2014 Lincoln MKT

The 2014 Lincoln MKT sits at the trailing edge of the model's most problematic stretch, following 2013's peak of 69 complaints and 8 recalls, and its own tally of 54 complaints and 4 recalls is the second-highest of the decade-long federal record. After 2014, complaint volume drops sharply — 22 in 2015, 8 in 2016, and just 3 in 2017 — indicating the issues driving 2013-2014 filings were largely addressed, even as TSB activity (62-96 per year through 2017) suggests Ford/Lincoln continued refining the platform rather than leaving a fundamentally fixed vehicle untouched. The 2014's leading complaint categories — Structure (7), Unknown/Other (6), Visibility (6), and Steering (5) — are predominantly nuisance-and-build-quality concerns rather than the kind of cluster that typically escalates to an investigation, and notably the entire generation carries zero federal investigations and 2014 itself recorded only 2 crash-related complaints with zero fire complaints. For a buyer, the takeaway is cautious but workable: a 2014 MKT is a higher-risk pick than a 2016 or 2017, where complaints collapsed to single digits, so insist on a pre-purchase inspection focused on steering feel, windshield/visibility sealing, and confirmation that the 4 outstanding recalls have been completed before paying a premium.