2016 Lincoln MKZ: problems, recalls and reliability
7 recalls and 63 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is service brakes (16% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · 1 new complaint in the last 90 days · latest recall Nov 2023
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 63 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“-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.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · May 2026
“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.”Owner report · Steering · Mar 2026
“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.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Aug 2025
Show 7 more owner reports
“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?”Owner report · Electrical System · Aug 2025
“Rear camera malfunction in that the image is reversed and the reference lines are missing, fertile lines also appear obstructing view”Owner report · Electrical System · Jul 2025
“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.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jun 2025
“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.”Owner report · Engine · Jun 2025
“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.”Owner report · Engine · Jun 2025
“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.”Owner report · Back Over Prevention · May 2025
“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”Owner report · Electrical System · Apr 2025
When filing, owners marked a crash in 8 of these complaints and injuries in 6 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 7 campaigns
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."
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.
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.
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.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. The front brake hoses may rupture and leak brake fluid.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2016 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact MKZ by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2016 Lincoln MKZ reliable?
NHTSA has 63 owner complaints and 7 recall campaigns on record for the 2016 Lincoln MKZ. The most complained-about area is service brakes (16% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2016 Lincoln MKZ problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 56,500 miles or less.
Does the 2016 Lincoln MKZ have open recalls?
7 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning fuel system, gasoline:storage. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.