ahain Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 (edited) Hello, I am looking into buying a 2011 MKZ Hybrid. It has 50K miles on it. Seems reasonable. Right now I'm driving a 2010 Mini Cooper Clubman and its driving me nuts. It is the cutest thing but I keep taking into the shop and when I do its $500 bucks when I done. Annoying...anyway...I had a 2008 Toyota Solara which was totalled otherwise I'd still be driving it (I thought owning a Mini would be a fun change, nope, not really) of course it never gave me any issues. I don't mind regular maintenance but I can't deal with 'sensitive' vehicles (the mini gave me an engine light error becasue the gas cap wasn't on right-I had to go to the boards to get this answered, the manual told me to drive slowly and get to the dealer, which you have to make an appointment for...no just dropping by service). So my long question is, How do MKZ hybrids hold up? They look lovely and driving them will be fun (i'm looking forward to the luxe life) but am I going to be in the shop a lot? Thanks! Amber Edited November 15, 2013 by ahain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve the tech geek Posted November 17, 2013 Share Posted November 17, 2013 (edited) Hi Amber -- and welcome to the forum! Yes, I believe your concern for reliability does have merit. Something I think should be considered concerning hybrids -- They are definitely more complex than their non hybrid counterparts. To me, more complexity equals more opportunity for problems. So yeah, with your recent experience with the Mini, I'd hate to see you "jump from the frying pan, into the fire". I don't mean to be gloom and doom -- I tend to over analyze, for sure. But, as I say -- I suppose it's something to consider. But, in the end, it probably is much more important to consider the particular deal on the car your looking at, your comfort level, etc. For what it's worth, I've owned my MKZ for only about 6 months and 9000 miles - but so far -- I'm happy with mine, and haven't noticed an inordinate amount of problems posted on the forum. So, I trust what ever you decide -- you'll be happy. Good luck Amber! (and let us know!) Edited November 17, 2013 by Steve the tech geek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JediBoyTJ Posted November 17, 2013 Share Posted November 17, 2013 (edited) Hi Amber! I have had my 2012 MKZ Hybrid for just about two months. It had 23k when I bought it, and I put about 2000 miles on it over the course of a couple road trips. It has been completely trouble free. The only time I brought it to the dealer was to have them replace the rear trunk taillight for a couple LEDs being out (common issue). Otherwise this car has been completely trouble free *knock on wood*. I researched these cars for at least a year before I finally settled on the 2012. I got way too good of a deal on it to pass up. Yes, Hybrid technology is much more advanced and complex than the normal combustion engine, however all the things I read about this car (and Fords hybrids in general) point to high reliability, especially when compared to other hybrids, just look up "Honda Civic Hybrid Battery Problems", you dont see such issues with Ford/Lincoln hybrid systems. Even if you try to look up something like "Ford Fusion/Lincoln MKZ Hybrid Battery Problems" on Google, the articles that show up are about the opposite and how they have great long life. Also I have a friend who works for Ford who said these NiMh Hybrid batteries in our cars have a 0.04% failure rate. You can also read articles online of the Ford Escape Hybrid Taxis in Cali and NY that have gone 300,000+ miles, using the same type of battery. The things that helped my decision the most were: • Warranty. The Batteries (and I believe the charging systems themselves) in these cars have an 8yr 100,000mi warranty on them. Also look into a Ford ESP Warranty for the car. It already has 50,000mi so its already outside the factory warranty, but Ford does sell Used Car warranties. And my dealings in the past with Fords warranty have been great. • Research. Like I said above, these cars have very high reliability when compared to the competition. • Comfort. The BridgeofWeir Leather seats are sooo soft and comfortable. Definitely the best leather seats of any Hybrid (at least any that I tested). The ride is very comfortable too (not too soft and "boaty" like the Lincolns of yesterday, but not too stiff like a sports car. A perfect balance). And QUIET! Everyone that gets in my car always compliments how quiet the car and general ride is. Bottom Line is. If you can get the car for a deal that fits your budget, go for it. This car is worth it. Edited November 17, 2013 by JediBoyTJ ahain 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahain Posted November 18, 2013 Author Share Posted November 18, 2013 Hi Steve, Thanks so much to replying to my post. Well I did it. I bought a 2012 with 29K. The cinnamon color. I love it, my mom (who went with me) wanted me to hold out for black, but I wanted to get rid of the mini...today. I bought the car with carmax and although my car guy ( I have bought and sold 4 cars with him, love him) said I could wait a month and see what would come in, I thought 29k for $23k was good so I bought it. ok for less than 24 hours...LOVE IT!!! I'm going to contact Lincoln and see if I can get a extended warranty through them. I am not worried about the engine or anything like that, but the electrical/computer systems. Those two items worry me. I haven't heard anything bad but I haven't heard anything about being able to keep these cars for 10+ years and that is what I am hoping for...I'll let you know what Lincoln says about purchasing an extend warranty. Fingers crossed :). Now to balance the THX system.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JediBoyTJ Posted November 18, 2013 Share Posted November 18, 2013 Hi Steve, Thanks so much to replying to my post. Well I did it. I bought a 2012 with 29K. The cinnamon color. I love it, my mom (who went with me) wanted me to hold out for black, but I wanted to get rid of the mini...today. I bought the car with carmax and although my car guy ( I have bought and sold 4 cars with him, love him) said I could wait a month and see what would come in, I thought 29k for $23k was good so I bought it. ok for less than 24 hours...LOVE IT!!! I'm going to contact Lincoln and see if I can get a extended warranty through them. I am not worried about the engine or anything like that, but the electrical/computer systems. Those two items worry me. I haven't heard anything bad but I haven't heard anything about being able to keep these cars for 10+ years and that is what I am hoping for...I'll let you know what Lincoln says about purchasing an extend warranty. Fingers crossed :). Now to balance the THX system.... Thats awesome, good choice on the 2012, and a great price too. I got my 2012 from CarMax as well, had 22k on it for $24k. I actually think they advertised it incorrectly because it wasnt on their website as a Hybrid, it was on as a standard engine model. All the 2011/12 MKZ Hybrids on the site were going for $27-28k+, but this one was lost in the middle of the standard MKZs, which typically go for $19k-25k. KBB.com rates these Hybrid cars currently at around $28,500 value. About the Warranty: You should be perfectly fine to purchase a new car extended warranty. Be sure to shop around for it though, each dealer sets the price for the Ford/Lincoln ESP themselves, some will try to rip you off at full MSRP (which is like $2800 or some ridiculous amount like that). I bought my last Ford PremiumCare ESP through http://www.troy-ford-extended-warranty.com/ I literally just filled out all the details online on their site, they called me to confirm, and within like a week it was registered: 7yr 100,000 warranty for ~$1400 (MRSP $2800, price varies car to car so the Hybrid might be slightly more). Now keep in mind that the warranty starts from the original new car date of purchase, so it'll be 7yrs from that. If you register your car on http://owner.lincoln.com you can see all that info. You should still have ~2yrs or $20k miles left on the original bumper to bumper warranty that covers EVERYTHING, including badges, interior trim, leather...etc. If you notice the leather cracking, something not aligned properly, hybrid badges flaking off, tail light LEDs not working, chrome flaking off the wheels (if you have chrome wheels), anything that wouldnt be considered "damaged", bring it to the dealer they will fix it... and keep in mind that only the original 4yr warranty covers interior trim and cosmetic issues like that, the Ford/Lincoln ESP will not, so get all that fixed (if needed) within the next couple years. I've had two Lincolns now, and my old 2007 MKZ literally on the last month of the original bumper-to-bumper warranty, I had the leather seat covers replaced (they were cracking around the side where the seat controls were, looked like small horizontal stress cracks), the sunglass holder replaced (it would open with no resistance), and a couple other minor things like the chrome piece under the shifter. On my new 2012 MKZ Hybrid, I've had the right rear trunklid tail lamp assembly replaced (its actually pretty common for just the right side to lose a couple LEDs, so keep an eye on that and get it replaced if needed), and all the Hybrid badges as they were flaking off. Overall, I am absolutely in love with this car. It truly feels like a luxury car. It may not be as fancy or sporty as other cars are, but I dont care. I love the comfort of it, and the fact that its kind of a rare car to see on the road (and the fact that most people think im too young to be driving a Lincoln, but I dont care, I love it!). Post some pics of it, and lets see what options you have with it (the THX system is amazing!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahain Posted November 18, 2013 Author Share Posted November 18, 2013 Thanks for all the info Jedi!!! Day one and I LOVE IT. I have had the same (age) reacation with regards to buying a Lincoln but when my husband and kids sat in the car last night, it was all ooo's and aaas...for some reason they thought I was going to buy a Navigator LOL! I could barely afford the gas in my old Solara, what would I do with a Navi ;). Thanks for the info on the warrenty! I'm glad I didn't buy it yet. I went online and registered my car and saw that I could buy there but I'll definately shop arround now that I know I can. That is great that you got a good price on your car! I thought the pricing was toward the low side for this one but I think it is the color (although I love it) and the fact that the car was not super clean, it wasn't horrible but I have made an appointment for a deep detail. The headliner is clean so that is good and the back seats are fine but the front, with the cream interior...not what it shoudl be although I didn't give them anytime. The pictures were posted and I had the carmax near me ship right away. They probably would have cleaned it up if they had it longer. No matter, I don't mind doing it. :) I'm SO thrilled! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JediBoyTJ Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 I arrived at the CarMax literally minutes after they took it off the transport truck since I had it transferred from another city (I kept calling every hour the day it was supposed to arrive lol), so I dont even think they cleaned it for me before I first saw it. But when I did, I immediately fell in love, wasnt sure if I would like the "Steel Blue Metallic" color, but in person it looks soooo much better. I got pretty lucky too because the car was immaculate inside and out, even with it being the light tan/camel cover, I would be hard pressed to find even 1 scratch or imperfection on the car, and if I did it would be a serious stretch. People are always surprised the car has 24k miles on it, and think its a brand new off the lot car. I planned this car investment on the assumption that I will keep this car for 10+ years, and with how much I love this car, and from everything I have read and seen, that doesnt seem so far fetched! The other neat thing about these cars, they have much higher resale values than their regular counterparts! My next suggestion for you: Get some DVDs and DVD-Audios and play it in your car (assuming you have Nav). Play something good and loud, and realize you are essentially driving a rolling concert hall! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahain Posted November 19, 2013 Author Share Posted November 19, 2013 LOL! :) . I brought a DVD with me to Carmax and it is the first thing that I did even before driving it, just to see if it would work. I knew it was the car I wanted before I test drove it. My car guy laughed because he didn't know that it would play DVD's LOL! This morning I plugged in my husbands old Ipod, like 4th genertation with way too much music and it worked wonderfully, I was playing the Kinks, the Beatles, the Jackson Five, all as loud as I could. I plan to keep this car for ever too. I think we got the best year because I think the 2013 dropped the Jukebox which I love too. I have loaded about 4 CD's but this weekend I'm going to real spend some time and get it all set up :headspin: . I live in Los Angeles and it seems that Cadi's are everywhere, and they are pretty but I love that you don't see our MKZ's too often. Lots of Navigators around but our cars, not so much. I'm need to get better about my gas milegae. The last few days I have been averaging 31. I think it is because I love the accelaration so I tend to speed when I should just stay and crusie along...but 31 isn't bad in comparsion to what I was getting before. How are you handling your driving. I found the power display, where it shows you when you are using gas and when you are using the battery and today I saw that I was engaing the gas much more than I thought. I'll get better though. I hope ;) . I have an appointment on Saturday morning at Lincoln. I'm going to have it checked out, I'm sure it is fine but I am going to follow your advice and have everything looked at while it is still under warranty. I'll let you know what they say. Any other tips feel free to send them along. I haven't been this happy about a car since my 1967 Volkswagon Beetle (which I miss dearly by the way...shoulda kept it). Take care, Amber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertlane Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 Hi Steve, Thanks so much to replying to my post. Well I did it. I bought a 2012 with 29K. The cinnamon color. I love it, my mom (who went with me) wanted me to hold out for black, but I wanted to get rid of the mini...today. I bought the car with carmax and although my car guy ( I have bought and sold 4 cars with him, love him) said I could wait a month and see what would come in, I thought 29k for $23k was good so I bought it. ok for less than 24 hours...LOVE IT!!! I'm going to contact Lincoln and see if I can get a extended warranty through them. I am not worried about the engine or anything like that, but the electrical/computer systems. Those two items worry me. I haven't heard anything bad but I haven't heard anything about being able to keep these cars for 10+ years and that is what I am hoping for...I'll let you know what Lincoln says about purchasing an extend warranty. Fingers crossed :). Now to balance the THX system.... Hi, and welcome to the Lincoln MKZ Forum :) Post up a photo of your new MKZ for us :camera: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JediBoyTJ Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 (edited) Thats good that you're bringing it to Lincoln for a quick check. at 29K, you should be coming up on the next oil change (which is every 10k). The neat thing here: Maintenance is included up to 4yrs 40k miles on these cars, so your next two oil changes should be free! Now, make sure you look for any possible cometic "defect" you might come across, cosmetic issues like that are typically only addressed on "customer complaint" only. (I work in the warranty business myself, so I know what its like, basically it means the service advisor will never say "oh your badges are flaking off, lets fix that, since its cosmetic and not a functional issue). I'm talking leather seat cracks, chrome flaking off, emblems falling off or flaking off, switches not working right or feeling "loose", check every compartment and make sure its "smooth" to open and not jittery or so loose it "falls" open (like the sunglass holder, compartment below the center controls stack, the cup holder cover, all should have a little resistance when opening/closing). Be a stickler, even if you're not sure if its covered. The worst thing they can say is "no"... it never hurts to ask, especially when it involves a company like Lincoln that is doing everything in its power to become a true luxury brand and increase customer satisfaction, and its safe to say that i've had absolutely ZERO issues with my dealer, especially when handling warranty issues. In terms of Audio, I tend to mainly use my iPhone directly connected through USB. I find the quality is a little better than bluetooth streaming. I have yet to try the Jukebox feature as I mainly play my music from Spotify on my phone. But I absolutely LOVE to play DVDs and DVD Audios in my car. I have Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon in DVD-Audio and it like a completely difference experience listening to it in 5.1 Surround, same with Metallica - The Black Album DVD-Audio. Check out Amazon.com for some DVD-Audios (there arent too many, but if you find something by someone you like BUY IT, you wont be disappointed). -- It took me a couple weeks of driving it to really get a feel for how it performs and how to keep the MPGs up, so thats the best "quick" advise I can give, just keep driving it and get a feel for it. When I first got it I was averaging 33mpg, and now I average 37/38mpg. I do a lot of short (less than 2 mile) trips, and my normal commute is very short. I would get a couple MPGs higher if my commute was longer due to the fact that the engine spends about the first 5-7 mins warming up so its always on during that period (no/limited EV mode), and once its warmed up im almost always right near my destination/work lol. So sometimes on a trip I'll only get like 30/32mpg on that drive. I find if I drive city traffic 4 or more miles, then I can get some good numbers in the upper 30s, lower 40s area. I use the Empower screen as well, its the best as you basically can see the threshold for the engine on/off. The other screens are pretty much for people that just want to drive the car like a normal every day car, which it is totally not. This is what I do, which is a small combination of tips and tricks i've read online and on forums, and generally what i've found works so far: TIPS AND TRICKS Off a light or stop sign, I will typically use EV mode to lightly accelerate to right around 8-10mph, then i'll give slightly more pressure to kick the engine on (you will feel a little less of a "thud" as the engine turns on if you do this, versus hitting the gas hard right away), then i'll let it get up to speed. Obviously this depends on where you are and if there is other traffic (for instance, if you're stopped at a light and the speed limit is 45 and you have miles of traffic behind you, for safety reasons its probably best to accelerate a little quicker on a green light). Now also keep in mind that the car is not really "made" to accelerate in pure EV mode. If you are in a parking garage or in your neighborhood then you could probably keep it in EV mode easily. Its also better to use the engine to basically give you the momentum up to speed, then feather the throttle to let it "coast" in EV mode (under 47mph that is), you'll find much better results if you do this. If you try to accelerate in EV mode up to speed (like to 35+mph), you'll find that not only does it take forever to do that, but you're also wasting a ton of battery power that would typically be used while coasting (which is less of a drain). Also keep in mind that at low speeds, even if the engine is on and you're accelerating a little, its still charging the battery at the same time. The only times the engine wont be charging it is if you are requesting a lot of power, or if its in EV mode only obviously. You'll probably get almost a mile in pure EV mode when coasting, before the engine comes back on to charge for a few seconds or so. All depends on your speed and power demand. The last thing you really want to keep in mind is the Engine Braking Regen. You really want to try to master this as this is truly where you will get the best MPG. Unfortunately our cars only gives us a green little "arrow circle" over the battery charge when you hit the brakes (the newer 2013+ actually give you a braking score % and tips on better braking). Essentially all you want to remember about this is simple: brake slowly. Keep in mind that anytime you are decelerating, the Engine Regen is actively recharging the battery. Braking slower allows it more time to give power back to the battery, while braking hard will cause the friction brakes to come on and then you have wasted energy. Also like I mentioned earlier, the engine will stay on for the first 5mins or so of starting the car, which is normal for the engine to warm up. I use this time to really manage my braking and sometimes will get an 75%+ charge going already, which makes it much easier to get up to speed and coast. (This is also a good time to mention how you probably wont need to even think about putting new brakes on this car until after 100,000k miles, because of the engine braking system!) On the highway I get a cool flat 38mpg pretty much consistently, just like the EPA estimate. I go no faster than 65 (the normal highway speed limit in South Florida). If I went 55/60, I would easily be getting 40mpg highway. The MINUTE I start creeping over 65mph, the mpg number literally plummets to less than 35 almost instantly. The sweet spot for these cars is around 60mph, you should get a cool 39/40mpg at that. The other thing about highway driving to keep in mind, is that it is completely normal for the battery charge indicator to stay at about halfway/50% charge. The batteries in this cars work best if kept at a 50% charge for long distance driving and for storage, and it helps gives room for brake regen. When getting off the highway, if you brake properly you should be able to regen almost a full 25% of the battery charge, which will definitely help with the city driving afterwards. I hope this post isnt too random all over the place, I just got home from work and im brain dead and exhausted lol. Edited November 20, 2013 by JediBoyTJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old_Farmer Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 We bought 2011 MKZ Hybrid new in December, 2014 and just recently ordered new 2015 MKZ Hybrid. 2011 has 84,000 Km on it ( I guess that's about 50,000 miles), we get great gas mileage 5.9 L/100 km (that's about 40 mi/gal US). Most of our driving is on the highway. We have had zero problems with drive train components including the battery system. Since we are seniors we like a smooth ride even on rough roads. The new car will have 3 settings for suspension - sport, normal and comfort; we look forward to this feature since the 2011 came with fixed sport suspension (or near to it). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LincolnCurious Posted June 3, 2016 Share Posted June 3, 2016 Help! I am looking at buying a 2011 MKZ Hybrid with 34,500 miles on it. One owner car, little old lady allegedly. Being sold by a non-Lincoln dealer. Black on Black, moon and tune for $16k. Been looking for this car for months. Found it the day they listed it. PROBLEM: When I test drove it I floored it from a dead stop. There was a large cloud of blue smoke. Was immediately afraid. Repeated the process, smaller cloud of blue smoke. A couple more times and it stopped. I have read of this happening with a FFH before and overfilled oil or wrong engine oil being the suspect , then not happening again. Dealer seems to think that it is because the car had hardly been driven. She averaged less than 600 miles a month and that doesn't take into account that it was taken on a 4000+ mile trip(was able to discern that from the Carfax report, it was serviced in California once). Has anyone had this problem before? I brought the car home for the night so I can try it again on a cold engine and see if repeats the smoking. Getting ready to do so shortly. Wanted to get this plea for feedback out there ASAP, hope someone is reading. I have a very small window to make a decision. If it doesn't do it I am very tempted to buy it. They are few and far between, especially with such low miles. I am not usually an aftermarket warranty guy but don't think I would be comfortable buying it without one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LincolnCurious Posted June 3, 2016 Share Posted June 3, 2016 Update:just checked the oil level looks 80% full. Brand new oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LincolnCurious Posted June 3, 2016 Share Posted June 3, 2016 Update 2: absolutely no smoke this morning when i drove it with a cold engine. on my way to take the car back to the dealership in a moment, guess I am going to buy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drolds1 Posted June 4, 2016 Share Posted June 4, 2016 Yes, there were numerous reports of this condition in earlier FFHybrids. It doesn't appear to be of any consequence. These cars have proved to be very reliable. See this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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