2016 Lincoln MKZ problems, complaints & recalls

Updated from NHTSA data · How we count

Owners have filed 50 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Lincoln MKZ, most often about brakes. There are 6 recalls for this model year.

Complaints
50
Recalls
6
Crashes
4
Fires
0
Injuries
1
Median mileage
72,000 mi
at time of problem

Key facts

  • Brakes is the most-reported problem area, named in 12 of 50 complaints (24%).
  • Steering (9) and electrical system (8) follow.
  • Half of the complaints that list mileage happened before 72,000 mi.
  • Owners reported 4 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury.
  • The 2016 Lincoln MKZ has 6 recalls on file.
  • NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations covering this vehicle.
  • It ranks 5th of 14 Lincoln MKZ model years by our severity-weighted complaint score (1st = worst).
  • That is 12% fewer complaints than the 2015 model year (57).

2016 Lincoln MKZ problems by category

  • Brakes · 2 crashes
    12 complaints
  • Steering
    9 complaints
  • Electrical System
    8 complaints
  • Other / Unknown · 1 crash
    6 complaints
  • Engine
    6 complaints
  • Driver Assistance & Safety Tech
    5 complaints
  • Body & Structure · 1 crash
    4 complaints
  • Wheels & Tires
    3 complaints
  • Seats & Seat Belts
    2 complaints
  • Lighting
    1 complaints
  • Transmission & Drivetrain
    1 complaints

A complaint can mention more than one problem area, so categories add up to more than the total.

Most-reported components

Component (as filed with NHTSA)Complaints
Electrical system8
Service brakes8
Steering8
Unknown or other6
Engine5
Service brakes, hydraulic4
Back over prevention3
Wheels3

When problems happen (mileage)

Under 10k210k–30k430k–60k560k–100k7100k–150k1150k+
Mileage at the time of the problem, for 2016 Lincoln MKZ complaints that list mileage.

2016 Lincoln MKZ recalls (6)

  • Recall 23V775000Nov 17, 202345,173 vehicles
    LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

    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.

  • 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 20V177000Mar 23, 2020288,110 vehicles
    LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

    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.

  • 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 18V167000Mar 12, 20181,301,986 vehicles
    STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR

    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.

  • Recall 15V618000Oct 1, 2015658 vehicles
    FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE

    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 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…

Recent 2016 Lincoln MKZ complaints

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

  1. Filed Jul 15, 202672,000 miPABrakes
    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…
    NHTSA complaint #11750514 · source
  2. Filed Jun 25, 2026115,000 miOHBody & Structure
    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,…
    NHTSA complaint #11746405 · source
  3. Filed May 11, 2026CAOther / UnknownWheels & Tires
    -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…
    NHTSA complaint #11737041 · source
  4. Filed May 6, 2026140,000 miGADriver Assistance & Safety Tech
    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…
    NHTSA complaint #11735998 · source
  5. Filed Mar 23, 2026110,000 miMITowedSteering
    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…
    NHTSA complaint #11726289 · source
  6. Filed Mar 10, 2026FLElectrical System
    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?
    NHTSA complaint #11723217 · source
  7. Filed Oct 3, 2025FLDriver Assistance & Safety TechElectrical System
    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
    NHTSA complaint #11691119 · source
  8. Filed Sep 25, 2025PAElectrical System
    Rear camera malfunction in that the image is reversed and the reference lines are missing, fertile lines also appear obstructing view
    NHTSA complaint #11689668 · source

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Other 2016 Lincoln models

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