What breaks most · 2007 to 2018 model years
Lincoln MKX problems by year
Owners have filed 1,414 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Lincoln MKX across model years 2007 to 2018. Three years stand out: 2007 for air bags complaints, 2008 for air bags complaints and 2013 for brakes complaints. The quietest years are 2015, 2014 and 2009.
- Years to check closely: 2007, 2008, 2013
- Fewest complaints: 2015, 2014, 2009
- Complaints on file
- 14142007 to 2018, all trims
- Worst year
- 2007298 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 5220 fires · 35 injuries · 1 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 72kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 50Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 298 | 14 | 6 | Air bags (154) | |
| 253 | 3 | 7 | Air bags (157) | |
| 66 | 0 | 7 | Air bags (35) | |
| 111 | 9 | 7 | Air bags (54) | |
| 149 | 6 | 3 | Electrical system (41) | |
| 84 | 2 | 1 | Brakes (26) | |
| 163 | 7 | 1 | Brakes (60) | |
| 35 | 2 | 1 | Brakes (10) | |
| 19 | 1 | 0 | Unknown or other (6) | |
| 154 | 6 | 7 | Brakes (39) | |
| 52 | 0 | 5 | Electrical system (13) | |
| 30 | 2 | 5 | Unknown or other (8) |
What fails on the 2007 Lincoln MKX
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 52% |
154 | 5 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 12% |
35 | 3 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 11% |
32 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2007 Lincoln MKX |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 6% |
17 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2007 Lincoln MKX |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 5% |
16 | 4 | Shop brakes parts for the 2007 Lincoln MKX |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 5% |
16 | 2 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2007 Lincoln MKX |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 5% |
14 | 1 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2007 Lincoln MKX |
| Unknown or other | 4% |
12 | 1 | — |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
While driving between 35 to 60 the car is very noisy in Gear. checked all fluids and under carriage and it’s leaking oil from the ptu
-
Engine computer /transmission /alt at bill talley FORD electrical system installed alt. Then was told i had transmission problems never had before they programed engine computer two times and gave the car back back to me with problems i never had and could solve
-
On two occasions i was on my way to church when the brake pedal went completely to the floor with no braking effect. i pumped the brake peddle several times and then in both instances braking was reestablished. These instances happened about a month and a half apart.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Lincoln MKX years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2007, 2008, 2013 carry the most filings on the Lincoln MKX. The 2007 alone has 298 complaints, led by air bags.
What is the most common Lincoln MKX problem?
On the 2007 model year, the most-reported component is air bags with 154 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Lincoln MKX problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Lincoln MKX complaints that include mileage is about 72,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.