What breaks most · 2007 to 2018 model years
Lincoln MKZ problems by year
Owners have filed 964 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Lincoln MKZ across model years 2007 to 2018. Three years stand out: 2008 for air bags complaints, 2007 for air bags complaints and 2010 for air bags complaints. The quietest years are 2016, 2015 and 2014.
- Years to check closely: 2008, 2007, 2010
- Fewest complaints: 2016, 2015, 2014
- Complaints on file
- 9642007 to 2018, all trims
- Worst year
- 2008223 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 575 fires · 32 injuries · 2 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 50kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 90Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 216 | 6 | 5 | Air bags (167) | |
| 223 | 5 | 5 | Air bags (148) | |
| 84 | 5 | 7 | Air bags (62) | |
| 130 | 12 | 9 | Air bags (92) | |
| 95 | 9 | 7 | Air bags (59) | |
| 91 | 4 | 6 | Air bags (62) | |
| 49 | 4 | 13 | Powertrain and transmission (10) | |
| 34 | 5 | 14 | Steering (10) | |
| 21 | 3 | 11 | Electrical system (8) | |
| 12 | 3 | 7 | Air bags (8) | |
| 8 | 1 | 4 | Speed control and throttle (2) | |
| 1 | 0 | 2 | Powertrain and transmission (1) |
What fails on the 2008 Lincoln MKZ
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 66% |
148 | 1 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Wheels | 14% |
31 | 0 | — |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 11% |
24 | 4 | Shop brakes parts for the 2008 Lincoln MKZ |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 4% |
8 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2008 Lincoln MKZ |
| Unknown or other | 3% |
6 | 0 | — |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 2% |
5 | 1 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 2% |
4 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2008 Lincoln MKZ |
| Tires | 1% |
3 | 0 | — |
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.
-
ABS engaged on snowy road. Now, brake pedal is extremely soft/spongy...does not engage until pedal is fully depressed. County road. Straight-line stop. Replaced brake master cylinder and performed factory pressure/service bleed. Cause is certain to be the historically faulty ABS hcu/control module.
-
When the wheel speed sensor went bad the car went into limp mode as i was entering the road from a parking lot. I narrowly missed getting hit. Very dangerous situation.
-
Driver side brake lights led lights are out already the cost 500.00 for 500.00 it should at least work for 10 years.
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 30, 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 MKZ years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2008, 2007, 2010 carry the most filings on the Lincoln MKZ. The 2008 alone has 223 complaints, led by air bags.
What is the most common Lincoln MKZ problem?
On the 2008 model year, the most-reported component is air bags with 148 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Lincoln MKZ problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Lincoln MKZ complaints that include mileage is about 50,000 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.