DETROIT - Starting today, Ford Motor Co. will provide free scheduled maintenance to anyone who buys or leases a 2010 or 2011 Lincoln vehicle this summer. The program runs through Sept. 7. It comes just two weeks after Ford announced it would kill the Mercury brand and expand Lincoln’s product lineup, Automotive News reported.

“Our commitment is to further grow the Lincoln brand and offer our luxury customers the premium experience they deserve and expect,” Ken Czubay, Ford’s vice president of U.S. marketing, sales and service said in a statement. “Our free scheduled-maintenance offer marks only the first step in our plans to further upgrade the Lincoln experience.”

The program, which Ford dubs Lincoln’s U.S. Customer Program, covers oil changes, tire rotations, vehicle inspections, engine belts and hoses for three years or 45,000 miles as well as wear items -- including brake pads and, in some states, wiper blades, which normally are not covered by a vehicle warranty.

The MKZ hybrid sedan will be excluded from the free maintenance program.

On June 2, Ford announced plans to give Lincoln seven new or “significantly refreshed” vehicles in the next four years. That will include Lincoln’s first C-segment or small car; new Lincoln-exclusive powertrains, including a V-6 engine; and advanced, fuel-efficient transmissions. EcoBoost turbocharged direct-injection engines also will be available in all Lincolns, Ford said.

This summer, Lincoln will launch the hybrid version of the MKZ sedan and a restyled 2011 MKX crossover -- the first vehicle to feature MyLincoln Touch driver connect technology. MyLincoln Touch is a new interior featuring a buttonless instrument panel.

In J.D. Power and Associates’ latest Initial Quality Study covering 2010 models, Lincoln moved into the top 10 among all automotive brands in the United States. It ranked 26th a year ago.