2011 Lincoln Mkz

Do not drive

Owners filed 145 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the air bags. It has been recalled 7 times.

When it fails
020k40k60k90k120k200k

74 complaints record an odometer reading. Failures cluster around 60,00075,000 miles; the median is 69,000 miles.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Air Bags64
414
Service Brakes19
101
Steering15
100
Structure › Body8
110
Engine8
000
Unknown or Other4
000
Electrical System4
010
Vehicle Speed Control3
301
Power Train3
100
Tires › Sidewall2
000

7 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Air Bags › Frontal › Driver Side › Inflator Module21V158000
Filed Mar 10, 20212,602,668 vehiclesFord Motor Company

Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion, Lincoln Zephyr, Lincoln MKZ, 2006-2011 Mercury Milan, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, and Lincoln MKX vehicles. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver-side airbag inflator or module with an alternate one, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 9, 2021 for the passenger side, and November 14, 2022 for the driver side. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S12.

Air Bags › Frontal › Passenger Side › Inflator Module21E013000
Filed Feb 16, 2021249 vehiclesFord Motor Company

Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain air bag inflator and/or module replacement service parts that may have been used as part of a collision repair. The parts include certain driver-side air bag inflators and/or modules, designed to fit 2005-2014 Ford Mustang and Mustang GT500. It also includes certain passenger-side air bag inflators and/or modules designed to fit 2005-2014 Ford Mustang, 2010-2012 Lincoln MKZ, 2010-2012 Ford Fusion, 2010-2011 Mercury Milan, 2007-2011 Ford Ranger, and 2007-2010 Lincoln MKX vehicles. Please see Ford's recall report for the specific part numbers. These parts may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the frontal air bag, an inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy. Ford will notify dealers that purchased the affected parts, and dealers will provide replacement parts to purchasers, free of charge. The recall began March 18, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S05.

Air Bags › Frontal › Passenger Side › Inflator Module19V001000Do not drive
Filed Jan 7, 2019782,384 vehiclesFord Motor Company

Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, Ford is recalling certain 2011 Ford Ranger and Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Fusion and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles and 2011-2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Ford is also recalling certain 2010 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2010-2011 Ford Ranger and Mercury Milan vehicles, 2010-2012 Ford Fusion and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, and 2010-2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, used as original equipment or replacement equipment (such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bags), that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy. Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 13, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall 19S01.

Air Bags › Frontal › Passenger Side › Inflator Module18V775000
Filed Nov 1, 2018215 vehiclesFord Motor Company

Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and 2010-2012 Lincoln MKZ vehicles that previously received a replacement passenger air bag under recall 16V-384, 17V-024 or 18V-046. In the event of a crash requiring deployment of the passenger air bag, the bracket that secures the air bag inflator to the module housing may deform, allowing the gas that inflates the air bag to leak out.

Risk. If the air bag does not inflate as intended, there is an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Remedy. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag module, free of charge. The recall began November 21, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S34.

Air Bags › Frontal › Passenger Side › Inflator Module16V384000Do not drive
Filed May 31, 20161,892,343 vehiclesFord Motor Company

Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Ford Ranger vehicles, 2006-2011 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles, and 2005-2011 Ford Mustang vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Ford is recalling certain model year 2007-2008 Ford Ranger, Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2006-2008 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles and 2005-2008 Ford Mustang vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Any vehicle not included in "Zone A", or "Zone B" is not included in the safety recall. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy. Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Ford mailed interim letters informing owners that parts are not yet available on July 15, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S01.

Steering › Electric Power Assist System15V340000
Filed Jun 2, 2015393,623 vehiclesFord Motor Company

Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford Fusion vehicles without a 3.5L engine and Lincoln MKZ hybrid electric vehicles, 2011 Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with a 3.5L GTDI engine and 2013 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with any available engine. The affected vehicles have electric power steering assist systems that may shut down as a result of a steering motor sensor fault.

Risk. If the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist, extra steering effort will be required at lower speeds, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

Remedy. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will check the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) for Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC). If dealers find any loss of steering assist DTCs, the steering gear will be replaced, free of charge. If, no codes are found during the PSCM inspection, the PSCM software will be updated, free of charge. The recall began on July 21, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S18.

Equipment14E028000
Filed May 29, 201482,579 vehiclesFord Motor Company

Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain all weather driver side accessory floor mats sold for use in model year 2006-2011 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan, 2006 Lincoln Zephyr, and 2007-2011 Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured November 9, 2007, through October 31, 2010. The affected floor mats may move and possibly interfere with the accelerator pedal.

Risk. The floor mat could shift such that it could interfere with the accelerator pedal, preventing its return to an idle position, which could result in unintended vehicle speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install new replacement mats, free of charge. The recall began in July 2014. Owners may contact Ford's customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S07. NOTE: Vehicles built after October 31, 2010, while potentially equipped with the same floor mats, are equipped with a Brake Over Accelerator (BOA) feature that prevents simultaneous accelerator and brake application, allowing the vehicle to be safely stopped by pressing firmly and steadily on the brake pedal.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Power Train
Filed Aug 22, 2026NY

2011 Lincoln MKZ AWD, 25000 miles. The plastic sheath that covers the transmission shift cable split in two. The split is located on the cable between the engine and firewall. preventing the driver from being able to shift the automatic transmission into Park and then later could no longer shift into any gear position. The metal cable and braid remained intact.

Electrical SystemFire
Filed Aug 14, 2025100,000 milesNY

The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKZ. The contact's spouse stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact's spouse started the vehicle and noticed flames coming from the interior seal of the driver's door, located by the rocker panel. The contact's spouse stated that the flames were not severe. The contact’s spouse was able to extinguish the fire. The contact stated that after inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed moisture leaking into the rocker panel wiring. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for brake and rotor repair. The contact and the mechanic noticed that the whole rear of the vehicle was severely corroded. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Engine
Filed Feb 15, 2025GA

While traveling on interstate at70 mph a red triangle appears on dash engine turns off warning on dash to stop asap. All you have is electrical power which is not much. Car needs to be turned off and restarted. This may occur again in a few minutes or not. Took to dealer they said they replaced an O2 sensor. It still turns off. Back to dealer. They can’t reproduce. Has happened to me at least 8 times on surface streets and highways. Extremely dangerous to loose power on highways. This started about 6 months ago. Still happening. Last incident was today

Engine
Filed Aug 16, 2024GA

As I was traveling home from work, I noticed the car jerk slightly and immediately decelerate. The engine temperature gauge light came on the dash and the temperature gauge immediately moved to the “H” position on the dash. Due to the fact that I was in rush hour traffic on the highway, I was worried I wouldn’t have enough speed to get to the median. I turned on my hazards and coasted safely to the side of the road but was nearly ran over by other vehicles not realizing the issue I was having. I was unable to accelerate out of the way and at the mercy of other drivers being courteous and give me space to move. I turned the car off and looked under the hood locating the coolant reservoir. It appeared empty. I was able to get a ride to the nearest auto parts store and buy coolant. When I returned to my car, I emptied coolant into the reservoir and cranked the vehicle. Within a minute the gauge returned to normal temp and carefully got back in flow of traffic but stayed close to the emergency lane. Within a couple hundred yards of driving again, the lights and gauges indicated another overheating issue. At the next stop, I pulled into a gas station. And parked the car to have it towed. My mechanic informed me that the coolant was leaking from the coolant pump into my oil pan. Now the engine is flooded with a mixture of oil and coolant and I will need a new engine. He said this issue has been reported before but wasn’t sure what Ford/Lincoln may be doing about it. I’m lucky I did

Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed Aug 8, 202470,000 milesNY

The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a knocking sound coming from the front of the vehicle. The contact stated on another occasion while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact was informed that it might have been an axle leak. The contact then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who in turn advised her to take the vehicle to a dealer. The contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with water pump failure. The contact was informed that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

Service Brakes
Filed Jun 21, 2024MD

I was stopping at a stop sign and was unable to stop immediately, instead I coasted a little bit before stopping. Then the brake warning lights and ABS and traction lights came on. I pulled over to a parking lot and turned the car off and turned it back on: all the lights came back on. I put on my flashers and very carefully and slowly drove my car to Jiffy Lube. They did an $108 oil change and checked the brake pads and brake fluid levels and said everything was fine and I would need to take it to a larger shop. I contacted the Apple Ford dealer near me and had my family follow me as I dropped it off. They said it would be a total of $310 for diagnostic and brake flush. I did the flush and it didn’t work. They said it would cost just shy of $3k to replace the entire hydraulic system. I took the car home because that is too much for a 2011 vehicle. I ended up having to get a new car because I need transportation for me and my two young children. My neighbor took a look at the car (he works on trucks) and the battery wouldn’t work. I bought a new battery for the car at $238.14. The lights are still on. I would like to have this car fixed or be able to trade it in. I am now being recommended to run a computer test on it to reset the codes. I would like to have this fixed as this seems to be a known issue with this car and I could have crashed if I wasn’t already driving slowly.

Service Brakes
Filed Mar 9, 2024AR

I was driving home in rush hour traffic at approximately 50 mph. I tried to brake but the pedal went to the floor and I had no brakes at all. Turns out this was a recall issue for the same issue for the previous four years MKZs. Replacing the fluid did not fix the problem and the 2,000 dollars charged for just the module that controls this is disgraceful. That doesn't include the other thousand for a mechanic to install the part. I managed to avoid hitting anyone, but not by much. This is extremely dangerous and should be addressed

Tires › Sidewall
Filed Aug 29, 2023VA

The tire is a NEXEN 225/45R18 After driving at highway speed on an out-of-town trip for several hours, got off the highway on the way to the hotel using suburban roads. About a mile later, a noise suddenly started at the driver's side front. The "slapping noise" got worse as the car went faster. I pulled off into a parking lot and found a steel bead from the tire had come loose and was hitting the inside fender well. I also noticed there were cracks in the side wall. I changed the tire using the spare tire and drove to the hotel. The next day, I went to a local tire dealer to buy replacement tires. Since the car is an All Wheel Drive vehicle, I had to replace all four tires. And, it is a good thing I did since when I inspected the old tires, the other front tire (the passenger side) had side wall cracks worse than the driver's side tire that had the bead separation. The two rear tires showed no evident side wall cracks. I kept the two front tires with the failures and one of the rear tires that did not have any evident cracks. There was not enough room in the car to bring all four tires back home. Attached are photographs of the two failed tires. NOTE: I am a former Director of the Office of Defects Investigation [XXX] ) and this is my wife's car. I brought the tires back with me since I believe ODI may want to have the tires in the event it believes a PE is appropriate. The tires are in my garage in Northern Virginia. The email and phone number are mine, not my wife's. INFOR

Service Brakes
Filed Jul 3, 2023NJ

There have been several occasions where I am cruising at a steady spread and when I try to brake, the pedal just goes down to the floor. It's as if I don't have any brakes at all. I've had my brakes and fluid checked and all is good. This is a very scary and dangerous situation. Doing my research I see that this is a common problem. How is there not a recall on this? This could be a fatal situation. Please advise.

Service Brakes
Filed Jun 1, 2023TX

Recently I have experienced a "soft brake pedal" on my 2011 Lincoln MKZ. I investigated online and here's what I found. So far there is no recall on this vehicle but SHOULD BE. NHTSA believes the hydraulic control valves can become corroded and stuck, causing soft brake pedals and longer stopping distances. In some cases, braking returns to normal when the valves subsequently become unstuck, causing an intermittent condition that makes a correct diagnosis difficult. On Ford's side, engineers discovered a gelatinous material that prevented control valves from properly returning to the closed positions after actuation. The automaker also found the gelatinous material likely occurred when brake fluid hit the valve coating. Federal investigators were able to recover affected brake components in some of the vehicles that were involved in crashes, and engineers confirmed stuck valves and corrosion of the zinc control valves. This problem has just recently evolved and it is very scary when applying the brakes and they go down to the floor. The car stops if you pump the brake pedal. My mileage is 150000 on my Lincoln MKZ but the car looks like new and is excellent shape.

Steering
Filed Jan 19, 2023KS

While making a right turn into Walmart parking lot, car was suddenly very difficult to turn. We almost hit the car in the lane next to us. We had to back up into the main road and risked a collision there as well just to pull into the parking lot. Like the power steering went out. Just a mile before that turn we made a turn and had no issue. Highway driving is okay, it is just difficult to steer in low speed city driving conditions. I had a mechanic look at it. he could not find anything wrong so we flushed the power steering with fresh fluid. It did not seam to help. He concluded that the electric assist is probably what failed. We looked this up, and it is a common problem with this model year MKZ and a recall has been out for this. But, for some reason my car does not pull up this recall.

Service Brakes
Filed Jan 10, 2023AZ

Brakes worked perfectly until I had to stop suddenly. Brake pedal went almost to the floor before brakes engaged, and then only slightly. I made it home with them in that same condition. When I took it to the shop, the brakes worked perfectly again. At no time was any code shown. So far the shop can't get the brakes to do it again, but I can't trust the car I paid for. The NHTSA had a recall for the Lincoln MKZ up to 2010, but my 2011 has the same ABS module issue. Please expand the recall before someone else gets injured or killed.

Air Bags
Filed Sep 23, 2022IN

Takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKZ. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V158000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact recently received a recall notice stating that parts were available; however, the contact was informed by the dealer that the parts were still not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

Air Bags
Filed Aug 17, 2022PA

The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKZ. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V158000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. An unknown dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Service Brakes
Filed Jul 20, 2022FL

Driving down the road all of a sudden Accutrac warning came up and then check brake system. The brakes were like a sponge and stopping was very difficult and required using emergency brake. Shut car off for a few minutes and then problem went away. Then it did it again. This is the same exact issue a recall was issued for the 2006-2010 model of Lincoln MKZ hybrid. Mine is a 2011 but built in the same plant. This car now has an unrepaired air bag from another recall that they still cannot fix and now no brakes and can't be driven. I feel this model should be included in the other model years recall.

Air Bags
Filed Jun 29, 2022CO

Takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKZ. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V158000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Engine
Filed May 16, 2022115,000 milesMS

The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed the water pump needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that water had leaked into the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000. The VIN was not available.

Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed May 3, 2022115,000 milesMS

The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal knocking noise detected and the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that water had entered the engine and the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.

Air Bags
Filed Jan 19, 2022OH

My vehicle has a safety recall for a possible exploding driver airbag, recall number 21V158. This recall was issued 3/25/21, about 10 months ago, and the manufacturer still does not have a fix for it. This is unacceptable given the severity of the recall. The NHTSA website states that if the manufacturer has not remedied a recall in a reasonable amount of time, then a vehicle complaint should be submitted. In my mind, 10 months is an unreasonable amount of time. I hope that the NHTSA can put additional pressure on Ford/Lincoln to remedy this recall ASAP.

Service Brakes
Filed Nov 28, 2021MI

During a braking event that caused my ABS to activate, my brake pedal traveled almost all the way to the floor. I was able to stop the car without accident but feel unsafe driving it. After much research I located Ford safety recall 19S54 which describes my issue exactly, unfortunately Ford has decided to only issue the recall for model years 2006 to 2010.

20 of 145 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2008
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20202100Routine
201920100Routine
201833200Routine
2017138440Routine
201663700Routine
2015821100Routine
2014971400Routine
20131091320Routine
2012146620Do not drive
2011 — this page145730Do not drive
2010169900Do not drive
2009114700Do not drive
2008281500Do not drive
2007259532Do not drive
20060400Do not drive

Compare every Mkz year →

Reading this record

NHTSA has issued a do-not-drive warning for a recall on this vehicle.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Mar 10, 2021. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.