LincolnMKS2013Overview/lincoln/mks/2013/base/

2013 Lincoln MKS

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2013 MKS.

Body PASSENGER CAR

The 2013 Lincoln MKS is a full-size passenger car whose 6.0-quart oil capacity calls for 5W-30 API viscosity, a routine specification for its era. Within the model’s 20092016 complaint history, this year stands out as the most problematic, accumulating 140 owner complaints—far exceeding the 2016 model’s three—with steering identified as the top trouble area and seven recalls on file. For researchers, the 2013 MKS represents the reliability low point of the generation, making it a cautionary reference point when evaluating the model’s long-term durability.

Model year20162015201420132012201120102009

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity6.0 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque100 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 65 · 650 CCA battery. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 65 · 650 CCAOEM · verified
Tire sizeP235-55R19OEM · verified
Wheel / rim8 inOEM · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length203.9 in
Overall width76 in
Overall height61.4 in
Wheelbase113 in
Curb weight4277 lb
Track (front / rear)65 / 65.7 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)58/42

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the MKS of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

5.2 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 5.20 sec — 2013 EcoBoost Sedan
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
2013EcoBoost Sedan 3.5L Twin-Turbo V65.20 sec13.90 sec365 hpAWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 6.0 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, 80W-90 · GL-5 in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 100 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 18.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-4-2-5-3-6.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidFord Mercon LV
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity11.0-11.5
Brake FluidDOT 3
Differential Gear Oil80W-90 · GL-5
Differential Gear Oil Capacity2.4 Pints
Engine Oil5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity6.0 qt
Engine Oil5W-20 · API

Engine torques

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts7.4 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine BoltsLower: 8.8 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts100 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Fill Plug15.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Drain Plug15.0
Front Wheel Hub258 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub258 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-4-2-5-3-6

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.63 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity7.0 oz
Standard BCI Group Number65
Standard BCI Cranking Performance650 cca
Standard BCI Group Number65

Service checks

Pressure Test14 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief14 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature175-182 °F
Pressure Test14 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief14 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature175-182 °F
RPM51-62 @ Idle rpm
Injector Primary Resistance1-2 Turbo ohms

Brakes

Brake ApplicationWITH FN3
Torque Caliper to Bracket55 ft-lbs / 24 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle122 ft-lbs / 76 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.118; Rear: 0.118 in
Brake ApplicationWITH FN3
Rotor Runout Limit0.002 in
Rotor Discard at or Under1.122 in / 0.394 in / 1.181 in / 0.689 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
189 ft. lbs., step 2: 360 degrees, step 3: 37 ft. lbs., step 4: 9089 ft. lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
189 ft. lbs., step 2: 360 degrees, step 4: 37 ft. lbs., step 5: 9089 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant every 50,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 50,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 10,000 miAir Conditioning Condenser (inspect) · Air Conditioning Refrigerant Line (inspect) · Battery (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (inspect)
Every 20,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace) · Temperature Controlled Seat Air Filter (replace)
Every 50,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
At 100,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
Every 100,000 miSpark Plugs (replace)
At 150,000 miDrive Belt (replace) · Transmission Assembly (drain & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2013 model year represents a dramatic outlier in the Lincoln MKS federal record, with complaints surging to 140 from just 16 in 2012 and recalls reaching a generation-high of seven, while technical service bulletins rose to 55. This year sits at the apex of an arc that saw steadily declining complaints from 2009 through 2012 before the 2013 spike, followed by a sharp retreat to 43 complaints in 2014 and continued decline through 2016. Steering was the top complaint area with 46 reports, followed by engine and electrical system issues at 15 each, along with six crash-related and four fire-related complaints, though the data does not specify underlying root causes. Because 2013 generated more than double the next-highest annual complaint total in this generation and recorded the most recalls, it carries the heaviest federal footprint by a wide margin. For a used MKS, the 2013 model year is statistically the riskiest choice in this generation and is not the year to buy.

7
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
55
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
140
Owner complaints
6 involved a crash · 4 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★★
Frontal★★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 140 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Steering46
Engine15
Electrical System15
Fuel/Propulsion System8
Unknown Or Other5
Power Train5
Steering,Lane Departure4
Seats3

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 7 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

15V040000Structure:Body:DoorReported 28/01/2015

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… 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…

16V621000Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel PumpReported 25/08/2016

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI Ecoboost engines and 2013-2015 Ford Taurus Police Interceptor… Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel PEM part number and replace the fuel PEM, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 1, 2016. Owners may…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 55 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
SSM 530402024-10-10Unknown Or OtherWhile performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a…
SSM 515362023-04-04StructureFor 2000-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis…
SSM 492102020-09-25Engine And Engine CoolingSome 2009-2020 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with turbochargers may exhibit an oil…
SSM 481352019-08-14EquipmentSome 2013-2020 vehicles equipped with an EVDC air conditioning (A/C) compressor may…
SSM 481302019-08-09VisibilitySome 2010-2020 vehicles may exhibit distorted glass with a subtle orange peel pattern or…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific MKS. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2013 MKS take?

6.0 qt of 5W-30 API MEETING FORD SPECIFICATION WSS-M2C946-A, per the factory manual.

Does the 2013 MKS have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 7 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.