2013 Lincoln MKZ problems, complaints & recalls

2013 Lincoln MKZ recalls (12)

• Recall 23V162000Mar 10, 20231,280,726 vehicles
  SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

  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.

• Recall 20V331000Jun 8, 20202,147,323 vehicles
  LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Fiesta, 2013-2014 Fusion, 2015 Mustang, 2013-2015 Escape and C-Max, 2012-2015 Focus, 2014-2016 Transit Connect, 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ, and 2015 MKC vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and repaired under recalls 15V-246, 16V-643 or 17V-210, however the repair may not have been completed properly. 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 dealers will inspect the latch date codes to confirm if the repair was done correctly, and replace the side door latches if necessary, free of charge. Owners will also have the option to inspect their own vehicle's door latches and enter the date codes into a website to determine if the latches are correct. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S30.

• Recall 19V632000Aug 29, 2019116,160 vehicles
  STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

  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.

• Recall 17V210000Mar 27, 2017191,432 vehicles
  LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Ford Fiesta, 2013-2014 Ford Fusion and 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ vehicles. 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 dealers will replace all four door latches, free of charge. The recall began May 1, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S16.

• Recall 16V875000Dec 5, 2016603,392 vehicles
  SEAT BELTS:FRONT

  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.

• Recall 15V250000Apr 28, 2015487,301 vehicles
  STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

  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 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. 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 number for this recall is 15S14.

• Recall 15V246000Apr 24, 2015456,440 vehicles
  LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) notified the agency on April 23, 2015, that they are recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured July 1, 2012, to May 31, 2013, and 2012-2014 Fiesta vehicles manufactured February 1, 2012, to May 31, 2013. On April 30, 2015, Ford expanded the recall to cover an additional 119,567 vehicles, including certain model year 2011 Ford Fiestas manufactured from November 11, 2009, to May 31, 2013 and certain model year 2013 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured from February 1, 2012, to June 30, 2012. 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 dealers will replace all four door latches with an improved part, free of charge. Interim notifications were mailed to owners on June 5, 2015. The recall began on December 18, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S16.

• Recall 14V597000Sep 26, 2014746,842 vehicles
  AIR BAGS · AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW · SEAT BELTS

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Ford C-Max vehicles manufactured January 19, 2012, to November 21, 2013; Ford Fusion vehicles manufactured February 3, 2012, to August 24, 2013; Ford Escape vehicles manufactured October 5, 2011, to November 1, 2013; and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured April 25, 2012, to September 30, 2013. The coating on portions of the Restraint Control Module (RCM) may crack, and when exposed to humidity, circuits on the printed circuit board may short.

  Risk: The short circuits could cause the frontal air bags, side curtain air bags and the seat belt pretensioners to not function as intended when needed, increasing the risk of occupant injury in the event of a crash.

  Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the RCM, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. The recall began on May 26,2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 14S21.

• Recall 14V164000Apr 2, 201443,135 vehicles
  SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured August 15, 2012, through September 10, 2013, 2013-2014 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured June 5, 2012, through August 12, 2013, and 2013-2014 Ford C-Max vehicles manufactured from July 23, 2012, through May 28, 2013. The driver and passenger seatback assemblies may have been produced with sub-standard weld joints used to attach the seat back recliner mechanism to the seat frame. The affected seat backs may have insufficient strength to meet the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 207, "Seating Systems."

  Risk: The back of the subject seats may become loose or lean while driving and potentially increase the risk of injury in certain crashes.

  Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the seatback, free of charge. The recall began on May 30, 2014. Owners may contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14C03.

• Recall 13V594000Nov 25, 20137,153 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid vehicles manufactured April 26, 2012, through September 24, 2013. Due to a manufacturing error, the transmission range sensor may not function properly allowing the affected vehicles to be shifted out of the Park position without first applying the brake pedal. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 114, "Theft Protection."

  Risk: Without requiring the brake to be pressed, the vehicle may be unintentionally shifted out of Park, allowing it to roll which may result in a crash.

  Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) with new software, free of charge. The recall began on January 2014. Customers may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 13C09.

• Recall 13V227000May 31, 2013390,783 vehicles
  FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

  Ford is recalling certain model year 2013 Explorer, Taurus, Flex, Fusion, Police Interceptor Sedan and Police Interceptor Utility vehicles; and certain model year 2013 Lincoln MKS, MKT, and MKZ vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the fuel delivery module may develop a crack, allowing fuel to leak.

  Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.

  Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel delivery module, free of charge. The recall began on July 20, 2013. Owners may contact Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's recall campaign number is 13S04.

• Recall 13V230000May 31, 2013107 vehicles
  ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

  Ford is recalling certain model year 2013 Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured April 25, 2012, through March 15, 2013 and equipped with an engine block heater. During use, the engine block heater cords may be bent and in certain temperatures, the wire insulation may crack, exposing the electrical wires.

  Risk: Exposed electrical wires increase the risk of electric shock.

  Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the block heater cord, free of charge. The recall began on June 28, 2013. Ford's recall number is 13S05. Owners may contact the Ford customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332.

NHTSA defect investigations

• RQ22004Opened Aug 8, 2022Closed Mar 24, 2023led to recall 23V162000

  Front Brake Jounce Hose Failures

  On August 8, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation based on 50 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) alleging front brake jounce hose ruptures on model year (MY) 2013-2018 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. A ruptured front brake hose results in a brake fluid leak. As a result, the driver may experience an increase in pedal travel and a reduction in the rate of deceleration, increasing the risk of a crash. It should be noted that the subject vehicles identified fell outside the scope of NHTSA Safety Recall 20V-469, which addressed front brake hoses rupturin…

• EA21002Opened Sep 17, 2021Open

  Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

  From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.C…

• RQ19005Opened Dec 19, 2019Closed Feb 7, 2022led to recall 20V177000

  Door Latch Failures

  In December 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation based on 235 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) alleging doors failed to latch when closed, and/or inadvertently opened while driving, on model year (MY) 2012-2014 Ford Fiesta, and 2013-2014 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ. Some VOQs reported the failure occurred after the latch had been remedied under a prior recall which involved fracture of the latch pawl spring tab due to thermally induced cyclic fatigue. Other VOQs alleged a similar failure in vehicles not previously recalled. A latch with a fractured pawl sprin…

• EA15002Opened Feb 27, 2015Closed Nov 13, 2015led to recall 15V246000

  Door Latch Failure

  The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened an investigation based on consumer allegations of doors failing to latch and/or inadvertently opening on model year (MY) 2011-2013 Ford Fiesta, MY 2013 Ford Fusion and MY 2013 Lincoln MKZ vehicles. All of the affected vehicles share the same door latch design.ODI has received 281 unique reports related to the alleged problem, with over 100 claiming that the door(s) opened inadvertently while the vehicle was in motion. There were no crashes reported however three separate injuries were indicated, all caused by a rebounding door striking a consume…

Recent 2013 Lincoln MKZ complaints

Excerpts of the newest owner complaints, lightly cleaned of personal details. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

1. Filed Sep 15, 2026LA1 injuredAirbags

   Component Failure & Inspection: Restraints Control Module (RCM) / physical airbags failed on a 2013 Lincoln MKZ. The 44-page Bosch CDR report proves a hardware failure: Page 8 logs a "YES" command for Frontal and Rollover Discriminating Deployment. System voltage was stable (14.02V at T0), and seatbelt pretensioners successfully fired (683.0 ms and 688.0 ms). However, physical airbags completely failed to inflate and left no execution timestamps. This matches NHTSA Campaign…

   NHTSA complaint #11764334 · source
2. Filed Mar 11, 2026WABrakesSuspensionTransmission & Drivetrain

   Vehicle: Lincoln MKZ 2013 Dealer: Auto Quest Inc. Description of the Safety Issue: I am submitting this report regarding a vehicle safety concern involving a 2013 Lincoln MKZ that I purchased from Auto Quest Inc. in Renton, Washington. Shortly after purchasing the vehicle, within the first few days of ownership, the vehicle began experiencing significant mechanical problems including transmission issues and persistent brake noise that required multiple repair attempts. These…

   NHTSA complaint #11723699 · source
3. Filed Feb 12, 2026MASteering

   I was slowing down to take a turn and I see an error message saying “power steering assist failure”. And steering went stiff..

   NHTSA complaint #11717680 · source
4. Filed Nov 3, 2025PAElectrical System

   Video camera in the back is almost unusable at times, get loss of vision completely or it's flipped image and distorted. Don't know if this counts but I had a issue where key batteries where fine and the car did not want to unlock or start. Also last winter the door would not unlock and if forced would not close.

   NHTSA complaint #11697244 · source
5. Filed Oct 22, 2025FLDriver Assistance & Safety TechElectrical System

   the driver side mirror blind spot stopped working and all most hit a vehicle coming up alongside of me. Yes it is available No in October

   NHTSA complaint #11694985 · source
6. Filed Oct 3, 2025WAElectrical System

   The contact owned a 2013 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while adjusting the driver's side motorized seat, the contact felt an electric shock through her left hand, prompting the contact to cease the action and immediately turn off the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined there was short in the motorized seat. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure…

   NHTSA complaint #11691292 · source
7. Filed Sep 2, 202570,000 miVADriver Assistance & Safety Tech

   The contact owns a 2013 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while reversing, the back-over prevention camera screen turned off and turned on independently. Additionally, there was a message to contact the dealer displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately…

   NHTSA complaint #11684577 · source
8. Filed Jul 22, 202582,000 miMIDriver Assistance & Safety Tech

   The contact owns a 2013 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that the back-over prevention camera was inoperable. The contact stated that occasionally the screen was distorted or blank. The message that the camera was unavailable was displayed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that there was no recall or warranty coverage on the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the…

   NHTSA complaint #11675259 · source

Compare the 2013 Lincoln MKZ with another vehicle →

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data, as of Oct 10, 2026. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology