thinking of buying a used 2011 mkz. Why dont I see any 300,000 mile lincoln mkz hybrids out there compared to camry hybrids?

[erockz]

I see a 2011 mkz for $5,000 with 100,000 miles on it. clean car fax and all. But I am scared about reliability.

 

are these cars expensive to maintain? Are they a money pit? I keep reading that the mkz only last up to 150,000 miles before they start dying and I dont really see many mkz hybrids being sold with high miles like some camry out there.

 

are parts expensive? whats the worse reported problems with these cars? what drive train is it based on?

 

I also hear they mkz has a tire issue, where these cars eat tires and Lincoln tries to make people buy some extended tire warranty because the tires only last 15,000 to 20,000 miles.

 

are there any maintenance costs that need to be done every year or else the car will break like a BMW. audi ect? timing belts water pumps? can I bring it to ford for repairs or just the lincoln dealership?

 

I have never  owned an american car so Im very scared of their reliability. how long do the transmitions last in these cars"?

 

also no Lincoln car has EVER made it to car complaints best car list, so that to me worries me

 

https://www.carcomplaints.com/best_vehicles/

Edited September 15, 2019 by erockz

[jm98]

For that price if you can do regular maintenance by your self or local oil change shop,  It's a winner.  It all depends on specific vehicle history and maintenance.  At this age of vehicle not worth taking it to dealer.  The engine and transmission are strong on this vehicles.  I would keep $2500-4000 towards hybrid battery replacement. Tires depends on manufacturer Cooper/Yokohama brands do better on these vehicles.

 

One of the thing I would look for is if this vehicle is garage kept with this low millage.

[17MKZ3.0TT]

"are these cars expensive to maintain? Are they a money pit?" Yes, and yes. So are Cadillac and most other luxury cars. The more features you stuff into a car, the more will be available to fail, and unless you can do most/all diagnostic and actual wrench work, it'll always be a ticking time bomb. That said, some cars defy the odds, others only lose stuff you can live without. Personally, if $5k is a price range you're comfy with, I would not buy a hybrid or a turbo. You can drive for years without a heated steering wheel or seat, you can manually close and seal a dead sunroof with a tube of whatever, but you'll be walking to work if a turbo or hybrid system puts you in limp mode. As mentioned, the actual car is the determining factor, MKZ or Brand X. Timing belt/chain past due for changing? Front end and/or engine mounts worn & loose? Brakes ready for rebuilt calipers/pistons, or just going to need bolt-on stuff like new pads & rotors? Good hunting. Older cars are like a stock, you just have to be willing to walk away if it tanks, not buy more of it ? 

[CDW6212R]

Lincoln's are expensive vehicles, but I like the ratio of how much car you get for the money. Buying a few year old luxury car buys you more features for the money, plus better quality.

 

That usually equates to better reliability, but people forget that the owner has a bunch to do with reliability. A large percentage of all owners think that cars last as long as they can or do, based solely on the maker. Those people think it's okay to never touch a vehicle except to drive it and put gas in it, figuring the magic dash lights will tell them when something needs attention.

 

That's how a used vehicle can be a money pit from the first day of ownership. Countless parts need to be thought of throughout a vehicle's life, service schedules are made to cover most things. But some parts are not on those schedules, and a dealer won't pay attention to those items either. That leaves lots of parts to fail or be discovered some hard way, by the owner.

 

Thus the owner is the one who should be proactive in caring for the car, not the dealer, or any book, manual, or schedule. Those things are all just tools, they're not infallible or always correct. Learn your own car, listen to noises it makes, how it feels, always, when it's new, before/during/after a trip, all the time. When you notice something different, that's the time to wonder what it is, and do something about it.

 

This all applies to all vehicles. I've had coworkers to have huge parts failures with their cars(BJ's, TRE's, hoses(coolant/fuel/brakes etc)). That sounds bad, and it is. But what is terrible about that is, that my coworkers are rural mail carriers. I am also, and we are responsible for our own vehicles, all costs and maintenance. I take care of my vehicles well, but when a car has a ball joint fail and the suspension comes apart, was that the parts fault, or the maintenance schedule, or the mechanic the owner uses(or a dealer). I suggest the owner(driver) is at fault, you must pay attention and have a clue how old parts are. If you don't know how old a wear part is, then it should be replaced very soon.

 

So check out any used car well, pay for an inspection if you think it may have issues. Then obtain whatever service records you can about the vehicle. Look at a service schedule to see what should already be taken care of, and what will be needed soon. Then make your own book of records, and write everything down in that book. That book becomes invaluable for any future service, and to see what is or isn't needed when you wonder about something. I use the small spiral notebooks that are about 2x3", they fit easily in any glovebox, and I write fuel fill ups in it too. I can track all service work with it, quickly, without a dealer etc.

 

Your biggest enemy is prior owners who didn't take proper care of your car when they had it, not the manufacturer or the car itself. Don't skimp on maintenance.

[Viking]

These cars are quite well built.  I bought a 2012 with only 50K miles on it, just last January, and all and all I have been relatively happy with it, with the exception of the following.  What the largest problem that I can see with these vehicles after a few miles is driveshafts.  I have only just had to replace the driveshaft in mine.  This only applies to All Wheel Drive models, and perhaps only to those that live in the climates to deteriorate them.  Near the ocean would probably be one circumstance.  I live in a climate that gets snow for five to seven months of the year, with the resulting salt and calcium chloride applications, which may have contributed to the malfunction of the driveshaft.  Research after the fact supplied the information that the Ford Edge, Transit, Escape and Explorer, Lincoln MKT and MKX, all with three piece/two hanger bearing driveshafts are well known for breaking down at about 30 to 40 thousand mile intervals.  There are several TSBs on the subject.  The driveshaft in the Fusion and Lincoln MKZ are two piece with a single hanger bearing, and so are not as prevalent a problem.  When the driveshaft was out of this car, the U-joints could not be flexed by hand in either of two directions 180 degrees from each other.  This caused a serious vibration in the driveline that shook the entire car up to 25 MPH, after which it would smooth out.  Incidentally, one day it was fine and the next day it was vibrating.  These are supposedly not repairable, only replaceable, and are an expensive part.  Changing them is a half hour job if one has access to a hoist.  Eight bolts (four each front and back) and two nuts holding the carrier bearing in the middle.  Put blue locktight on the front and rear eight bolts.  As far as the non repairability goes, Amazon sells both reman'd and new with the reman'd being half the cost of the new.  There are also repair kits shown.  I went ahead and bought new because of the condition of the car otherwise.

 

Aside from this unpleasantness, my 2012 is as tight as and rides like a new car.  I bought it to be my winter car (what with the AWD and all) but it is so pleasant to drive that it has become my daily driver.

Edited October 12, 2020 by Viking
clarification

[jm98]

300K toyotas are most likely taxis and uber vehicles.  You can find out by VIN check and some stats like CA requires Taxi registration in VIN history.

[Multitask]

how about that most people trade them in after 100k, but after multiple users you would think 300k would show up... 

just be glad they are not showing up.  ?

[jm98]

I found my 14 MKZ to be much cheaper and reliable at 150K then my previous 2006 Prius at 248K.  I spent almost 3K in Prius to just keep it running. Prius ICE was sipping 1Q oil every 3K miles.