The contact owns a 2012 Lincoln MKS. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, there was an abnormal fuel odor coming from the vehicle. The contact pulled over the right side of the road and exited the vehicle and became aware of a leak underneath the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 13V109000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.
The worst 2012 Lincoln MKS problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Steering8
- Electrical4
- Body2
- Fuel system2
- Transmission2
- Brakes1
- Engine1
- Lights1
- Visibility1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2012 Lincoln MKS
Recalls 3
Steering: electric power assist system
- What is wrong
- 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 MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with any available engine. The affected vehicles have electric power steering assist systems that may shut down as a result of a steering motor sensor fault.
- Risk
- If the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist, extra steering effort will be required at lower speeds, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will check the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) for Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC). If dealers find any loss of steering assist DTCs, the steering gear will be replaced, free of charge. If, no codes are found during the PSCM inspection, the PSCM software will be updated, free of charge. The recall began on July 21, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S18.
Recall number 15V340000 · Recall details
Structure: body: door
- What is wrong
- 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. In the affected vehicles, the interior door handle return spring may unseat, resulting in interior door handle that does not return to the fully stowed position after actuation.
- Risk
- If the interior door handle return spring is unseated, the door may unlatch in the event of a side impact crash, increasing the risk of personal injury.
- 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. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S02.
Recall number 15V040000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly
- What is wrong
- Ford is recalling certain model year 2012 Taurus, Lincoln MKS, and model year 2013 Explorer vehicles manufactured July 19, 2011, through March 15, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the fuel tanks may have a marginally sealed seam in the side of the tank. As a result, the fuel tanks may not provide the expected strength in the event of an impact. The tanks may also leak.
- Risk
- A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel tanks and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 9, 2013. Ford's recall campaign number is 13S03. Owners may contact Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center at 1‑866‑436‑7332.
Recall number 13V109000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2012 Lincoln MKS 34
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal...
- For 2000-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis purposes is likely...
- Some 2009-2020 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with turbochargers may exhibit an oil leak from the...
- Some 2010-2020 vehicles may exhibit distorted glass with a subtle orange peel pattern or streaking etched...
- For Ford and Lincoln vehicles that require positive or negative battery terminal replacement, it is not...
- On vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission it is imperative that the converter pilot hub be...
- Ssm 47948 - 2010-2019
- Some 2012-2019 Vehicles may require repairs to the Smartlink system
- For 2010-2019 vehicles equipped with turbocharged engines, when diagnosing and/or replacing turbo related...
- Some 2007-2016 Edge/MKX/Flex/MKT/MKZ/MKS/Taurus/Police Interceptor Sedan/Explorer/Police Interceptor...
2012 Lincoln MKS fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6‑cyl | FWD | 17 | 24 | 20 |
| 3.5L 6‑cyl | AWD | 17 | 24 | 20 |
| 3.7L 6‑cyl | AWD | 16 | 23 | 19 |
What 2012 Lincoln MKS owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
This is additional information related to my prior complaint 1167880 regarding the 2012 Lincoln MKS steering issue.
I’ve owned my 2012 Lincoln MKS for 3 years. A warning recently appeared saying “Power Steering Assist Fault,” and now the steering is very hard to turn, especially at low speeds. I’ve already paid around $1,800 in the past to fix this issue once, but now I’m experiencing the same or similar problems again. I haven’t had it officially diagnosed this time because both Ford and the dealer told me it wouldn’t be covered, since the recall (15S18) is now expired. This is a serious safety issue. The car is difficult to control and unsafe to drive. I’m a full-time worker and a father of two toddlers, and I’m still making payments on this car that I now can’t safely use — or only for short trips while constantly worrying about steering failure. I just found out about this old recall, and the dealership never told me anything about it when I bought the car used. I strongly believe I’m experiencing the same issue Ford previously recalled these vehicles for, and I’m asking the federal safety agency to investigate or reopen the recall so it can be repaired before me or my family is seriously injured.
After starting the vehicle on Thursday 6/26/2025, the Power Steering Assist Fault message appeared in the message center. The owner's manual was consulted and as recommended, the engine was turned off for over 10 seconds, turned back on, and the message returned. The Power Steering Assist Fault message has appeared each time upon starting the engine (both by remote and push-button) for 8 days and counting. In September of 2015, the recall associated with a fault in the electric power steering system (number 15S18) was completed at the dealership. The recommended maintenance scheduled has been followed since the vehicle was purchased in January 2012.
The contact owns a 2012 Lincoln MKS. The contact stated while attempting to drive out of a parking space, the message "Power Assist Failure" was displayed, and the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was determined that the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) needed to be reprogrammed, and the steering rack needed to be replaced. The mechanic related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 15N01. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where the same assessment was made. The dealer ordered the part for the repair; however, the manufacturer's warranty department denied the claim for the repair after several attempts. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 158,000.
Power Steering Assist Failure
The contact owns a 2012 Lincoln MKS. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle jerked and lost power steering functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that after several minutes the vehicle regained power steering functionality. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer stated that the lower control arms and bushing needed to be replaced. The vehicle was also taken to an independent mechanic and the mechanic stated that the lower control arms and bushing did not need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the manufacturer stated that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering) and referred the contact to the federal safety agency to file a complaint. The failure mileage was 104,000.
I heard on the news that there is a recall on the brake hose and I am always putting brake fluid in i just put some in 03/27/2023 but when I put my vin # in nothing comes up for a recall I have a 2012 lincoln mks awd
The contact owns a 2012 Lincoln MKS. The contact stated that after refueling, there was an abnormal gasoline odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 13V109000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000.
I have an exceptionally large amount of moisture in the passenger headlamp assembly. I've had it checked at 3 different body shops, including a lincoln one here in tulsa. All 3 shops couldn't figure out where the moisture is coming from. I have seen this on a couple of other lincoln mkss. On the other automobiles that I have seen their peers to be no damage anywhere as is the case with mine. My concern is the moisture is going to get to the bulb or get bulb socket and cause of to short. It seems hardly fair that a vehicle that is only 8 years old but under a hundred thousand miles on it is already having issues that are very expensive and seem to be the fault of the manufacturing process. This has been going on for about 4 months now.
Compare the 2012 Lincoln MKS
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Questions about the 2012 Lincoln MKS
Is the 2012 Lincoln MKS reliable?
Owners have filed 17 complaints about the 2012 Lincoln MKS, fewer than a typical MKS model year.
What is the 2012 Lincoln MKS year score?
The 2012 Lincoln MKS scores 88 out of 100 (good). The score compares it with the other model years of the Lincoln MKS: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2012 Lincoln MKS?
Steering, with 8 complaints. Next is electrical (4).
How many recalls does the 2012 Lincoln MKS have?
3 recalls, covering steering, structure and fuel system, gasoline.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Lincoln MKS steering?
Yes, 1 recall: 15V340000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Lincoln MKS have bad steering?
The Lincoln MKS model years with the most steering complaints are 2013 (61 complaints), 2011 (21 complaints) and 2010 (15 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2012 Lincoln MKS get?
Official estimates for the 2012 Lincoln MKS range from 19 to 20 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.5L 6-cyl, FWD) gets 17 city and 24 highway.
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