Skip to content
Lincoln MKSModel year report

2009 Lincoln MKS Problems

Compared with other Lincoln MKS years

More complaints than typical for this model

67/100 1.5× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with fewer complaints than typical and no open NHTSA investigation: 2010

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
56filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
66,000miles, 46 complaints with mileage
Recalls
1campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
19 mpgcombined, 3.7L 6-cyl FWD · 17 city / 24 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2009 Lincoln MKS (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this 2009 Lincoln MKS most often describe brake noise, such as grinding or metal-to-metal sounds when braking, and many say the noise returned after repairs. Other brake complaints describe the pedal sinking toward the floor, brakes that lock or drag, and unexpected acceleration when slowing or stopping. Where mileage is recorded, the brake complaints range from a few hundred miles to about 150,000 miles, and the noise complaints mostly describe lower mileage.

  1. Brakes

    Grinding or metal-on-metal noise when braking

    • 12 complaints (21%)
    • median 9,500 mi at 1.3 yrs old (10 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2010–2014

    Owners describe loud grinding or metal-to-metal noise when the brakes are applied, sometimes at very low speed, and some also note vibration or a burning smell. The noise often returns after work on the pads, shoes, rotors, or front brakes. According to complaints, the dealer in some cases said the noise was normal, and in other cases replaced parts, including a brake motor, but the noise continued. Where mileage is recorded, these complaints range from a few hundred miles to about 25,000 miles, and several were reported within the first few thousand miles.

    What to check: Ask the dealer whether the brake noise was diagnosed and whether any relevant service bulletin was checked, and listen for grinding during a test drive with light braking. Ask for the repair history of the front brakes and rotors.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Brake pads--I took the Lincoln MKS 2009 to the dealer complaining about the noise of the brakes (6) times. On the 5th visit they replaced the brake pads-- as I was driving the brakes continued to make noise then the brakes locked up on me for a short period of time- I returned to a dealer about this and was told the pads they put on did not correct the problem and they had to order different pads and some other parts to fix the problem-- it would take about 2 wks. To get the parts in. I turned the car in and purchased a 2010. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10306484, filed 2010-02, 10,000 miles

    “Multiple instances of front brakes grinding when braking. Purchased car as a demo in december 2009 with 7800 miles. Brakes were grinding within 30 days. Has been in the dealership multiple times. Going for fourth (?) repair as soon as parts arrive. Apparently there is an TSB issued by ford/Lincoln.”

    NHTSA complaint #10367379, filed 2010-11, 9,000 miles
  2. Vehicle speed control

    Unexpected acceleration or engine revving when slowing

    • 9 complaints (16%)
    • median 79,500 mi at 5.7 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2010–2017

    Owners describe the engine revving high or the car speeding up when they applied the brakes or approached a stop, and in some cases the engine would not respond to the key or shut off. Some shifted into neutral to slow the vehicle or shut off the engine, and an owner describes an accelerator that stuck while the brake was pressed. According to complaints, the dealer in some cases could not locate a fault or duplicate the problem. Where mileage is recorded, these complaints range from about 1,000 to about 100,000 miles, and most describe the problem while approaching a stop or while braking.

    1 related service bulletin

    What to check: Ask whether the electronic throttle body diagnosis described in the service bulletin was followed and whether any fault codes were stored. On a test drive, note whether the engine returns to idle smoothly after light braking.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “As I was driving the gas pedal got locked as I was approaching a stop sign and the engine was revving high at 5000 RPM . I tried to turn off the engine but it will not respond , so I had to make a sudden right turn onto a less traveled street to avoid hitting other cars . I then disengaged the transmission to neutral to be able to shut the engine off .”

    NHTSA complaint #10761984, filed 2015-09, 74,000 miles

    “Accelerator pedal jammed and engine was revving high at 5000 , I have press hard on the brake to slow down to avoid hitting other cars while trying to pull away same way like the previous incident that happens 7 months earlier. I then disengaged the transmission to neutral to be able to cut off the engine , wait for 10 and shake the gas pedal , before I cranked up and continued to go on .”

    NHTSA complaint #10761987, filed 2015-09, 79,000 miles
  3. Brakes

    Brake pedal goes to the floor or brakes fail

    Mentioned in 5 of 54 sampled complaints

    Owners describe the brake pedal going all the way to the floor, sometimes at a steady speed or when stopping, and brakes that failed intermittently at speed. Some describe repeated replacement of the brake booster, master cylinder, ABS parts, or brakes and rotors, with the problem returning within months. According to complaints, dealers in some cases found nothing wrong, and an owner says the dealer attributed the problem to the driver. Where mileage is recorded, these complaints range from about 10,000 to 150,000 miles, and some describe the problem returning after repairs.

    What to check: Ask whether the brake booster, master cylinder, and ABS have been tested, and check the pedal feel on a test drive for any sinking toward the floor. Ask the dealer for repair records showing which brake parts were replaced and whether the problem came back.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Breaks on london MKS 2009, the breaks on this car continuer to have problems. I have taken it to multiple shops and no-one can find the problem. I have replaced the master cylinder, breaks, rotor, checked break line and they are all good and continue to grease the caliper pins. Breaks go to floor when trying to stop, replace the breaks and rotors way to often.”

    NHTSA complaint #11112055, filed 2018-07, 150,000 miles

    “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 luckily I haven’t ran into anyone yet . That’s a very scary situation. Yes I have took to a dealer and independent service centers. No it haven’t been inspected by manufacture no more than the dealership I got it from. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11629525, filed 2024-12
  4. Brakes

    Brakes that lock up or drag

    • 5 complaints (9%)
    • median 36,000 mi at 3.7 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2010–2015

    Owners describe a front brake locking up without the brake pedal being pressed, and brakes locking while coming to a stop. Another describes a dragging feeling at about 20 mph that was followed by unexpected acceleration. According to complaints, the dealer in some cases found nothing wrong and in other cases could not reproduce the problem. Where mileage is recorded, these complaints range from about 3,000 to 62,000 miles, and some occur at low speed, such as during a turn or while stopping.

    What to check: Ask the dealer whether any brake lockup or dragging was recorded during diagnosis, and check the front brakes on a test drive for dragging at moderate speed. Ask for the repair history of the front brake hardware.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “While making a left turn at slow speed, the front brake locked up without my foot on the brake (11/2014). It has also happened twice since then. Dealer has checked it out twice and has found nothing.”

    NHTSA complaint #10704867, filed 2015-04, 62,000 miles

    “The contact owns a 2009 Lincoln MKS. While driving the vehicle at speeds of at least 20 MPH, the vehicle would exhibit a dragging sensation. The vehicle then abnormally accelerated without driver intent. The dealer could not duplicate the failure and advised installing an event data recorder (or black box) in the vehicle to record any further failures. The contact stated she felt her safety was at risk while occupying the vehicle. The approximate failure mileage was 3,000 and the current mileage was 9,701. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10319229, filed 2010-03, 3,000 miles

Buying note. For someone considering this model year, the complaints point to brake noise, brake pedal feel, and throttle response as the main areas to check. A pre-purchase inspection should cover the front brakes and rotors, the pedal feel during a test drive, and the service history for the throttle or speed control.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 54 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 56 consumer complaints for the 2009 Lincoln MKS. 46 of the complaints include a mileage, and 43% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 66,000 miles. Of all complaints, 4 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 5 an injury, 1 a death, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign and 11 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 4 Lincoln MKS model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 67 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (more complaints than typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Fuel system (2), Latches, locks and linkages (2), Steering (2), Suspension (2), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (2).

Example complaints

Brakes: “While pulling out into traffic on a very busy four lane street, I turned left to get into the turn lane. All of a sudden the anti-lock brake light came on, the left front wheel jerked and grabbed and the accelerator would not let me get out of the on-coming lane for a few seconds. This could have ended a lot worst. This is the second time this has happened and the dealer says there is no bulletin for this problem!”

NHTSA complaint #10663247, filed 2014-12, 127,500 miles

Air bags: “I see Lincoln mkz have recalls on seat belt tensioner. Well my Lincoln MKS has a seat belt tensioner that needs replacement. Have you had anyone complain about Lincoln MKS for that problem.”

NHTSA complaint #11204360, filed 2019-04, 120,000 miles

Vehicle speed control: “Tss/oss failure. While driving the vehicle on the highway, the vehicle suddenly lost power and I was unable to accelerate. I continued to press the accelerator and the vehicles RPM's increased, but the vehicle began to slow down. Then the transmission slammed into gear and made the vehicle jerk. The engine light, a service advanced trac message appeared, and the wrench light came on. I had the vehicle connected to a computer and gave the p7020 and p0722 fault code.”

NHTSA complaint #11019013, filed 2017-08, 114,000 miles

Other or unknown: “Vehicle does not have an automatic shut-off, if engine is left running. My mom died from carbon monoxide poisoning in april 2013 after she failed to stop the engine with the manual shut off button. She was found in her bedroom, which is next to the garage. The car was stationary and in the closed garage. I do not have the VIN number, as the car was sold in 2014. All vehicles should have an automatic shut off after twenty minutes of running.”

NHTSA complaint #10852319, filed 2016-03, 36,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

43% of the 46 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 9,000 and 102,725 miles.

26%0–1011%10–257%25–5015%50–7515%75–10020%100–1507%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (46 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 66,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’1013’12’14’16’18’20’24
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2009 Lincoln MKS. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
MKS · sedan FWD/AWDnot rated4 / 5——4 · 11.8% risk
MKS · sedan FWD/AWDnot rated5 / 5——4 · 11.8% risk

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2009 Lincoln MKS version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
MKS AWD3.7L 6-cyl6-speed automatic162319$3,550
MKS FWD3.7L 6-cyl6-speed automatic172419$3,550

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2009 Lincoln MKS → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 11 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 11 bulletins →

Other model years of the Lincoln MKS

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20151849,0003522—Stable
20144477,000252225 · FewerFalling
201314271,0007521100 · MoreStable
20121774,6253—20—Rising
20114350,0003—1950 · TypicalRising
20105161,0000—1934 · FewerFalling
20095666,0001—1967 · MoreFalling

All Lincoln MKS model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2009 Lincoln MKS?

Owners of this 2009 Lincoln MKS most often describe brake noise, such as grinding or metal-to-metal sounds when braking, and many say the noise returned after repairs. The issues reported most often: Grinding or metal-on-metal noise when braking; Unexpected acceleration or engine revving when slowing; Brake pedal goes to the floor or brakes fail.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2009 Lincoln MKS have?

NHTSA recorded 56 consumer complaints for the 2009 Lincoln MKS as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2009 Lincoln MKS is reported most often?

Brakes is named most often, in 21 complaints (38% of the total), followed by air bags with 8.

Has the 2009 Lincoln MKS been recalled?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2009 Lincoln MKS get?

The EPA rates the 2009 Lincoln MKS (MKS FWD, 3.7L 6-cyl) at 19 mpg combined, 17 city and 24 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,550 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2009 Lincoln MKS reported?

Among the 46 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 66,000 miles and the middle half falls between 9,000 and 102,725 miles; 43% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.