There are 50 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2017 Lincoln MKZin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
Coolent intrusion, coolent leaking into cylinder number 2 causing a misfire and excessive white smoke every time I start the vehicle, seems this is a manufacturing flaw from the research I've done with so many other people having the same complaints because the engine block is the cause of the problem the way they designed it ford acknowledged the problem saying it's the engine block because of a poor design only way to fix this is with a new redesigned engine block and that cost a lot of money I think Ford should be held accountable and should do a recalls on these and get these fixed this is not right.
The car has been experiencing a persistent cylinder #2 misfire. We replaced the coils and spark plugs, only to learn that this is a common issue with the 2.0 MKZ engines. The problem has worsened to the point where the car sometimes can barely move in traffic, creating a serious safety risk if other drivers don’t notice the vehicle slowing to a crawl. It also puts my family at risk if we ever have to exit the car in busy traffic. Ford has diagnosed the issue, but they stated there is no recall associated with this VIN. The check engine light remains on.
So I bought this car in February of last year. Since I've had it june I had to do a head gasket. Another time the high speed fuel pump had bolt come loose and oil went everywhere causing a fire. Had transmission intercooler line do the same thing. Additional fire. And just recently I problem that was supposedly fixed already wasn't and flywheel broke leaving me stranding in a parking lot for 4 days dropping transmission. The dealer didn't put back all the parts correctly either.
The vehicle lost power on the highway due to an overheating issue. Very dangerous when this happens while your going 70 mph. The vehicle was later determined to be a victim of Ford's known 2.0L Ecoboost engine that due to Ford's defective design, which Ford admits but refuses to issue a recall for. The ONLY fix for this problem is to have the long block replaced at a cost of over 9,000.00. Not exactly Ford looking out for the safety of their customers.
Head gasket failure. coolant leak into engine block. Replaced engine at a cost of $3900
Faulty engine, head gasket failure and needing total engine replace at 83,000 miles
Coolant intrusion into cylinders 2&3 causing misfire at 126,000 miles. Car lost coolant without warning and started overheating. Took to West Herr Lincoln in Buffalo NY and they said car needs new engine, Lincoln wont cover or help me with repair. I owe ally $16,000 on this car still.
Total engine failure due to coolant leaking into it. 2023 investigation on this same situation, whats the outcome
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine had failed due to coolant intrusion. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 74,000.
I am submitting this complaint to formally report that my 2017 Lincoln MKZ experienced engine block damage due to a failed torque converter weld, a known safety defect covered under NHTSA Recall 17V-427 / 18V-390 (Ford campaign 17S16). This recall specifically affects vehicles like mine equipped with a 2.0L gas engine and 6-speed automatic transmission, due to improperly welded torque converter studs. This failure causes loss of power and potential transmission or engine damage—precisely what occurred with my vehicle. When I brought my vehicle to an authorized Lincoln dealership in Alexandria, Virginia, the service department refused to cover the cost of repair, despite the vehicle falling within the recall parameters. Their refusal directly contradicts federal recall law (49 U.S. Code § 30120), which mandates that manufacturers and authorized dealers must remedy safety defects at no cost to the vehicle owner, regardless of ownership history or age. As a result of their denial, I am left with significant out-of-pocket costs for damage that should be addressed under a federally mandated safety recall. This poses both a financial burden and a public safety risk if other owners are similarly turned away. I am requesting that NHTSA: Investigate this dealership’s noncompliance with federal recall obligations. Ensure that Ford Motor Company and its authorized dealers are held accountable for safety-related repairs. Assist in compelling the dealer to honor the recall and reimburse or cover the cost of required repairs.
Ford have a Huge problem with the 2.0 ecoboost. Where coolant pass through the cylinder and make engine mix oil and coolant. Ford have a thousand of claim about this and still doesn’t have any solution and they make customer pay everything
Approximately 2 weeks ago, my 2017 Lincoln MKZ Reserve began sputtering/hesitating during acceleration. On 03/31/2025, I took it to the Heiser Ford-Lincoln in Glendale, WI for service and the diagnosis was I needed to replace my “engine long block” because of engine coolant leaking into the engine cylinders. I was given at an estimated cost of $8,000. I researched and found Technical Service Bulletin 22-2229 listing this issue as a not-so-uncommon problem with Ford’s 2.0 Liter engines. I am highly concerned that this could cause the engine to seize while driving with coolant compromising the viscosity of the engine oil. I firmly believe this should be elevated to a Recall status as this engine is used in several 2017 through 2019 Ford and Lincoln car models - and the occurrence has been frequent enough to have a TSB created.
dashboard showing Check engine light. Car hesitating, running very rough. Not driveable. Dealership diagnosed problem as coolant leaking into cylinder requiring engine replacement to fix the issue. Cost for Dealer to Diagnose problem $254.00. Cost to repair Estimate ...$7,700 + Taxes & Fees. Dealer states no assistance from Ford/Lincoln available as vehicle is out of warranty. TSB was issued June 26 2019 regarding this problem related to 2017-2019 Model Years MKZ with 2.0 L Ecoboost engine. Although there are many, many reports of this problem being a widespread issue, to date, nothing has been done to remediate the problem for owners experiencing this issue. Many other Ecoboost engines have been recalled for issues relating to failure.
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that a tune-up was needed. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who performed the tune-up. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion and engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 107,500.
I have a 2017 Lincoln MKZ; coolant is leaking into the engine block; have to replace the entire engine. Car has 82K miles on it. Bad thing is that my daughter's Ford Fusion (2017) had the same problem just two months. I had to replace the engine in her car. It is clear that Ford/Lincoln has this problem, Stories on the internet. Ford did issue a recall but just for the 1.5 Liter car; both of mine were 2.0 liter. These engines should be recalled - should not be happening. Daughters car just has 45K miles on it.
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the temperature gauge would indicate that the vehicle was hot(H). In addition, the vehicle would lose power upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where they replaced the engine under warranty. After the engine was replaced, the contact experienced an engine oil leak which was also repaired under warranty. Almost a year later, the check engine light appeared on the instrument panel; this time, the vehicle was taken to another dealer(Planet Ford Dallas-3333 Inwood Rd, Dallas, TX 75235). The contact was later informed by the dealer that coolant had leaked into the engine which resulted in engine failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.
While driving the car in commuter traffic on Route 22 Highway the car transmission stopped working and car bucked and then stopped. Upon getting out of the lane of traffic there was a large amount of transmission fluid on the ground. Car had to be towed as it would not move. Danger was the car stopping on the highway in busy traffic. Upon inspection by car dealer they found it had a broken transmission cooler line . The Lincoln dealer put in a Tube Assembly repair kit and replaced all trans cooler lines at a cost of $ 1,029.72 to me. No Warning lamps or messages came on before the lines broke.
Coil head caked in oil causing misfire due to valve guideseals in left side cylinder head leaking see attached documentation
Internal engine failure causing coolant to leak into the cylinders. Have been advised that a new engine is necessary. Car warranty has expired due to age. Mileage is 53,042.
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKZ The contact stated while driving 35MPH, the check engine light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that coolant was in the number two cylinder and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was relating the failure to TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 19-2172 (Coolant In Cylinders, White Exhaust Smoke, And/or Illuminated MIL) however the VIN was not included in the service bulletin. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered no assistance informing the contact that the VIN was not included in the service bulletin. The failure mileage was 7,500.
Showing 1–20 of 50 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026