The Lemon IndexAll cars · Lincoln MKZ · 2015
2015 Lincoln MKZ. Advanced data.
The raw numbers: engines, recall campaign numbers, failure mileage and manufacturer communications.
Failure mileage by system
Half of owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 15,000 and 28,967 miles. Median 20,978, from 24 complaints with a mileage.
Mileage owners typed into their NHTSA complaint, all complaints for this model year. People report some problems late, so read it as a range.
Complaints by system
| System | Share of complaints |
|---|---|
| Electrical | 38% |
| Seat belts | 12% |
| Lights | 8% |
| Engine | 8% |
| Transmission & drivetrain | 8% |
One complaint can name more than one system, so shares can add to more than 100%.
Severity, all complaints
| Total | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths | Tows |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
As reported by owners to NHTSA. Not verified.
Recall campaigns 11
25V695000 Oct 2025 Back Over Prevention / Sensing System / Camera
Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Flex, 2015 Explorer, Lincoln MKT, Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 C-Max, Escape, Taurus, 2016 Fusion, 2018-2019 Taurus, 2019 Lincoln MKT, Fiesta, and 2020 Mustang vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, intermittent, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.
Risk. A rearview camera that fails to properly display an image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy. Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on October 25, 2025. Additional letters will be mailed once the final remedy is available on each phase. Mustang owner notification le
23V162000 Mar 2023 Service Brakes, Hydraulic / Foundation Components / Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings
Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. The front brake hoses may rupture and leak brake fluid.
Risk. A brake fluid leak will increase brake pedal travel and extend the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy. Dealers will replace the front brake hoses, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 27, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S12.
22V011000 Jan 2022 Service Brakes, Hydraulic / Pedals And Linkages
Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Fusion, Lincoln MKZ, and 2015 Mustang vehicles originally sold or ever registered, in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Hawaii. Exposure to certain environmental conditions, such as high temperatures, high humidity, and salt air can cause the brake pedal bumper to corrode and separate from the brake pedal.
Risk. A separated brake pedal bumper can cause the brake lights to illuminate continuously, causing confusion to other drivers and increasing the risk of a crash. On automatic transmission vehicles, a missing brake pedal bumper can allow the driver to shift the vehicle out of the "PARK" position without depressing the brake, allowing the vehicle to rollaway, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy. Dealers will replace the brake pedal bumpers and clutch pedal bumpers, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on March 4, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on June 13, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S02.
20E025000 Apr 2020 Exterior Lighting / Headlights
Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain Replacement Headlamps, part number DP5Z-13008-T and DP5Z-13008-V, sold for use with 2013-2016 Lincoln MKZ vehicles. The headlamps may have an improper beam pattern and incorrect horizontal adjustment, the side markers may not illuminate and DOT markings may be missing. As such, these headlamps fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk. The incorrect headlamps may reduce the driver's visibility or make the vehicle less visible, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy. Ford will notify vehicle manufacturers, and dealers will inspect the headlamps, and replace the headlamps, as necessary, free of charge. Additionally, Ford will instruct dealers to return all improper headlamps and not to install them on any vehicles. The recall began June 3, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20C10.
20V177000 Mar 2020 Latches/Locks/Linkages / Doors / Latch
Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Fiesta, 2014-2016 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles sold, or ever registered in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.
Risk. A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
Remedy. Ford will notify owners, and Ford or Lincoln dealers will replace the side door latches, free of charge. The recall began September 21, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S15.
19V632000 Aug 2019 Steering / Electric Power Assist System
Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2016 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 Ford Edge, and 2016 Lincoln MKX vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Road salt or other contaminants may corrode the electric power steering gear motor attachment bolts.
Risk. If the bolts corrode, the steering gear motor may detach from the gear housing resulting in a loss of power steering assist, requiring a greater steering effort, especially at lower speeds, and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gear motor bolts and apply a wax sealer. If any of the steering gear motor attachment bolts are broken or missing, a new steering gear will be installed in the vehicle. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began October 18, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for thi
19V590000 Aug 2019 Seat Belts / Front
Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. In the event of a crash, heat from the deployment of a seat belt pretensioner may cause a front seat belt anchor cable to fail.
Risk. A failed seat belt anchor cable cannot properly restrain the front seat occupants, increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will apply a protective coating to the seat belt cable, free of charge. The recall began September 9, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S25. Note: This recall is an expansion of a recall 16V-875.
18V167000 Mar 2018 Steering / Steering Wheel/Handle Bar
Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Lincoln MKZ and Ford Fusion vehicles. The steering wheel retaining bolt may loosen allowing the steering wheel to detach while driving.
Risk. A steering wheel detachment can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel bolt with a longer bolt, free of charge. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S08.
16V875000 Dec 2016 Seat Belts / Front
Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Ford Fusion vehicles manufactured November 2, 2012, to July 31, 2014, and 2013-2015 Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured November 14, 2012, to July 31, 2014. In the event of a crash, heat from the deployment of a seat belt pretensioner may cause a front seat belt anchor cable to fail.
Risk. If the driver or front passenger seatbelt cables cannot properly restrain the front seat occupants, they would be at an increased risk of injury.
Remedy. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will apply a protective coating to the seat belt cable, free of charge. The recall began May 16, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S42.
15V250000 Apr 2015 Steering / Electric Power Assist System
Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured February 3, 2012, to March 20, 2015, and 2015 Ford Edge vehicles manufactured February 26, 2015, to February 28, 2015, and originally sold, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. In the affected vehicles, snow or water containing road salt or oth
Risk. If the bolts corrode, the steering gear motor may detach from the gear housing resulting in a loss of power steering assist. Loss of power steering assist would require a higher steering effort, especially at lower speeds, which may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will apply sealer and replace the steering gear motor bolts as required. If one or more of the steering gear motor attachment bolts are broken or missing, a new steering gear will be installed in the vehicle. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on June 24, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's
15V248000 Apr 2015 Exterior Lighting / Headlights
Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured February 17, 2014, to March 19, 2015, and equipped with daytime running lights (DRL). In the affected vehicles, the parking lights do not reduce their light output from a DRL level when used in conjunction with the headlights. As such, the light output may exceed the the permissable amount allowed by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk. If the light output is excessive, oncoming traffic may be temporarily blinded, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy. Ford has notified owners, and dealers will update the lighting control software, free of charge. The recall began on May 8, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for the recall is 15C02.
NHTSA investigations
| Status | Subject | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Desiccated air bag inflator rupture | 2021 | – |
| Closed | Pedestrian alert sounds | 2023 | 2023 |
| Closed | Front brake jounce hose failures | 2022 | 2023 |
| Closed | Door latch failures | 2019 | 2022 |
Manufacturer communications 143
Lincoln filed 143 service communications for this car with NHTSA.
- All 2013-2015 ford fusions/mkz, 2015 mustang and mkc vehicles with reverse park aid camera active
- Ford fusion/mkz, 2015 mkc, 2015 mustang- bulletin regarding intermittently, the steering…
Crash ratings by version
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln MKZ 4 DR AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ |
| Lincoln MKZ 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ |
| Lincoln MKZ HEV 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ |
Safety equipment
| Electronic stability | Forward collision warning | Lane departure warning |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Optional | Optional |
Engines and drivetrains 5
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | City / hwy / combined | Fuel | Fuel cost/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl hybrid | Auto (variable gear ratios) | FWD | 41 / 39 / 40 | Regular | $1,550 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | Auto (S6) | FWD | 22 / 33 / 26 | Regular | $2,400 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | Auto (S6) | AWD | 22 / 31 / 25 | Regular | $2,500 |
| 3.7L 6-cyl | Auto (S6) | AWD | 18 / 25 / 21 | Regular | $2,950 |
| 3.7L 6-cyl | Auto (S6) | FWD | 18 / 27 / 21 | Regular | $2,950 |
EPA test versions for this model year. Fuel cost is the EPA's current estimate, not the price in that year.
Nearby model years
Sources: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications; EPA fuel economy data; YouTube video titles. Complaints are owner reports, not proof of a defect.
Updated · Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com)
. Get the data