LincolnFarmerOH Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 Hello everyone! I am now caring for a 2012 Lincoln MKZ with nav that is my wife's grandma's car (she cannot drive anymore). It will most likely stay with us when she is gone. This car has been pretty well taken care of and it has 66,000 mile on it. My questions are probably redundant, but these Lincolns are completely new to me. What type of 5w-20 oil do you recommend? Syn? and oil brand? What quirks are there that I need to be aware of? What problem areas that need to be upgraded (weakness in bushings, shocks, etc.)? One thing I for sure want to change later is the interior light wood trim color (the car is painted red) on the dash, doors and including on the steering wheel. Are there options somewhere to replace those to a different more modern (I hate to say it) younger person look? I also do not like the rims and would also like an upgrade one day in the future also along with tinting the windows. Other than that, I like the way the car drives and hope to have if for a long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbf2530 Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 2 hours ago, LincolnFarmerOH said: Hello everyone! I am now caring for a 2012 Lincoln MKZ with nav that is my wife's grandma's car (she cannot drive anymore). It will most likely stay with us when she is gone. This car has been pretty well taken care of and it has 66,000 mile on it. My questions are probably redundant, but these Lincolns are completely new to me. What type of 5w-20 oil do you recommend? Syn? and oil brand? What quirks are there that I need to be aware of? What problem areas that need to be upgraded (weakness in bushings, shocks, etc.)? One thing I for sure want to change later is the interior light wood trim color (the car is painted red) on the dash, doors and including on the steering wheel. Are there options somewhere to replace those to a different more modern (I hate to say it) younger person look? I also do not like the rims and would also like an upgrade one day in the future also along with tinting the windows. Other than that, I like the way the car drives and hope to have if for a long time. Hi LFOH and welcome to the Lincoln MKZ Forum. What you need to do first is take a look at the Maintenance Schedule and perform any required maintenance that was not performed on time...or not at all. if you do not have the hard copies, you can download the PDF versions here: https://www.fleet.ford.com/parts-service/resources/owner-manuals/ You can also register on the Lincoln Owners website: https://www.lincoln.com/support/ Concerning the proper oil to use: The correct specification 5w-20 oil is listed in the Owners Manual and Maintenance Schedule. Our MKZ's come filled from the factory with Motorcraft Synthetic Blend (semi-synthetic) oil, and full synthetic is not required. You can use it if you want. Essentially, most any major brand synthetic blend should meet the Lincoln/Ford specification, but get the correct spec out of the Manuals and check the bottles to be sure. Quirks? Although the transmission fluid is not required to be changed until 150,000 miles, I would recommend changing it around 75,000-100,000 miles at the latest. Or now. If you have an AWD MKZ, Lincoln/Ford list the PTU fluid as "Lifetime", however, I would recommend changing the PTU fluid every ~50,000-75,000 miles. Some owners will even recommend changing it as soon as every 30,000 miles. Bushings/Shocks etc.? No need to change them until they need changing. The interior wood trim? There are, or used to be, some stick on trim applique kits available. And some owners do a vinyl wrap on the trim if they want to change the color to something different (i.e fake carbon fiber, colors etc.) There are many wheel choices, and checking websites like The Tire Rack etc., are a good place to begin to look for ideas and availability. I am sure others will jump in with more advice and ideas. Let us know how you make out and good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drolds1 Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 Welcome, LincolnFarmer. bbf2530 has covered your questions well. All I'd add is that the MKZ was available with a Sport Appearance Package in 2012. Among the features of this option was aluminum interior trim. IDK if these pieces are, or were ever, available for sale separately. If so, I'd expect them to be quite pricey. It was genuine aluminum. However, you could try eBay or salvage yards. There weren't many of these cars, so it might be a tough search. Just throwing it out there, though. Here are some examples of aftermarket kits: eBay Zondedo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LincolnFarmerOH Posted January 18, 2022 Author Share Posted January 18, 2022 Thank you both for the input! I look forward to learning more about this car as time goes on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftoverture Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 Welcome to the forum. Seems your questions have been answered. Post pictures when you can, that's very low mileage for 2012. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LincolnFarmerOH Posted January 19, 2022 Author Share Posted January 19, 2022 Yes, the mileage is low! Helps that it’s owned by a little old lady who basically needs driven to a weekly hair appointment, random doctor appointments and occasional other outings. Otherwise, it hasn’t been used much the last few years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zondedo Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 Welcome to the forum. My car is still under warranty but I chose to do the oil changes myself using full synthetic Valvoline. As noted, if you take your car to the dealer they will use a semi synthetic. Oil changes on these cars is a breeze and I don’t mind the trouble. I’ve provided a link below which describes some common issues for high mileage 2.0 EB engines. One of the most common I’ve been told is cracked exhaust manifolds but Ford has corrected this when they updated the engine in 2015. The write up though says it was common among all versions of the engine…. I’m not so sure about that. Heat is the enemy and I don’t plan to tow with my MKZ. https://tuningpro.co/ford-2-0-ecoboost-engine-problems/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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