2016 Lincoln Mkz

Routine

Owners filed 63 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system. It has been recalled 7 times.

When it fails
020k40k60k90k120k200k

28 complaints record an odometer reading. Failures cluster around 30,00040,000 miles; the median is 60,000 miles.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Service Brakes9
300
Air Bags9
305
Electrical System8
000
Steering7
000
Unknown or Other5
101
Engine5
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic4
000
Wheels3
000
Back Over Prevention3
000
Structure › Body2
100

7 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch23V775000
Filed Nov 17, 202345,173 vehiclesFord Motor Company

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.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings23V162000
Filed Mar 10, 20231,280,726 vehiclesFord Motor Company

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.

Exterior Lighting › Headlights20E025000
Filed Apr 24, 2020130 vehiclesFord Motor Company

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.

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch20V177000
Filed Mar 23, 2020288,110 vehiclesFord Motor Company

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.

Steering › Electric Power Assist System19V632000
Filed Aug 29, 2019116,160 vehiclesFord Motor Company

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 this recall is 19S26.

Steering › Steering Wheel/Handle Bar18V167000
Filed Mar 12, 20181,301,986 vehiclesFord Motor Company

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.

Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage15V618000
Filed Oct 1, 2015658 vehiclesFord Motor Company

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.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Service Brakes
Filed Jul 15, 202672,000 milesPA

The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact became aware that the brake light had remained illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occurred while the vehicle was unoccupied. In addition, the contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the gear shifter independently shifted out of park. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a failed brake pedal bumper stop. The contact was informed that the brake pedal bumper stop was detached and caused the brake light to remain illuminated. The contact was advised to contact the dealer. The contact was informed of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. The dealer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch
Filed Jun 25, 2026115,000 milesOH

The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the rear passenger's side door independently unlatched and opened. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that while attempting to close the door, the door failed to close or latch as intended. The contact stated that the contact's grandson was seated in the rear passenger's seat during the failure that occurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not inspected. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.

Wheels
Filed May 11, 2026CA

-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 Prevention
Filed May 6, 2026140,000 milesGA

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.

Steering
Filed Mar 23, 2026110,000 milesMI

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 System
Filed Mar 10, 2026FL

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?

Back Over Prevention › Rearview System Braking
Filed Oct 3, 2025FL

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 System
Filed Sep 25, 2025PA

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

Unknown or Other
Filed Sep 17, 2025UT

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 Prevention › Rearview System Braking
Filed Sep 14, 2025IN

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 Prevention
Filed Sep 11, 202570,000 milesIL

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 Other
Filed Sep 10, 2025NJ

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 System
Filed Aug 22, 2025101,000 milesTX

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 Other
Filed Aug 11, 2025GA

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 Prevention
Filed Jul 17, 202543,800 milesTX

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.

Engine
Filed Jun 14, 2025SD

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.

Engine
Filed Jun 3, 2025120,000 milesMN

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 Other
Filed May 12, 2025TX

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

Electrical System
Filed Dec 20, 2024MO

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

Engine
Filed Nov 11, 2024CA

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

20 of 63 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2008
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20202100Routine
201920100Routine
201833200Routine
2017138440Routine
2016 — this page63700Routine
2015821100Routine
2014971400Routine
20131091320Routine
2012146620Do not drive
2011145730Do not drive
2010169900Do not drive
2009114700Do not drive
2008281500Do not drive
2007259532Do not drive
20060400Do not drive

Compare every Mkz year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

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: Nov 17, 2023. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.