101 of the
2,025 complaints filed about the Lincoln MKZ
are about the other systems —
5% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2012.
The shifter cable bushing was broken. Car would not move out of Park. Same as Recall 22543 but this vehicle was not included. I have sent this before with the repair order from the dealership but the mileage was incorrect on that form by the service adviser. I am enclosing the corrected mileage with the receipt
NHTSA complaint #11749036 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My Check Engine Light came on, I took my car to the dealership that I have using for eight years with less than 38k miles on it and I was told by the service technician who gave the diagnose as, there was coolant in the cylinder where the spark plug #3 is housed. He stated that the car is misfiring and I was told I needed to get an new engine replace to correct the problem. I was given a Service Bulletin stating the manufacturer knew of the problem with this model. I talk to the dealership service manager and questioned why no indication, clue, or suggestion was told to me of the problem with that type of engine. I have not contact my insurance company and I don't if they have information on the problem of the engine problem. I did tell the service technician on routine maintenance for the car that is running "rich" in using gas. In May of this year is when the engine problem started, 3 weeks before actually being eight years officially, no other indication lights came. I drive to work on the streets and freeway everyday.
NHTSA complaint #11743958 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
-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.
NHTSA complaint #11737041 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Back up camera freezes or goes blacks in the middle of use. In the middle of backing up, it goes out or does not even turn on when put in reverse. When it doesnt come on, it has an error message or just goes black.
NHTSA complaint #11734401 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I took my car to a Lincoln dealer because I was getting a drive control malfunction error every time I started my car. After a couple of days, I called the service dept. for a status update on the repair. The dealer told me that the car could not be repaired because they don't have a replacement part. They had me call the Lincoln Concierge, who also told me the same thing, they did not have a replacement part. When I researched the error message, is said that it is dangerous to drive the car without the repair. When I bought the car, I also purchased an extended warranty, which is now not worth the paper it's printed on. My car is only 7 years old and only has 53,000 miles, why can't they repair my car? The car is currently still at the dealer, so I do not have any paperwork for now.
NHTSA complaint #11723920 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2017 Lincoln MKZ experienced a sudden and severe engine failure consistent with the known Ford/Lincoln coolant intrusion defect affecting 1.5L, 1.6L, and 2.0L EcoBoost engines. While driving, the vehicle began losing coolant with no visible external leak, followed by rough running, misfires, and complete engine shutdown. The vehicle became inoperable and had to be towed to a Ford dealership. At the dealership, technicians were unable to start the vehicle at all, and could not even pull it into the service bay to perform diagnostics. The service department told us the symptoms match the known coolant‑intrusion issue documented in Ford’s Technical Service Bulletin 19‑2346, which applies to 2017–2019 2.0L EcoBoost engines. They advised us not to pay for diagnostic testing, because the failure pattern is already known and documented by Ford, but not covered under any recall. They referred us to Lincoln corporate. Lincoln corporate then informed us that they have no programs available to assist with this defect, even though it is a known issue. They stated that even if a program existed, they “wouldn’t be able to assist with even half the cost.” They also suggested that we consider installing a junkyard engine as a more cost‑effective option. This was their only recommendation for a catastrophic engine failure caused by a known defect. This is extremely concerning for a safety‑related failure. The symptoms match Ford’s documented defect exactly: • Coolant loss with no external leak • White smoke prior to failure • Engine misfires and rough running • Overheating • Engine unable to start • Potential for engine seizure or fire This is the same failure pattern described in recall 25V685 and the January 2026 recall, which involve coolant intrusion, overheating, and fire risk in similar Ford/Lincoln engines. My VIN is not included, but the failure mode is identical. My vehicle is now completely disabled due to this defect, and Lincoln has refused any assistance.
NHTSA complaint #11712880 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving at freeway speed, my fully closed panoramic moon roof exploded with me and my 5 year old son in the car. Thankfully, the interior shade was closed so no shards of glass fell inside. It sounded like a gunshot and I have front and rear view dash cam video with audio of the incident. You can see glass flying off the back of the car that could have easily damaged another vehicle if one happened to be close enough. I have been without my car for almost three months as it sits in a glass repair shop waiting for a part that is supposedly nationally back ordered. The Lincoln dealership wouldn't even help me. They just pointed me straight to the glass shop while adamantly saying a rock must have hit the top of my car to cause the damage.
NHTSA complaint #11712156 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I am paying on a 2017 Lincoln MKZ with total engine failure due to coolant leaking into it. I am aware that NHTSA in early October 2023 there was an investigation into more than 700000 late model Ford due to catastrophic engine failure. Why was people not informed on this matter, or a recall established.
NHTSA complaint #11697281 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Rear backup camera works intermittently. Can be backing up and viewing screen goes dark. Original equipment, no damage to automobile. Has been malfunctioning for several months now.
NHTSA complaint #11695925 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Rear view camera failure. When the vehicle is put in reverse, the rear view camera does not come on creating a safety hazard while backing up since you don't always have a line of sight due to other vehicles parked next to you. A warning message eventually pops up that says "Camera is unavailable. Please contact your dealership." The dealership diagnosed the problem on July 2, 2024 shortly after the problem started and advised that the camera needs to be replaced. The cost at that time would have been $1,230 plus tax to replace it and I have already spent $166.60 for the diagnotics. The car is available for inspection. A recall has been issued by Ford for rear view camera failures. My car is not included in the recall but I feel the recall should be extended to include my car and VIN as this is a safety hazard due to equipment failure. I have attached a copy of the invoice and quote from the Ford dealership. I am also attaching photos of the camera failure taken while the vehicle is in reverse.
NHTSA complaint #11690681 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11687957 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11686316 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My name is [XXX] , and I am leasing a 2017 Lincoln Mkz, with 60000 miles on it and experience total engine failure due to coolant leaking into it INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11682603 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11679988 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
At any given time without warning the car will down shift into 4, 3, 2, or 1. It is intermittent but in the last 3 weeks has become very frequent. I have taken it to the dealership. They state that it is the internal clock spring in the the steering column. They have told me that my power train warranty and/or technology extended warranty will honor the replacement, so I looked up possible recalls on this model vehicle and found there is in fact a recall on the steering column internal clock spring but the concern was on the airbag. The issue I am having with the downshifting is going to cause someone to rear end me. There is no pre-warning. I have driven on service roads, the interstate, my neighborhood streets, and on highway. It seems to happen more as I am following the curve of the road, or when I am turning or changing lanes/merging onto interstate. If I am at a complete stop and turn either left or right it will downshift to 1. I am also concerned to the extent of damage this may be doing to my transmission and engine, as it happens during speeds of 45 to 75 mph on the highways and interstate. I do have video on my phone of this behavior and I can send it to you if I have an email address you have access to. I have placed the most current date of this behavior in the incident box, however this has happened numerous times over the past few months, It just wouldn't give a code to any dealerships for diagnosis.
NHTSA complaint #11671573 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I purchased this vehicle on November 11, 2024. About one month later, I began experiencing severe problems. The engine started overheating, which marked the beginning of a downward spiral of issues. To address the overheating, a new engine was installed by Murgado Lincoln dealership, which took approximately 48 days to complete. While the new engine resolved the overheating, a serious transmission problem has persisted and worsened. Since I purchased the car, the transmission has been slipping constantly, shifting gears on its own unpredictably, making loud noises under the hood and throughout the entire vehicle. These issues create a major safety hazard, putting me and others at significant risk. On June 25, 2025, I was involved in a hit-and-run incident that likely worsened the vehicle’s condition. During this incident, the side airbags on both sides of my vehicle deployed, but the front airbag did not deploy at all, which is highly concerning and increased the danger during the impact. Additionally, the car has a cracked shock absorber head, likely from the accident, which has led to instability and potential fishtailing. I am now afraid to drive the vehicle due to unpredictable handling and further mechanical failure. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. These problems have been confirmed and partially addressed by the dealer when the engine was replaced, but the transmission issues have never been fully resolved. There were no specific warning lamps for the transmission before the failure, but the slipping and erratic gear changes started about one month after purchase and have become progressively worse.
NHTSA complaint #11671399 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I noticed that Ford issued recalls for select 2015 vehicles in May for issues with the backup camera. I have a 2015 Lincoln MKZ that just started experiencing the same issues that were mentioned in the May 2025 Ford backup camera recall. My camera will work for the first few seconds while in reverse, then the screen will go black. It has happened all 4 times I have driven my car today and put it in reverse. I occasionally receive a message on my display screen to "contact my dealership." I have 3 children [XXX] , [XXX] and [XXX]) and it is extremely scary to back out of my driveway with the possibility that one of them could be back there and I would not be able to see them. I would be more than happy to provide my vehicle for inspection. I have not had time to take the vehicle into the dealership but I am hoping to do that within the next week. I did not receive any warning messages and no warning lights appeared. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11665153 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.