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Lincoln · Midsize Sedan

2020 Lincoln MKZ

Hybrid Gas

Midsize Cars
5 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

94 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 1

Complaintsnone reporting a crash, fire or injury 3

Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 41 mpg

2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2020 Lincoln MKZ is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid and gas midsize sedan with 5 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the MKZ Hybrid FWD, is EPA-rated at 41 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of A. Owners have filed 3 complaints, most often about the seats. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Lincoln MKZ — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Lincoln MKZ (2005 generation) · Photo: Navigator84 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
MKZ Hybrid FWD	Hybrid	FWD	2.0L 4-cyl + 280V Li-Ion	42	39	41	$1,650
MKZ FWD	Gas	FWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	20	31	24	$2,800
MKZ AWD	Gas	AWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	20	29	23	$2,900
MKZ FWD	Gas	FWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	18	27	21	$3,200
MKZ AWD	Gas	AWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	17	26	20	$3,350

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 41808, 41805, 41804, 41807, 41806.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
MKZ Hybrid FWD	7 / 10	California LEV-III SULEV30 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 30	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	SmartWay
MKZ AWD, MKZ FWD	5 / 10	California LEV-III ULEV70 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 70	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body style	Sedan/Saloon
Doors	4
GVWR class	Class 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less)

Engine Basics

Cylinders	4
Displacement	2 L
Engine configuration	In-Line

Engine Output

Horsepower

245 hp

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Seating

Seat rows	2
Seating capacity	5 seats

Transmission

Drivetrain	FWD/Front-Wheel Drive
Transmission	Automatic
Transmission speeds	6

Driver assistance

Standard: Adaptive cruise control, Anti-lock brakes, Automatic emergency braking, Backup camera, Blind-spot monitoring, Electronic stability control, Forward collision warning, Lane departure warning, Lane keeping assist, Parking assist, Pedestrian automatic emergency braking, Rear cross-traffic alert

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: Reserve, Reserve HEV, Standard). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada

Length	194.1 in
Width (body, without mirrors)	73.2 in
Height	58.3 in
Wheelbase	112.2 in
Track, front	62.2–62.6 in
Track, rear	62.2 in
Curb weight	3,878–3,909 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear	57/43 to 59/41

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 2 configurations: 2.0L AWD 4-door Sedan, Hybrid 4-door Sedan. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.

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Recalls (1)

Source: NHTSA recall database

●moderate

Back Over Prevention

25S72

200,237 vehicles 59% reported repaired

Problem Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Transit Connect, 2019-2020 MKZ, MKX, Edge, Continental, F-150, Nautilus, Fusion, 2019-2023 Ranger, Mustang, 2020-2021 EcoSport, Expedition, Navigator, 2020-2022 Escape, F-250 SD, Corsair, 2020-2023 Aviator, Transit, 2020-2024 Explorer, 2021-2024 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. A software error may cause the rearview camera to display a blank image, or the image may remain on the display after the backing event has ended. Risk A rearview camera that displays a blank image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle. A rearview image that continues to be displayed after the vehicle is shifted out of reverse may distract the driver. Both of these situations can increase the risk of a crash. Fix Dealers will update the rearview camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S72.

Filed with NHTSADefect report PDF Owner letter PDF

NHTSA campaign 25V442000 reported Jun 27, 2025 Ford Motor Company the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

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 mat

Opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · action DP22005 · the investigation’s page →

Whether any of this applies to one specific MKZ

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2020 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Lincoln publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Lincoln’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2020 Lincoln MKZ, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

3complaints filed

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

2.2 per 10,000 built · Lincoln reported 13,944 MKZ built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2021: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2026: 1

Most-cited components

Seats 1

Electrical System 1

Steering 1

Unspecified 1

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

My daughter almost killed herself in the car at ; the steering wheel and wheels got stuck. She's stuck at close by in the middle of the road, She's already called the mechanic and towing company and his assistant so I can get to work. The car is under my name . Car was towed to a mechanic shop

Steering Jun 13, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11666748

came out to his vehicle and rear seats and seat belts were melted from interior part of the seats

Seats Sep 20, 2021 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11433686

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.

Reported by Lincoln itself: 2 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 2 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 14 per 100,000 built. Every MKZ model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
4 DR AWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	11%
4 DR FWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	11%
4 DR FWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	11%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 132

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-02-17

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 129 service bulletins, 3 others

Most often about: Electrical System, Equipment, Power Train, Unknown Or Other, Engine.

SSM 54589 Other
2026-02-17 · Electrical System
Some 2019-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with SYNC3 may experience various connectivity concerns with The Ford App Lincoln App including but not limited to: missing activation prompt pop-upon the vehicle's center display screen when attempting to activate vehicle through The Ford App Lincoln App, incorrect location global positioning system GPS reported through The Ford App Lincoln App,
SSM 54366 Service bulletin
2025-11-12 · Power Train
Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022, P0024 and/or P0025. Pinpoint test HK in the Powertrain Control and Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) or in Section 303-14 of the Workshop Manual (WSM) has been updated to address this concern.
SSM 54116 Service bulletin
2025-08-07 · Electrical System
Various 2019-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with SYNC 3 may experience a partially or fully black center display screen at start-up using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. This does not affect rear camera operation. This may be due to interference from the phone being connected into the media hub using a universal serial bus (USB) cable during SYNC system boot up. To correct his condition, a
24B47 S1 Other
2025-05-10 · Unknown Or Other
CERTAIN 2018-2024 MODEL YEAR VARIOUS VEHICLES — UPDATE SYNC SOFTWARE
24B47 S1 Other
2024-12-04 · Unknown Or Other
Certain 2018 - 2024 Model Year Various Vehicles Update SYNC Software
SSM 53174 Service bulletin
2024-11-27 · Unknown Or Other
Various vehicles equipped with a 2.7L or a 3.0L gas engine may require a crankshaft bolt replacement during repairs. Various vehicles equipped with a 2.7L or a 3.0L gas engine may require a crankshaft bolt replacement during repairs.
SSM 53040 Service bulletin
2024-10-10 · Unknown Or Other
While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions.
SSM 52820 Service bulletin
2024-08-23 · Unknown Or Other
Some 2019-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with a telematics control unit module (TCU) may exhibit the Location toggle button in the Connectivity setting menu grayed out with an inability to switch it off.

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

Code	What it means	Most often filed under	Where it appears
B156D B156D on Lincoln →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Electrical System · Battery →	8 bulletins
P0011 P0011 on Lincoln →	Camshaft timing on bank 1 is more advanced than commanded.	Power Train	6 bulletins
P0012 P0012 on Lincoln →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	6 bulletins
P0014 P0014 on Lincoln →	The second camshaft on bank 1 is timed further advanced than commanded.	Power Train	6 bulletins
P0015 P0015 on Lincoln →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	6 bulletins
P0016 P0016 on Lincoln →	The crankshaft and camshaft are not where they should be relative to each other — timing, chain or phaser.	Power Train	6 bulletins
P0017 P0017 on Lincoln →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	6 bulletins
P0018 P0018 on Lincoln →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	6 bulletins
P0019 P0019 on Lincoln →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	6 bulletins
P0021 P0021 on Lincoln →	Camshaft timing on bank 2 is more advanced than commanded.	Power Train	6 bulletins
P0022 P0022 on Lincoln →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	6 bulletins
P0024 P0024 on Lincoln →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	6 bulletins

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

New York inspections 1.4%

failed emissions

574 initial inspections of 569 vehicles.

Measure	The 2020 MKZ	Every 2020 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	1.4%	2.2%	571
Failed the safety inspection	1.1%	1.6%	574
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0%	0.19%	574
Miles driven a year	7,129	9,980	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	44,536	62,630	odometer at inspection

New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2020 vehicle” is every 2020 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).

MKZ by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2020 this page A 1 3 41 mpg 2019 A 1 23 41 mpg 2018 C 2 38 40 mpg 2017 D 4 158 40 mpg 2016 D 6 71 40 mpg

Common questions about the 2020 MKZ

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2020 Lincoln MKZ have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 1 recall campaign for the 2020 Lincoln MKZ. The most serious on file is 25V442000, covering Back Over Prevention. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2020 Lincoln MKZ?

NHTSA gave the 2020 Lincoln MKZ 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 4-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it A (94/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2020 Lincoln MKZ?

Across the 5 EPA-rated configurations of the 2020 Lincoln MKZ, the best EPA combined figure is 41 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2020 Lincoln MKZ?

Transport Canada measured it at 194.1 in long, 73.2 in wide (body, without mirrors), 58.3 in tall, on a 112.2 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 3,878–3,909 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2020 Lincoln MKZ?

Owners have filed 3 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Lincoln MKZ, most often about seats, electrical system, steering. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2020 Lincoln MKZ?

The EPA smog rating for the 2020 Lincoln MKZ runs 5 to 7 out of 10 across its configurations. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III SULEV30, California LEV-III ULEV70, Federal Tier 3 Bin 30, Federal Tier 3 Bin 70 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2020 Lincoln MKZ?

The manufacturer has filed 132 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2020 Lincoln MKZ, most often covering electrical system, equipment, power train. The most recent is dated 2026-02-17. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2020 Lincoln MKZ do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2020 Lincoln MKZ failed the emissions check on 1.4% of first inspections — lower than the 2.2% for every 2020 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.1% (every 2020 vehicle: 1.6%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

Data	Held	Source	What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations	5 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	5 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	1	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	3	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	3 tested	NHTSA NCAP	Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins	132	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	1	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	Open and closed defect investigations, with the agency's own narrative.
Driver-assist crash reports	none	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	13 fields	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions	7 fields	Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications	Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipment	none	Manufacturer press kit	We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

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). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

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

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