What breaks most · 2003 to 2011 model years
Lincoln Zephyr problems by year
Owners have filed 210 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Lincoln Zephyr across model years 2003 to 2011. One year stands out: 2006 for air bags complaints. The quietest years are 2003 and 2007.
- Years to check closely: 2006
- Fewest complaints: 2003, 2007
- Complaints on file
- 2102003 to 2011, all trims
- Worst year
- 2006198 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 51 fires · 7 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 77kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 16Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (1) | |
| 198 | 5 | 5 | Air bags (129) | |
| 3 | 0 | 4 | Air bags (3) | |
| 7 | 0 | 4 | Air bags (7) | |
| 1 | 0 | 3 | Air bags (1) |
What fails on the 2006 Lincoln Zephyr
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 65% |
129 | 3 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Wheels | 13% |
26 | 1 | — |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 6% |
11 | 1 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2006 Lincoln Zephyr |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 5% |
9 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2006 Lincoln Zephyr |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 4% |
8 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2006 Lincoln Zephyr |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 4% |
7 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Unknown or other | 3% |
6 | 0 | — |
| Tires | 3% |
6 | 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.
-
When husband was driving the gas pedal stuck in the mat causing him to run off road causing damage to hood, fender, headlight, grill & left front wheel got damaged but since we only have liability it has forced us to drive it damaged. In motion, ran into woods
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 Zephyr years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2006 carries the most filings on the Lincoln Zephyr. The 2006 alone has 198 complaints, led by air bags.
What is the most common Lincoln Zephyr problem?
On the 2006 model year, the most-reported component is air bags with 129 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Lincoln Zephyr problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Lincoln Zephyr complaints that include mileage is about 77,000 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.