection the vehicle front passenger side collided with another vehicle. The air bags deployed and within a few seconds a fire was started. However, the flames extinguished themselves…”
Air Bags · filed Feb 18, 2020
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
11 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2009 Lincoln MKS. The 10 most recent:
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…
SSM 51536 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 4, 2023
Some 2007-2016 Edge/MKX/Flex/MKT/MKZ/MKS/Taurus/Police Interceptor Sedan/Explorer/Police Interceptor Utility vehicles equipped with AWD and built on or before 30-Jun-2016 may exhibit a propane or natural gas odor during…
SSM 47230 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 11, 2018
Replacing the original equipment SYNC/Navigation system with either an aftermarket SYNC/Navigation kit or modifying original SYNC/Navigation parts to provide additional features is not recommended nor supported on any…
SSM 47201 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 30, 2018
Some 2007-2016 edge/mkx/flex/mkt/mkz/mks/taurus/taurus police/explorer/explorer police equipped with all wheel drive (awd) and built on or before 30-jun-2016 may exhibit a ticking and/or knocking noise coming from the…
SSM 46412 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 27, 2017
Replacing the original equipment sync/navigation system with either an aftermarket sync/navigation kit or modifying original sync/navigation parts to provide additional features is not recommended nor supported on any…
SSM 46332 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 24, 2017
The Powertrain Control/Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) manual has been revised for diagnosing electronic throttle bodies (ETBs). The ETC_ACT and ETC_DSD PIDs should not used to diagnose possible ETB concerns. The IDS has a…
SSM 46085 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 21, 2016
Lincoln/ford: on some vehicles, the moon roof sunshade binding is experiencing issues such as retaining clips/tabs are broken and its hard to open or close. Model 2009-14 mks, 2011-15 explorer, 2013-14 escape. *pe
ASI-44713 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 1, 2014
Lincoln/ford: on some vehicles and trucks, there is a popping, squealing, binding or grinding noise come from power seats when moving backwards or forward. Model 2009-2015 f-150, taurus, flex, mkt, mks, f-super duty…
ASI-44531 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2014
Ford/lincoln: on some vehicles, transmission 5th gear start at stop, speed control drops or inoperative, backup camera on in drive, 5th gear start from stop and transmission slipping or neutral out, due to digital…
TSB-13-5-27 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 27, 2013
Ford: the tire pressure warning light is on due to low pressure of one of the tires. There may be corrossion in the tire bead seat area. 2009-2011 edge/mkx. *rm
TSB-11-5-16 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 23, 2011
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2009 Lincoln MKS has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2009 Lincoln MKS?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 73,350 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.