The Lemon IndexAll cars · Lincoln MKZ · 2016
2016 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 18,000 and 58,000 miles. Median 30,006, from 12 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 |
|---|---|
| Airbags | 58% |
| Electrical | 16% |
| Steering | 16% |
| Seat belts | 16% |
| Brakes | 11% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
As reported by owners to NHTSA. Not verified.
Recall campaigns 7
23V775000 Nov 2023 Latches/Locks/Linkages / Doors / Latch
Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015 Fiesta, 2016 Fusion, and 2016 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 inside the door latches may break, which can make it difficult to latch or possibly allow the doors to open while driving.
Risk. Vehicle doors opening unexpectedly while driving can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy. Dealers will inspect the door latch date codes and if necessary, replace all four side door latches, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 20, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S15. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 20V-177.
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.
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
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.
15V618000 Oct 2015 Fuel System, Gasoline / Storage
Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2016 Ford Fusion vehicles manufactured September 3, 2015, to September 13, 2015, and 2016 Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured September 3, 2015, to September 12, 2015. The affected vehicles have a fuel tank that may have insufficent wall thickness. As a result, the fuel tanks may crack in the event of a crash and thus the vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 301, "Fuel System Integrity."
Risk. A fuel tank that cracks may leak fuel, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. The recall began on October 19, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15C11.
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 147
Lincoln filed 147 service communications for this car with NHTSA.
- Some 2015-2016 f-150, c-max, edge, mks, taurus, and flex and 2016 expedition, explorer,…
- Steering related noises
Crash ratings by version
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln MKZ 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ |
| Lincoln MKZ 4 DR AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ |
| 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) | FWD | 18 / 27 / 21 | Regular | $2,950 |
| 3.7L 6-cyl | Auto (S6) | AWD | 17 / 24 / 20 | Regular | $3,100 |
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.
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