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2016 Lincoln MKZ

HybridGas
Midsize Cars
5 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
F
Safety Signal
47 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
Recalls1 critical6
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA68
Crash ratingNHTSA overall5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA40 mpg
20202019201820172016

The 2016 Lincoln MKZ is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid and gas midsize car with 5 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the MKZ Hybrid FWD, is EPA-rated at 40 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 68 complaints, most often about the steering. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
MKZ Hybrid FWDHybridFWD2.0L 4-cyl + 280V Li-Ion413940$1,550
MKZ FWDGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo223326$2,400
MKZ AWDGasAWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo223125$2,500
MKZ FWDGasFWD3.7L 6-cyl182721$2,950
MKZ AWDGasAWD3.7L 6-cyl172420$3,100

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 36161, 36163, 36162, 36164, 36165.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2016 Lincoln MKZ is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (6)

Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high

Latches/Locks/Linkages

20S15
45,173 vehicles
ProblemFord Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015 Fiesta, 2016 Fusion, and 2016 Lincoln MKZ vehicles sold, or ever registered in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. A component inside the door latches may break, which can make it difficult to latch or possibly allow the doors to open while driving.RiskVehicle doors opening unexpectedly while driving can increase the risk of a crash or injury.FixDealers will inspect the door latch date codes and if necessary, replace all four side door latches, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 20, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S15. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 20V-177.
NHTSA campaign 23V775000reported Nov 17, 2023Ford Motor Company
▲high

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

23S12
1,280,726 vehicles
ProblemFord Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. The front brake hoses may rupture and leak brake fluid.RiskA brake fluid leak will increase brake pedal travel and extend the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers will replace the front brake hoses, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 27, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S12.
NHTSA campaign 23V162000reported Mar 10, 2023Ford Motor Company
●moderate

Latches/Locks/Linkages

20S15
288,110 vehicles
ProblemFord Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Fiesta, 2014-2016 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles sold, or ever registered in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.RiskA door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.FixFord will notify owners, and Ford or Lincoln dealers will replace the side door latches, free of charge. The recall began September 21, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S15.
NHTSA campaign 20V177000reported Mar 23, 2020Ford Motor Company
▲high

Steering

19S26
116,160 vehicles
ProblemFord Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2016 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 Ford Edge, and 2016 Lincoln MKX vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Road salt or other contaminants may corrode the electric power steering gear motor attachment bolts.RiskIf the bolts corrode, the steering gear motor may detach from the gear housing resulting in a loss of power steering assist, requiring a greater steering effort, especially at lower speeds, and increasing the risk of a crash.FixFord will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gear motor bolts and apply a wax sealer. If any of the steering gear motor attachment bolts are broken or missing, a new steering gear will be installed in the vehicle. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began October 18, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S26.
NHTSA campaign 19V632000reported Aug 29, 2019Ford Motor Company
▲high

Steering

18S08
1,301,986 vehicles
ProblemFord Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Lincoln MKZ and Ford Fusion vehicles. The steering wheel retaining bolt may loosen allowing the steering wheel to detach while driving.RiskA steering wheel detachment can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.FixFord will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel bolt with a longer bolt, free of charge. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S08.
NHTSA campaign 18V167000reported Mar 12, 2018Ford Motor Company
!critical

Fuel System, Gasoline

15C11
658 vehicles
ProblemFord Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2016 Ford Fusion vehicles manufactured September 3, 2015, to September 13, 2015, and 2016 Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured September 3, 2015, to September 12, 2015. The affected vehicles have a fuel tank that may have insufficent wall thickness. As a result, the fuel tanks may crack in the event of a crash and thus the vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 301, "Fuel System Integrity."RiskA fuel tank that cracks may leak fuel, increasing the risk of a fire.FixFord will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. The recall began on October 19, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15C11.
NHTSA campaign 15V618000reported Oct 1, 2015Ford Motor Company

NHTSA defect investigations

Electrical System:Propulsion System — Pedestrian alert sounds closed

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matt

Opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · action DP22005

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings — Front Brake Jounce Hose Failures closed

On August 8, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation based on 50 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) alleging front brake jounce hose ruptures on model year (MY) 2013-2018 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. A ruptured front brake hose results in a brake fluid leak. As a result, the driver may experience an increase in pedal travel and a reduction in the rate of deceleration, increasing the risk of a crash. It should be noted that the subject vehicles identified fell outside the scope of NHTSA Safety Recall 20V-469, which addressed front brake hoses rupturing on certain MY 2015-2018 Ford Edge and 2016-2018 Lincoln MKX vehicles. The result causes a brake fl

Opened Aug 8, 2022 · closed Mar 24, 2023 · action RQ22004

Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module — Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture open

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substa

Opened Sep 17, 2021 · action EA21002

Structure:Body — Door Latch Failures closed

In December 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation based on 235 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) alleging doors failed to latch when closed, and/or inadvertently opened while driving, on model year (MY) 2012-2014 Ford Fiesta, and 2013-2014 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ. Some VOQs reported the failure occurred after the latch had been remedied under a prior recall which involved fracture of the latch pawl spring tab due to thermally induced cyclic fatigue. Other VOQs alleged a similar failure in vehicles not previously recalled. A latch with a fractured pawl spring tab typically results in a ?door will not close? condition, however in certain somewhat rare circu

Opened Dec 19, 2019 · closed Feb 7, 2022 · action RQ19005

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
68complaints filed

8 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 6 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2016: 3 · 2017: 6 · 2018: 5 · 2019: 5 · 2020: 2 · 2021: 5 · 2022: 6 · 2023: 12 · 2024: 6 · 2025: 12 · 2026: 6

Most-cited components

Steering12
Electrical System11
Air Bags11
Service Brakes10
Unspecified7
Engine5

What owners describe

“Check engine light came on, car ran hot, and emitted smoke. It also began to run rough. Frightening to say the least. I immediately drove home and took it to my mechanic the next day. He found coolant leaked into cylinder 3. He did research and found tons of reports of the same problem with the Ford 2.0 eco boost engin…”Aug 26, 2023 · Engine · NHTSA owner report
“The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated and the contact smelled a odor of burning. The contact was able to pull over into a parking lot and examined under the hood and notice that coolant had leaked. The vehicle was towed to an independent…”Aug 4, 2023 · Engine And Engine Cooling · NHTSA owner report
“The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated while driving 45 mph, another vehicle intercepted his lane from the left, and when depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle independently shifted to the right causing the vehicle to hit a curb and damaging the front passenger side tire. No air bags deployed. The co…”Aug 3, 2023 · Service Brakes · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
4 DR AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★☆11%
4 DR FWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★☆11%
4 DR FWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★☆11%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Other MKZ model years

A

2020 Lincoln MKZ

1 recalls · 3 complaints

A

2019 Lincoln MKZ

1 recalls · 22 complaints

B

2018 Lincoln MKZ

2 recalls · 34 complaints

D

2017 Lincoln MKZ

4 recalls · 154 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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