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2016 Lincoln MKZ
The 2016 Lincoln MKZ appears in 6 NHTSA recall campaigns (latches/locks/linkages, service brakes, hydraulic and steering) and in 12 consumer complaints filed with the agency.
The component named most often is air bags: 444.4 of every 1,000 component mentions for this year, above the 48.1 per 1,000 across all 2016 model-year vehicles and against 537.8 per 1,000 for the Lincoln MKZ line as a whole.
That is fewer than the average of 64.3 complaints per model year across the 15 Lincoln MKZ model years on this register; 3 complaints reported a crash and 0 a fire.
Complaints were received in the largest number in 2016 (3); the most recent in the file is dated 27 Apr 2019.
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation has opened 3 investigations naming this model year.
Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA. Recall text is the manufacturer's Part 573 report as filed with NHTSA. Complaint file through 15 May 2019; recall file through 29 Sep 2026.
Recalls by model year:
Recall campaigns
Defect, as filed: 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.
Consequence: 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.
Filed by Ford Motor Company (manufacturer campaign 20S15).
- 23V162000SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGSReported 10 Mar 2023 · 1,280,726 units
Defect, as filed: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. The front brake hoses may rupture and leak brake fluid.
Consequence: 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.
Filed by Ford Motor Company (manufacturer campaign 23S12).
Defect, as filed: 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.
Consequence: 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.
Filed by Ford Motor Company (manufacturer campaign 20S15).
Defect, as filed: 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.
Consequence: 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.
Filed by Ford Motor Company (manufacturer campaign 19S26).
Defect, as filed: 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.
Consequence: 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.
Filed by Ford Motor Company (manufacturer campaign 18S08).
Defect, as filed: 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."
Consequence: 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.
Filed by Ford Motor Company (manufacturer campaign 15C11).
Each entry links to the NHTSA record. NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are free of charge at an authorised dealer; check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Complaints by component
Component mentions per 1,000 for the 2016 Lincoln MKZ (black) against all 2016 model-year vehicles in the file (yellow). A complaint can name more than one component.
| Per 1,000 component mentions | 2016 | MKZ line | All 2016 vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 444.4 | 537.8 | 48.1 |
| Steering | 166.7 | 36.4 | 56.4 |
| Electrical System | 111.1 | 50.7 | 100.4 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 111.1 | 16 | 43.9 |
| Service Brakes | 55.6 | 48.9 | 76.8 |
| Engine | 55.6 | 24.9 | 119.7 |
| Component | Mentions | Per 1,000 | Line | All 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 8 | 444.4 | 537.8 | 48.1 |
| Steering | 3 | 166.7 | 36.4 | 56.4 |
| Electrical System | 2 | 111.1 | 50.7 | 100.4 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 2 | 111.1 | 16 | 43.9 |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 55.6 | 48.9 | 76.8 |
| Engine | 1 | 55.6 | 24.9 | 119.7 |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 55.6 | 15.1 | 12.7 |
12 unique complaints, 18 component mentions; 2 injuries and 0 deaths reported by complainants. Complaint narratives are not republished.
Complaints by year received
Investigations
| Action | Type | Subject | Component | Opened | Closed | Recall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RQ22004 | Recall query | Front Brake Jounce Hose Failures | service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings | 8 Aug 2022 | 24 Mar 2023 | 23V162000 |
| EA21002 | Engineering analysis | Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture | air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module | 17 Sep 2021 | open | — |
| RQ19005 | Recall query | Door Latch Failures | latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch | 19 Dec 2019 | 7 Feb 2022 | 20V177000 |
Other Lincoln MKZ model years
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints | Units in campaigns |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 4 | 0 | 5,749,872 |
| 2007 | 4 | 216 | 5,749,872 |
| 2008 | 4 | 223 | 5,749,872 |
| 2009 | 6 | 84 | 6,078,735 |
| 2010 | 7 | 130 | 6,206,639 |
| 2011 | 5 | 95 | 5,671,233 |
| 2012 | 5 | 91 | 4,433,585 |
| 2013 | 12 | 49 | 6,470,794 |
| 2014 | 13 | 34 | 7,869,085 |
| 2015 | 10 | 21 | 5,850,224 |
| 2016 | 6 | 12 | 3,032,813 |
| 2017 | 4 | 8 | 2,588,763 |
| 2018 | 2 | 1 | 2,582,712 |
| 2019 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 200,237 |
| 2020 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 200,237 |
Model years with a single campaign and fewer than 25 complaints have no page here; the NHTSA link opens the agency's record for that year.
All Lincoln MKZ model years · Lincoln: 24 model lines
Questions and answers
How many recalls does the 2016 Lincoln MKZ have?
6 NHTSA recall campaigns name this model year; the most recent, 23V775000, was reported to NHTSA on 17 Nov 2023 and concerns latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch. Across all model years the Lincoln MKZ line has 32 campaigns.
Is there an open NHTSA investigation into the 2016 Lincoln MKZ?
NHTSA's investigation file lists 3 actions naming this model year; the table above shows each action's opening and closing dates. An action with no closing date was still open when the file was produced.
What component do owners of the 2016 Lincoln MKZ complain about most?
Air Bags: 8 of 18 component mentions (444.4 per 1,000). Next is steering with 3. Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.
How do I get a recall repaired?
NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are performed free of charge by the manufacturer's authorised dealers. Each campaign's remedy text above is the manufacturer's statement as filed with NHTSA. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
Where does this data come from?
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation recall, complaint and investigation flat files, public domain, downloaded 29 Sep 2026. Complaint counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; component figures count each component a complaint names. The NHTSA record linked from each campaign is authoritative.
Provenance
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Defects Investigation flat files (recalls, complaints, investigations), public domain, files dated 29 Sep 2026 (recalls) and 15 May 2019 (complaints). Complaints since 1 Jan 1995. Counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; per-1,000 rates divide a component's mentions by all mentions for the same group. Errors in processing are corrected at the next daily build; see corrections and the methodology.