Lincoln MKZ Complaints (2017)

158 consumer complaints on file.

#11679635August 10, 2025
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
I purchased a 2017 Lincoln MKZ Select which has been a continuous source of mechanical problems. After recently having a new engine installed, the vehicle has now developed significant transmission issues, making it unsafe and difficult to drive. Despite being sold this car under the assumption it was reliable, I am struggling with costly repairs and reduced functionality, effectively driving a “lemon.” I believe the vehicle’s condition and recurring failures qualify it for protection under consumer lemon laws or warranties, and I am seeking resolution or compensation due to these defects that have severely impacted the vehicle’s usability and my safety.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11678937August 6, 2025
STEERING, POWER TRAIN, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Vehicle began to feel as if it was losing the ability to get any power to the engine. I would push the pedal to accelerate but even fully compressed the vehicle would not go above 30mph. I attempted to drive the vehicle in to be inspected at a dealership and while on the way the steering wheel completely locked and an Emergency Light appeared on the dashboard stating "Safely Park Vehicle". It was a Horrifying Experience to be driving In traffic and lose control of the vehicle but luckily I was able to coast the vehicle to the side of the road to safety without crashing! Although the vehicle was fully powered, it would not move and I had to call AAA in order to get the vehicle towed to the closest AAA Approved facility which was AutoWorks Diagnostics & Repair in Kittery, ME. They observed fluids had leaked out but were unable to locate where the leak was coming from and very Loud Noises that appeared to be coming from in between the Engine and Transmission . After researching online they found that there were Two Recalls involving the welds on the Torque Converter detaching from the engine. They also found a recall on the front brake hoses rupturing & leaking brake fluid as well as a Recall with the steering wheel retaining bolt loosening & detaching while driving which could also have contributed to the issues experienced with the vehicle and the safety concerns associated as I was driving in traffic and lost Total Control of the vehicle which could very likely have caused a Major Accident! Unfortunately None of these recalls have been associated with the VIN connected to this vehicle and the manufacturer; Lincoln, to this point has refused to discuss any of the issues having to do with the four recalls being associated to my specific 2017 Lincoln Hybrid Premier 2.0L gas engine with 6 speed transmission although this specific year, make & model has each of these reported recalls.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11678744August 6, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine had failed due to coolant intrusion. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 74,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11674743July 19, 2025
STEERING
When I stop at a stop sign & then turn right, my steering wheel locks up. It does clear up after trying to turn it but I’m stuck in traffic & cannot move because the steering is locked. This happened twice in 4 days. Brought car to dealership & they never heard of this.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11674202July 17, 2025
AIR BAGS, POWER TRAIN, SEAT BELTS
Transmission slipping, side airbags deployed, seatbelt cut, TPMS light on, unsafe to drive.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11673818July 15, 2025
AIR BAGS, ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
I purchased my 2017 Lincoln MKZ Select on November 11, 2024. The vehicle was determined to need a new engine, per Murgado Lincoln of Chicago. They had my car for over 48 days while putting in a new engine. After this was completed the car had to be sent back due to a mistake the mechanics made by not attaching a gasket properly. After this, I began experiencing odd noises underneath the hood and throughout the vehicle; delayed timing belt in both acceleration and deceleration, and so forth. I was then involved in a hit-and-run car accident (not my fault). All side airbags deployed and my passenger side rear wheel is destroyed. I had this car assessed just a few days ago by a certified Auto Care Company who said I needed a completely new transmission and that this car is not street legal at the moment... insurance is not helping me at all.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11671573July 7, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
At any given time without warning the car will down shift into 4, 3, 2, or 1. It is intermittent but in the last 3 weeks has become very frequent. I have taken it to the dealership. They state that it is the internal clock spring in the the steering column. They have told me that my power train warranty and/or technology extended warranty will honor the replacement, so I looked up possible recalls on this model vehicle and found there is in fact a recall on the steering column internal clock spring but the concern was on the airbag. The issue I am having with the downshifting is going to cause someone to rear end me. There is no pre-warning. I have driven on service roads, the interstate, my neighborhood streets, and on highway. It seems to happen more as I am following the curve of the road, or when I am turning or changing lanes/merging onto interstate. If I am at a complete stop and turn either left or right it will downshift to 1. I am also concerned to the extent of damage this may be doing to my transmission and engine, as it happens during speeds of 45 to 75 mph on the highways and interstate. I do have video on my phone of this behavior and I can send it to you if I have an email address you have access to. I have placed the most current date of this behavior in the incident box, however this has happened numerous times over the past few months, It just wouldn't give a code to any dealerships for diagnosis.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11671399July 6, 2025
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I purchased this vehicle on November 11, 2024. About one month later, I began experiencing severe problems. The engine started overheating, which marked the beginning of a downward spiral of issues. To address the overheating, a new engine was installed by Murgado Lincoln dealership, which took approximately 48 days to complete. While the new engine resolved the overheating, a serious transmission problem has persisted and worsened. Since I purchased the car, the transmission has been slipping constantly, shifting gears on its own unpredictably, making loud noises under the hood and throughout the entire vehicle. These issues create a major safety hazard, putting me and others at significant risk. On June 25, 2025, I was involved in a hit-and-run incident that likely worsened the vehicle’s condition. During this incident, the side airbags on both sides of my vehicle deployed, but the front airbag did not deploy at all, which is highly concerning and increased the danger during the impact. Additionally, the car has a cracked shock absorber head, likely from the accident, which has led to instability and potential fishtailing. I am now afraid to drive the vehicle due to unpredictable handling and further mechanical failure. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. These problems have been confirmed and partially addressed by the dealer when the engine was replaced, but the transmission issues have never been fully resolved. There were no specific warning lamps for the transmission before the failure, but the slipping and erratic gear changes started about one month after purchase and have become progressively worse.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11666062June 10, 2025
ENGINE
I am submitting this complaint to formally report that my 2017 Lincoln MKZ experienced engine block damage due to a failed torque converter weld, a known safety defect covered under NHTSA Recall 17V-427 / 18V-390 (Ford campaign 17S16). This recall specifically affects vehicles like mine equipped with a 2.0L gas engine and 6-speed automatic transmission, due to improperly welded torque converter studs. This failure causes loss of power and potential transmission or engine damage—precisely what occurred with my vehicle. When I brought my vehicle to an authorized Lincoln dealership in Alexandria, Virginia, the service department refused to cover the cost of repair, despite the vehicle falling within the recall parameters. Their refusal directly contradicts federal recall law (49 U.S. Code § 30120), which mandates that manufacturers and authorized dealers must remedy safety defects at no cost to the vehicle owner, regardless of ownership history or age. As a result of their denial, I am left with significant out-of-pocket costs for damage that should be addressed under a federally mandated safety recall. This poses both a financial burden and a public safety risk if other owners are similarly turned away. I am requesting that NHTSA: Investigate this dealership’s noncompliance with federal recall obligations. Ensure that Ford Motor Company and its authorized dealers are held accountable for safety-related repairs. Assist in compelling the dealer to honor the recall and reimburse or cover the cost of required repairs.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11664931June 4, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, ENGINE
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that a tune-up was needed. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who performed the tune-up. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion and engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 107,500.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11663927May 30, 2025
ENGINE
Ford have a Huge problem with the 2.0 ecoboost. Where coolant pass through the cylinder and make engine mix oil and coolant. Ford have a thousand of claim about this and still doesn’t have any solution and they make customer pay everything
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11661398May 16, 2025
ENGINE
While driving the car in commuter traffic on Route 22 Highway the car transmission stopped working and car bucked and then stopped. Upon getting out of the lane of traffic there was a large amount of transmission fluid on the ground. Car had to be towed as it would not move. Danger was the car stopping on the highway in busy traffic. Upon inspection by car dealer they found it had a broken transmission cooler line . The Lincoln dealer put in a Tube Assembly repair kit and replaced all trans cooler lines at a cost of $ 1,029.72 to me. No Warning lamps or messages came on before the lines broke.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11658567May 2, 2025
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,800.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11652407April 2, 2025
ENGINE
Approximately 2 weeks ago, my 2017 Lincoln MKZ Reserve began sputtering/hesitating during acceleration. On 03/31/2025, I took it to the Heiser Ford-Lincoln in Glendale, WI for service and the diagnosis was I needed to replace my “engine long block” because of engine coolant leaking into the engine cylinders. I was given at an estimated cost of $8,000. I researched and found Technical Service Bulletin 22-2229 listing this issue as a not-so-uncommon problem with Ford’s 2.0 Liter engines. I am highly concerned that this could cause the engine to seize while driving with coolant compromising the viscosity of the engine oil. I firmly believe this should be elevated to a Recall status as this engine is used in several 2017 through 2019 Ford and Lincoln car models - and the occurrence has been frequent enough to have a TSB created.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11651990April 1, 2025
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER, ENGINE
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, while the vehicle was idling, the vehicle was shaking and vibrating abnormally. Additionally, after shifting to drive, the vehicle erroneously lunged forward, and while shifting into reverse the vehicle jerked backwards. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the torque converter and engine were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V390000 (POWER TRAIN). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 100,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11651649March 31, 2025
ENGINE
I have purchased a used 2017 Lincoln MKZ Reserve 2.0l in August of 2023 that started losing coolant and smoking from exhaust. Upon further investigation the coolant was noticed in the cylinder 2 through the spark plug opening. I had changed the head gasket and noticed the slotted coolant journals between the cylinders which was clear this was where the coolant was leaking from. After replacing the cylinder head gasket it run fine for about another month before starting to have same issues of losing coolant and smoking from exhaust, coolant was observed in cylinders 2 and 3. Ford recommended replacing the engine to the new design engine that eliminated the slots, this would be at Customer cost. Engine cost was $2,618.67 in March of 2024 just to purchase the engine, i replaced the engine myself. Vehicle was at 58,735 miles but warranty was out of date.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11645965March 3, 2025
ENGINE
dashboard showing Check engine light. Car hesitating, running very rough. Not driveable. Dealership diagnosed problem as coolant leaking into cylinder requiring engine replacement to fix the issue. Cost for Dealer to Diagnose problem $254.00. Cost to repair Estimate ...$7,700 + Taxes & Fees. Dealer states no assistance from Ford/Lincoln available as vehicle is out of warranty. TSB was issued June 26 2019 regarding this problem related to 2017-2019 Model Years MKZ with 2.0 L Ecoboost engine. Although there are many, many reports of this problem being a widespread issue, to date, nothing has been done to remediate the problem for owners experiencing this issue. Many other Ecoboost engines have been recalled for issues relating to failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11640428February 3, 2025
ENGINE
I have a 2017 Lincoln MKZ; coolant is leaking into the engine block; have to replace the entire engine. Car has 82K miles on it. Bad thing is that my daughter's Ford Fusion (2017) had the same problem just two months. I had to replace the engine in her car. It is clear that Ford/Lincoln has this problem, Stories on the internet. Ford did issue a recall but just for the 1.5 Liter car; both of mine were 2.0 liter. These engines should be recalled - should not be happening. Daughters car just has 45K miles on it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11636989January 20, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Vehicles Navigation fails to keep accurate information - offsetting by 2-3 miles of actual location, and SYNC display fails to work properly after Reverse Camera is engaged, completely freezing for 5 - 15 minutes.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11636641January 17, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
On Jan. 10, 2025 all the brake fluid leaked out of my MKZ. Fortunately, this occurred a few miles from my home and was able to get the car into the drive. I was first alerted of the problem by the "low brake fluid" message on the dash panel and virtually no braking power. On 1/13/25 I had the car towed to a local Ford Dealer and was informed that the brake lines to both rear wheels were indeed severely rusted thru and had to be replaced. (Approx. 117K mi) (The front hoses were also replaced as per a recall notice on 9/26/23.)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

← Back to Lincoln MKZ