KnownCarProblems2016 Lincoln Mkz Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 64 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Lincoln Mkz, most often about the brakes (22% of complaints, typically around 50,500 miles). It is 11th of 14 Mkz model years by number of complaints and has 6 recalls.
Most common 2016 Lincoln Mkz problems
Brakes
14 complaints · 22%Half of these problems showed up before 50,500 miles.
The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln Mkz. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v162000 (service brakes, hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for the front brake flexible hose inspection. The contact stated that while the…
The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln Mkz. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, another vehicle intercepted his lane from the left, and when depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle independently shifted to the right causing the vehicle to hit a curb and damaging the front passenger side tire. No air bags deployed. The…
Steering
12 complaints · 19%Half of these problems showed up before 53,000 miles. Parts named most often: electric power assist system.
The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln Mkz hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering failed causing the steering wheel to become very difficult to turn in either direction. During the failure, the service advanced track and service headlights message was displayed on the instrument…
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.…
Electrical
11 complaints · 17%The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln Mkz. While pulling into a parking space at an unknown speed with the brake pedal depressed to the floor, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact crashed the vehicle into a pole. The contact mentioned that the vehicle was equipped with motion sensors to stop the vehicle when an object…
While I was driving in the carpool lane going approximately 75-80 MPH in the express lane on the 405 freeway in the city of los angeles the vehicle went into sudden de-exceleration to 20 MPH without any warning. The car showed default codes and no matter what I did the car would not go any faster than 20 MPH. I was…
Air bags
9 complaints · 14%Half of these problems showed up before 30,000 miles.
A vehicle stopped suddenly in front of me because a car did the same in front of them. I braked suddenly but it felt like my vehicle was being pushed from behind, my steering wheel air bags deployed so did the sides. The air bags deployed before the impact blinding me as I rear ended the car in front. I suffered…
No recalls noticed on this auto. No airbag issues as yet am I eligible to join the class action settlement. Is there a form I must fill out? 2016 Lincoln Mkz VIN # [] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
Engine
7 complaints · 11%While traveling on the the highway the engine went to low idle. The places the operator in a very precarious situation when trying to navigate the car to to the shoulder of the road. At issue was the throttle body. Ford and Lincoln seem to know that there is an issue. There should be a service bulletin or a recall for…
The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln Mkz. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated and the contact smelled a odor of burning. The contact was able to pull over into a parking lot and examined under the hood and notice that coolant had leaked. The vehicle was towed to an…
Other or unspecified
6 complaints · 9%The contact owned a 2016 Lincoln Mkz. The contact stated while exiting her employer's parking lot when the vehicle began to accelerate independently and she started to smell a burning smell. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated she was depressing the brake pedal to the floor and…
Backup camera
5 complaints · 8%Parts named most often: rearview system braking.
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…
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…
Seat belts
3 complaints · 5%The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln Mkz. The contact stated that for 5-10 minutes while attempting to secure the driver's side front seat belt, several attempts were needed to securely latch the seat belt. The contact stated that the failure was experienced during the daytime hours but not at night. The vehicle was taken…
The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln Mkz. The contact stated that the driver's side seat belt failed to function as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the part to do the repair was not available. The contact related the failure to technical service bulletin: 16s42 (pretensioner cable). The manufacturer…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2016 Lincoln Mkz recalls
Doors and locks: latch
Risk: Vehicle doors opening unexpectedly while driving can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Brakes: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
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.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
Ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 fusion and lincoln mkz vehicles. The front brake hoses may rupture and leak brake fluid.
Doors and locks: latch
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.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Steering: electric power assist system
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.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Steering: steering wheel/handle bar
Risk: A steering wheel detachment can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Fuel system: storage
Risk: A fuel tank that cracks may leak fuel, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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."
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Front brake jounce hose failures
Summary
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 rupturing on certain my 2015-2018 ford edge and 2016-2018 lincoln mkx vehicles. The result causes a brake fl
Desiccated air bag inflator rupture
Summary
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.consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substa
Door latch failures
Summary
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 spring tab typically results in a ?door will not close? Condition, however in certain somewhat rare circu
Questions about the 2016 Lincoln Mkz
- What are the most common problems with the 2016 Lincoln Mkz?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: brakes (14 complaints, typically around 50,500 miles); steering (12 complaints, typically around 53,000 miles); electrical (11 complaints).
- How many recalls does the 2016 Lincoln Mkz have?
- 6 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from November 17, 2023 (doors and locks). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2016 a bad year for the Lincoln Mkz?
- It is 11th of 14 Mkz model years by number of complaints, with 64 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.