NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2015 Lincoln MKZ. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
OUR VEHICLE IS LESS THAN YEAR OLD AND HAVE RUST COMPLETELY AROUND EDGE OF HOOD. OUR WARRANTY FOR CORROSION ENDS IN NOV 2019.....BUT LINCOLN/FORD HAS DENIED OUR CLAIM DUE TO NO 'PERFORATIONS' OCCURRING --YET.. SINCE LINCOLN/FORD USED INCOMPATABLE METALS ON THE RIM OF THEIR HOODS....WOULDN'T THIS BE CONSIDERED MFG. DEFECT?. I KNOW THAT THIS IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE BUT WE WOULD HAVE NEVER HAVE INVESTED $$$$ IN THIS VEHICLE. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE DEALER, THAT THE HOOD WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED....THEN THE TWO METALS (ONE DIRECTLY ON THE VEHICLE AND THE ONE AROUND THE SEAM OF THE HOOD) WILL BE COATED. WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT'S THE ONLY WAY TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. WE CANNOT RESELL VEHICLE OR MAYBE EVEN AFFORD REPAIRS SINCE WE ARE BOTH RETIRED. FORD MUST HAVE REALIZED THE TWO IMCOMPATABLE METALS WERE THE PROBLEM. NOW IT SEEMS THAT THEY ARE PLAYING WORD GAMES. I NEED YOUR HELP AND EXPERTISE IN SOLVING THIS EXPENSIVE PROBLEM. I KNOW THAT THIS IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE BUT IT GETS ME ANGRY THAT I BOUGHT AMERICAN AND AM GETTING TREATED IN THIS MATTER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANTICPATED COOPERATION IN THIS MATTER, I CAN BE REACHED AT---[XXX]--- [XXX] S THE ONLY WAY TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TT
SEAT BELT SENSOR DOES NOT COME ON ALL THE TIME WHEN SEAT IS OCCUPIED, HORN DOES NOT WORK ALL THE TIME. I WAS INFORMED THAT THIS COULD BE A MAJOR PROBLEM IF LEFT UNREPAIRED. I CANT SEEM TO GET MY LOCAL LINCOLN DEALERSHIP TO FIX THE PROBLEM WEITHER ITS A MODULE OR SOMETHING ELSE.
IN UNDER 4 YEARS/50K MILES BATTERY HAS BEEN CHANGED 4 TIMES. EVERY TIME THE CAUSE IS A BAD BATTERY AND NOT A DRAW. THERE IS AN UNDERLYING ISSUE WITH THE MKZ ELECTRICAL ARCHITECTURE. DEALER SAYS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM.
REAR BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED.
NO DISCERNING ISSUES LEADING UP TO THE TIRE FAILURE, IT'S BEEN MULTIPLE FAILURES, INDUCES BY POTHOLES OR ROAD GRATES YOU WOULD NORMALLY ENCOUNTER WHILE DRIVING. IN 2 INCIDENTS THE SIDEWALLS OF THE TIRES FAILED COMPLETELY RIPPING THE TIRE SIDEWALL OPEN. ONE SIMPLY JUST FLATTENED THE TIRE, AS OF NOW, THE SHOP IS CLOSED TODAY SO I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S REPAIRABLE YET.
IT STARTED MONTHS AGO WITH A STRANGE HUMMING NOISE COMING FROM THE BACK OF THE CAR ON THE RIGHT SIDE ,WHERE THE GAS TANK IS. IT WOULD COME AND GO VERY COUPLE OF WEEKS. MY MECHANIC CHECKED IT OUT AND FOUND NOTHING. ONE DAY, WITH THE HUMMING SOUND VERY LOUD , THE CAR LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING, ALMOST CRASHED. HAD IT TOWED BACK TO THE MECHANIC ,WHO I TRUST AND AGAIN COULD FIND NOTHING. I CALLED A LINCOLN DEALER AND THEY KNEW NOTHING OF A GAS PUMP RECALL. MY MECHANIC LOOKED UP ON EDMONDS AND NOTICED THEIR WAS A RECALL ON FUEL PUMPS FOR THE MKC BUT MY CAR MISSED THE INCLUSION DATE BY A MONTH. SO WE REPLACED THE PUMP.$700. SEEMED TO WORK UNTIL 2 DAYS AGO WHEN I TRIED TO START THE CAR BUT COULDN'T DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAUSE IT WAS DOWN TO THE FLOOR AND THE DASH BOARD SCREEN HAD ALL CRAZY LIGHTS FLASHING WITH STRANGE CLICKING NOISES COMING FROM THE DASH. THE LIGHTS AND RADIO WORKED FINE.ONE DAY LATER, NOW THE LIGHTS DON'T WORK AT ALL. MAYBE A SEPARATE ISSUE? THERE SEEMS TO BE MANY OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPLAINTS ON WEBSITES ABOUT THE MKC. I'M GOING TO REPLACE THE BATTERY AND IF THAT DOESN'T WORK, HAVE IT TOWED TO A LINCOLN DEALER.
ON JUNE 20TH 2018 WHILE TURNING ONTO A CITY STREET AT ABOUT 15 MILES PER HOUR THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY FAILED LOCKING THE STEERING WHEEL. IT TOOK TREMENDOUS EFFORT TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO CONTROL THE CAR. BECAUSE OF THE SLOW SPEED I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR JUST BEFORE GOING OFF THE ROAD. AT THE SAME TIME SEVERAL LIGHTS ON THE DASH BOARD LIT UP OR WERE FLASHING. ONCE I STOPPED THE CAR I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF. I WAITED A FEW MINUTES AND RESTARTED THE CAR. WHEN I STARTED THE CAR THE STEERING WORKED FINE AND NO LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. I PROCEEDED VERY CAUTIOUSLY AT A SLOW SPEED THE SHORT DISTANCE TO MY HOME. AS I APPROACHED MY HOME THE STEERING FAILED AGAIN, THIS TIME RE-STARTING THE CAR DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM SO I PARKED THE CAR AND CONTACTED THE LINCOLN DEALER. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER THE FOLLOWING DAY. ABOUT A WEEK LATER I WAS NOTIFIED THE CAR HAD BEEN REPAIRED. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD REPLACED THE ELECTRONIC STEERING GEAR. WHEN I WENT TO PICK THE CAR UP I WAS INFORMED THAT, ON A DEALER TEST DRIVE JUST BEFORE I ARRIVED, THE STEERING HAD FAILED AGAIN WITH THE NEW STEERING GEAR INSTALLED. I WAS PROVIDED A LOANER VEHICLE AND IT WAS SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE THE DEALER WAS ABLE TO GET AND INSTALL A SECOND NEW STEERING GEAR. THE STEERING HAS PERFORMED PERFECTLY SINCE. THIS EXPERIENCING WAS TERRIFYING FOR US AS WE HAD JUST RETURNED FROM 4,000 MILE TRIP, MOSTLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. HAD THE STEERING FAILURE OCCURRED DURING THE TRIP IT MAY HAVE RESULTED IN A FATAL CRASH. I AM ALSO VERY CONCERNED THAT THE NEW REPLACEMENT STEERING GEAR INSTALLED BY A LINCOLN DEALER UNDER WARRANTY ALSO FAILED. WOMEN OR ELDERLY PEOPLE SHOULD BE TERRIFIED AT THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS OCCURRING TO THEM. THEY SIMPLY WOULD NOT HAVE THE STRENGTH TO CONTROL THE CAR IN SUCH A SITUATION. THE CAR IS STILL UNDER NEW-CAR WARRANTY.
THIS CAR BECOMES UNCONTROLLABLE ON A SNOW ROAD. IT CAN'T MAKE A TURN WHEN YOU NEED IT. IT GOES VERY UNSTABLE ON A STRAIGHT ROAD. I WASN'T ABLE TO STOP ON A RED LIGHT , AND I WASN'T ABLE TO MAKE A LEFT TURN, TWICE ON ONE 12 MILES TRIP. FIRST I DROVE WITH LITTLE SPEED NO MORE THAN 25 MILES AN HOUR, AFTER, ON SECOND INTERSECTION I STAYED ON A RED LIGHT AND STARTED MY TURNING FROM 0 SPEED.
THE REAR BACKUP LIGHT TO LESS THAN ADIQUATE. AT NIGHT WHEN BACKING UP THE LIGHT IS SO DIM THAT I'M UNSURE IF THERE ARE NO OBSTICLES IN THE WAY, LIKE PEOPLE AND CARS. A BRIGHTER LIGHT COULD AVOID BACKING UP ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES AND POSSIBLE DEATHS.
IN SUDDEN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, WHEN ONES REACTION TO HITTING THE HORN TO GET THE OTHER DRIVERS ATTENTION, THE HORN DOES NOT WORK. AFTERWARDS I WOULD TRY THE HORN IN A NON-EMERGENCY SITUATION WHEN ONE HAS TIME TO LOOK, THINK AND PRESS THE HORN BOTTON, LOWER MIDDLE CENTER THE HORN DOES WORK. WITH TWO HANDS ON THE STEERING WHEEL AT 10 O'CLOCK AND 2 O'CLOCK, ONE SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE THEIR THUMBS TO APPLY THE HORN, BUT THAT TAKES WAY TOO MUCH PRESSURE. THE SIDE HORN ACTIVATOR NEEDS TO BE MUCH MORE SENSITIVE. ACCIDENTS, INJURIES AND DEATHS COULD BE AVOIDED IF THE SIDE HORN ACTIVATOR IS MUCH MORE SENSITIVE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 LINCOLN MKZ. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE PANORAMIC MOON ROOF SHATTERED WITH A LOUD NOISE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SEVERAL PIECES FLEW OFF THE VEHICLE, BUT CAUSED NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LINCOLN OF TROY (1950 W MAPLE RD, TROY, MI 48084, (248) 643-6600), BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE DEALER INFORMED HIM THAT AN OBJECT COULD HAVE STRUCK THE PANORAMIC MOON ROOF. THE CONTACT WAS REFERRED TO HIS AUTO INSURANCE COMPANY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 LINCOLN MKZ. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH MAKING A TURN, THE VEHICLE HESITATED AND THE DRIVER HEARD A POPPING NOISE. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING AND CRASHED INTO A CURB. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED AND TOWED TO A DEALER (DANA FORD LINCOLN, STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK, 718-983-8700) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE A-FRAME WAS FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TECHNICIAN ALSO RECOMMENDED A WHEEL ALIGNMENT. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V643000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,000. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 LINCOLN MKZ. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL THE DOORS TOOK NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO OPEN. THE DEALER, OURISMAN FORD AND LINCOLN OF ALEXANDRIA IN ALEXANDRIA, VA, WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THE DOOR FAILURE AFTER SEVEN ATTEMPTS OF TRYING TO OPEN THE DOORS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE FAILURE WAS NORMAL. THE CONTACTED STATED THAT THE ISSUE WAS NOT LISTED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 20,000. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED.
WHILE CAR IS IN MOTION THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT SUDDENLY GOES ON AT THE SAME TIME THE AIR CONDITIONING GOES OFF AND WILL NOT GO BACK ON. SIMULTANEOUSLY THE RADIO AND POWER WINDOW AND POWER SEATS AND POWER MIRROR STOP WORKING. TO DATE THIS HAS HAPPEN APPROXIMATELY EIGHT TIMES.
TRANSMISSION HARD SHIFT FROM 1-2 AND 3-4, STARTED EXPERIENCING PROBLEM APPROXIMATELY 24,000 MI HAVE TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP TWICE(ONCE IN FEB FOR 4 DAYS) AND SECOND TIME IN MAR FOR 7 DAYS), FIRST TIME SAID IT WAS LEAKING FLUID AND REPLACED "O" RING. A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER IN MARCH RETURNED, WAS GETTING WORSE, SAID THEY REBUILT THE TRANSMISSION. SHIFTS AS IF SOMEONE HIT ME IN REAR WHEN INCREASING SPEED PULLING AWAY FROM TRAFFIC LIGHT ON A CITY STREET OR MERGING ONTO HIGHWAY. NOW MAKES A WHINING NOISE WHEN ACCELERATING FROM TRAFFIC LIGHT OF MERGING, ANYTIME SHIFTING GEARS IN GENERAL.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 LINCOLN MKZ. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V875000 (SEAT BELTS); HOWEVER, THE PART FOR THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.
THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN SERVICE 14 TIMES IN 16 MONTHS FOR VARIOUS INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL AND SENSOR PROBLEMS. IT WAS PURCHASED NEW IN JUNE 2015 AND CURRENTLY HAS 14K MILES. IT HAS SEVERAL MAJOR ISSUES BUT THE TWO SAFETY RISKS ARE: 1) THE DRIVER SEAT IS SUPPOSED TO AUTOMATICALLY RECLINE AND THE STEERING WHEEL ADJUSTS UPWARD TO ALLOW THE DRIVER TO EXIT THE VEHICLE WHEN THE IGNITION IS TURNED OFF. THE SEAT IS SUPPOSED TO RE-ADJUST FORWARD & STEERING WHEEL DOWNWARD TO THE MEMORY THAT THE DRIVER SETS ONCE THE IGNITION IS TURNED ON. TWICE THE SEAT AND STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT ADJUST TO THE MEMORY SETTINGS. THE SEAT STAYED RECLINED AND THE STEERING WHEEL REMAINED UPWARD. I PUSH THE LEVERS TO MOVE THE SEAT AND STEERING WHEEL MANUALLY IN ORDER TO DRIVE AND REACH THE PEDALS, AND TO SEE ABOVE THE STEERING WHEEL BUT NEITHER WOULD MOVE. I HAD TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE CAREFULLY TO THE NEAREST FORD DEALERSHIP, BARELY REACHING THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE PEDALS WITH THE STEERING WHEEL RAISED, PARTIALLY COVERING MY VISION. 2) THE MOST CRITICAL RECENT SAFETY RISK (WHICH MADE ITS VISIT #14 TO THE FORD SERVICE DEPT) IS WHEN THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY SHUTT OFF WHILE IN MOTION IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET AS I WAS ABOUT TO ENTER THE FREEWAY. WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED COMPLETELY IN THE STREET, I WAS DRIVING APPROX 30MPH AND A RED "POWER ACCESSORY" LIGHT LIT UP. I DID NOT UPLOAD ALL THE REPAIR INVOICES. THERE ARE TOO MANY TO UPLOAD; HOWEVER I DO KEEP COPIES.
IN 20K MILES ENTIRE CAR STOPPED WORKING AFTER IN GARAGE OVER WEEKEND AND NO LIGHTS WERE ON, NO ISSUE WAS FOUND INITIALLY BUT BATTERY WAS CHANGED ONCE IN A NEW CAR IN LESS THAN 2 YEARS. CAN CAN SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING?
I BOUGHT A NEW 2015 LINCOLN MKZ. I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALER FOR SOME ROUTINE SERVICE AND MENTIONED THAT THE SINGLE BACK UP LIGHT IS WAY TOO DIM. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT THERE IS NO ADJUSTMENT TO IT. NO ACCIDENT JUST SOMETHING THAT I NOTICED WHEN BACKING UP IN THE DARK.
4 TIMES SINCE CAR WAS BRAND NEW I HAVE HAD TO CONTACT DEALER AND CORPORATE LINCOLN ABOUT THE SAME VERY DANGEROUS REOCCURRING PROBLEM. THEY CONTINUE TO NOT BE ABLE TO FIX. THE PROBLEM HAPPENING,AND AGAIN TODAY IS THAT THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT GOES ON AND THE AIR CONDITIONING STOPS WORKING AND THE POWER WINDOWS WON'T OPEN ON PASSENGER SIDE AND THE RADIO WON'T GO ON AND POWER DRIVERS SEAT MOVE BACK AND FORTH ON ITS OWN WHILE DRIVING!!!! PROBLEMS HAPPEN BOTH WHILE DRIVING AND IN STATIONARY POSITION. THIS HAS HAPPENED SINCE APPROXIMATELY JULY 2015 THROUGH TODAY AUGUST 2017. DEALER AND LINCOLN ARE BECOMING LESS AND LESS AMICABLE IN HELPING US GET THE CAR REPAIRED AND PROVIDE LOANER VEHICLE EVEN THOUGH IT IS UNDER FULL WARRANTY WITH ONLY 23000 MILES ON IT.
TAKATA AIRBAG.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 LINCOLN MKZ. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED ATTEMPTING TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A BUILDING AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,200. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 LINCOLN MKZ. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WERE AIR BUBBLES IN THE WINDSHIELD AND ALL WINDOWS OF THE VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, THERE WAS A GLARE ON THE WINDSHIELD DIMINISHING THE CONTACT'S VISION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE OR REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS AWARE OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V484000 (VISIBILITY); HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6.