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Lincoln MKZ
Reliability, NHTSA Complaints & Recall History

10 model years analyzed (2011–2020). All data sourced directly from the NHTSA public complaints and recall database β€” the same data used by federal regulators.

πŸ“‹
836
Total Complaints
NHTSA filed
πŸ””
66
Safety Recalls
federal campaigns
πŸ’₯
53
Crash-Related
crash complaints
πŸ”₯
10
Fire-Related
fire complaints
πŸ₯
31
Injuries Reported
across all years
πŸ€–
Average
AI Rating
reliability score

Checking a specific Lincoln MKZ? Run a VIN check for its exact history.

⭐ NHTSA NCAP Crash Test Ratings

New Car Assessment Program

NCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.

2020
2020 Lincoln MKZ 4 DR AWD
Overall Safety
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…5/5
Frontal Crash
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…4/5
Side Crash
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…5/5
Rollover Risk
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…4/5
2019
2019 Lincoln MKZ 4 DR AWD
Overall Safety
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…5/5
Frontal Crash
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…4/5
Side Crash
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…5/5
Rollover Risk
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…4/5
2018
2018 Lincoln MKZ 4 DR AWD
Overall Safety
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…5/5
Frontal Crash
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…4/5
Side Crash
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…5/5
Rollover Risk
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…4/5
How to Read NCAP Stars
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…5 stars - Excellent
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…4 stars - Good
β˜…β˜…β˜…3 stars - Average
β˜…β˜…2 stars - Below average
β˜…1 star - Poor
Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings
πŸ€–

AI Interpretation

High ConfidenceAverage
AI interpretation of NHTSA public complaint data. Source: nhtsa.gov. Complaints are owner-submitted and do not confirm a defect. Methodology

Complaints for the Lincoln MKZ (2011-2020) are concentrated in air bags, steering, engine, and service brakes. The 2011 and 2012 model years account for a large share of complaints, while 2018-2020 show fewer reports. Crash-related complaints are relatively low compared to total complaints.

πŸ“Š Key Findings
  • Air bags are the most complained-about component with 178 complaints.
  • Steering and engine each have 122 complaints, tied for second most.
  • The 2011 model year has the highest number of complaints (184).
  • The 2020 model year has the fewest complaints (2).
⚠️ Top Concerns
  • Air bags may have deployment or warning light issues.
  • Steering could experience loss of control or noise.
  • Engine problems such as stalling or hesitation are reported.
⚠️ Worst Years

The 2011 and 2012 model years have elevated complaints, driven largely by air bags, steering, and engine issues. Buyers should be cautious of these years.

βœ… Best Years

The 2018-2020 model years show fewer complaints, with 2020 having only 2 reports. This may indicate improved reliability or lower sales volume.

βœ… Before You Buy β€” Checklist
  • Check for air bag recalls and ensure all safety systems are functional.
  • Verify all open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
  • Request service records for steering and engine repairs.
  • Have a mechanic inspect the vehicle before purchase.
Data note: NHTSA complaints are consumer-submitted and do not confirm a manufacturing defect. Complaint volume does not account for vehicle sales numbers or usage patterns.

πŸ“… NHTSA Complaints by Model Year

2011
184
2012
146
2013
108
2014
96
2015
74
2016
61
2017
124
2018
26
2019
15
Source: NHTSA public complaints database. Updated: May 2026

πŸ”” NHTSA Safety Recalls

66 recalls found

Safety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.

Campaign #23V162000October 3, 2023

Safety Recall

Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
Campaign #23V162000October 3, 2023

Safety Recall

Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
Campaign #19V590000December 8, 2019

Safety Recall

Component: SEAT BELTS:FRONT
Campaign #18V167000December 3, 2018

Safety Recall

Component: STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
Campaign #18V167000December 3, 2018

Safety Recall

Component: STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
Campaign #18V167000December 3, 2018

Safety Recall

Component: STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
Campaign #16V875000May 12, 2016

Safety Recall

Component: SEAT BELTS:FRONT
Campaign #15V618000January 10, 2015

Safety Recall

Component: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE
Campaign #19V632000

Safety Recall

Component: STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
Campaign #20V177000

Safety Recall

Component: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
Campaign #20E025000

Safety Recall

Component: EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
Campaign #23V775000

Safety Recall

Component: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
Campaign #25V442000

Safety Recall

Component: BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE
Campaign #25V442000

Safety Recall

Component: BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE
Campaign #19V632000

Safety Recall

Component: STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
Campaign #15V250000

Safety Recall

Component: STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
Campaign #15V248000

Safety Recall

Component: EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
Campaign #20V177000

Safety Recall

Component: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
Campaign #20E025000

Safety Recall

Component: EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
Campaign #22V011000

Safety Recall

Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES

Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2011–2020. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.

πŸ”§ Most-Reported Problem Areas

Based on component keywords extracted from all 836 NHTSA complaints.

1
AIR BAGS
178 complaints
2
STEERING
122 complaints
3
ENGINE
122 complaints
4
SERVICE BRAKES
106 complaints
5
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
93 complaints
6
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
81 complaints
7
POWER TRAIN
68 complaints
8
STRUCTURE
50 complaints

πŸ“‹ NHTSA Complaint Reports

836 total

These are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.

WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHERMay 2026

-The front bumper of the car is nearly coming off. This is attached by a "bra" covering the front bumper and if not on the whole front bumper would fall off. The tires/rims are also nearly run down and need to be replaced. -This is caused me great concern when transporting my children as a divorced father to and from the other party's premise. At every turn I believe the bumper may fall off or one of the tires. -UNKNOWN -UNKNOWN -This problem has been happening for at least a year, and I would like for the (front bumper) of the vehicle to be replaced along with four (tires/rims) at the earliest.

BACK OVER PREVENTIONMay 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that the back over prevention camera would display a black screen whenever in reverse. The camera would fail the majority of the time when in reverse. The failure related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V572000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the VIN was not included. The dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

STEERINGMar 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became loose, and the vehicle became difficult to steer. The contact stated that the front end made an abnormal humming sound. The vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist functionality. The contact pulled over, and the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V632000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEMMar 2026

regarding the rear view camera. It stopped working intermittently and now it shows the picture inverted (backwards) I see an extensive list of vehicles that have been recalled, but my vin is not listed. How do I get this repaired?

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,BACK OVER PREVENTIONOct 2025

The back up camera mostly is blank and doesn’t warn me of a vehicle coming from either side resulting in almost getting hit several times

ELECTRICAL SYSTEMSep 2025

Rear camera malfunction in that the image is reversed and the reference lines are missing, fertile lines also appear obstructing view

UNKNOWN OR OTHERSep 2025

My back up camera fails the majority of the time. When in reverse it will say camera not available, or it will just go black. And every once in a while it will actually work. I have goiter used to using the camera to check for cars and children behind me. It is hard to see things behind me when I just look out the back window. Yes had a ford dealer look over it and they told me it would be very expensive to have fixed and that they see this problem often on the MKZ. No warning. It just started working intermittently.

BACK OVER PREVENTIONSep 2025

The issue is the back up camera works correctly sporadically. Often times the screen is blank or says to contact the dealer. I took it to the Ford dealer and said to fix the issue the camera would have to be replaced.

BACK OVER PREVENTIONSep 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while shifting into reverse(R), the image on the rear-view camera was frozen or distorted. The contact stated that on other occasions the screen was black. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the back over prevention camera needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V572000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

UNKNOWN OR OTHERSep 2025

I have had this problem now for over a year, the backup camera on my 2016 Lincoln MKZ shows a panoramic view of the rear but things are reversed, left is on the right side and visa versa or the screen goes blank and a message states camera unavailable contact dealership. Sometimes it works okay but then goes into one of the two issues mentioned above. I talked with my dealership and they wanted to diagnose it, for a fee, or replace the camera which would be between $500 and $800 but I declined. You have had a few reports of this for the MKZ but just recently Ford issued a recall for this specific issue and symptoms for 2015 to 2019 Mustangs, Lincoln Navigators, Lincoln MKC, Edge, Fusion and others along with the entire F-series pickup trucks. The recall issued indicated a software issue and that any authorized dealership could replace the camera but when talking to my dealership today, Irwin Lincoln/Mazda in Freehold New Jersey, they said since my car/vin isn't currently under the current recall for this they would have to charge me a diagnostic fee and parts/labor to fix what they find. You need to include the 2015 to 2019 MKZ under this recall as I and others have had the exact symptoms indicated on the current recall for the backup camera.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEMAug 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost automotive power. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. Prior to the failure, the vehicle had been taken to a local dealer on several occasions for a START/STOP repair, and other unknown repairs; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed back to the same local dealer where it was diagnosed; however, the results were unavailable. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000.

UNKNOWN OR OTHERAug 2025

We own a 2016 Lincoln MKZ hybrid that is having issues with the backup camera randomly going blank, or significant delays at random times. Ford/Lincoln addressed the exact issue as a software recall in other models under Recall 25S72, but failed to list our vehicle. This is becoming a big issue with safety not having the backup camera working with the way the rear window is placed, it is difficult to see certain areas behind you. Since this was already identified as a software issue by Lincoln/Ford, we would like to see them extend the recall include our vehicle. This randomly has been happening for the last month.

BACK OVER PREVENTIONJul 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera was inoperable, and the message "Camera Is Unavailable" was displayed. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 43,800.

ENGINEJun 2025

My MKZ started slowly losing coolant and running rough particularly upon starting the engine. Two days later the overheating warning came on and I pulled over and shut off the engine. Sioux Falls Ford has diagnosed it as coolant intrusion in the engine requiring a new engine block.

ENGINEJun 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated with smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated the vehicle lost motive power but was able to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

UNKNOWN OR OTHERMay 2025

Backup camera is showing opposite side. Left side is on yhe right and right side is on the left

ELECTRICAL SYSTEMDec 2024

I’ve had my car for 7 months and the power steering went out. Not able drive until repaired for $2000.

ENGINENov 2024

Eco Boost 2.0 Coolant Intrusion to Cylinders Needs new motor, very well known issue by Ford and they are not willing to pay for repairs

STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEMJun 2024

My power steering electric system doesn’t work, the steering gear motor may have detached from the gear housing resulting in a loss of power steering assist, requiring a greater steering effort, especially at lower speeds

SERVICE BRAKESApr 2024

While driving a complete loss of brake incident occurred. The brake pedal got still, and the car would not stop. Luckily, we were close to home and was able to slow down enough to turn around and get home slowly. Upon investigation it was found the coupler (Part that connects camshaft to brake pump) failed causing the brake pump to not work. This situation is extremely dangerous as we had no prior warning to failure. Even the complete loss of brakes did not have any indicator lights during the incident. Considering the operation of the coupler, how could something so small and so important be weak enough to snap internally, causing a complete loss of brakes with no warning.

Showing 20 of 836 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database

Check a Specific Lincoln MKZ

This page shows fleet averages across all 10 model years. Enter a VIN to see the exact accident history, odometer records, title brands, and open recall status for a specific car.

πŸ“– Understanding This Data

πŸ“‹

What is an NHTSA Complaint?

An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is β€” but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The Lincoln MKZ has 836 complaints on record across 10 model years.

πŸ””

What is a Safety Recall?

A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The Lincoln MKZ has 66 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.

πŸ’₯

What Are Crash Complaints?

Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 53 of the Lincoln MKZ's 836 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions β€” a key safety signal beyond general reliability.

πŸ€–

How Is the AI Rating Calculated?

The AI reliability rating (Average) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. The rating provides a plain-English summary for buyers who want a quick verdict without parsing raw numbers. It is one input in your buying decision β€” always verify with a VIN-specific report.

πŸ“Š

Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?

Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable β€” simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.

πŸ”

Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN

Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all Lincoln MKZ vehicles on the road β€” not any specific car. Two Lincoln MKZ vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.

πŸ”Ž

What Are NHTSA Investigations?

When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage β€” NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The Lincoln MKZ has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.

Other Lincoln Models

All Lincoln Models β†’

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