2008 Lincoln Mkz problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Air Bags (148) · Service Brakes (45) · Wheels (30)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Lincoln Mkz model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
117 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (5)
Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module 2021-03-10 · campaign 21V158000 · 2,602,668 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion, Lincoln Zephyr, Lincoln MKZ, 2006-2011 Mercury Milan, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, and Lincoln MKX vehicles. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver-side airbag inflator or module with an alternate one, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 9, 2021 for the passenger side, and November 14, 2022 for the driver side. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S12.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/Module 2019-12-18 · campaign 19V904000 · 600,166 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2006-2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ vehicles. The valves within the ABS Hydraulic Control Units (HCU) may react with brake fluids containing specific corrosion preventative additives. This reaction may cause the valves to not close properly.
Risk: If the valves do not properly close, additional brake pedal travel may be required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will flush the brake system with DOT 4 fluid and install a new brake fluid reservoir cap. In addition, the HCU will be tested to detect a possible stuck valve condition, replacing the HCU as necessary. All services will be performed free of charge. The recall began April 1, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S54.
Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module 2017-01-10 · campaign 17V024000 · 654,695 vehicles ⚠ DO NOT DRIVE
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012 Ford Fusion and Mustang and Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Ford is recalling certain 2009 Ford Ranger, Edge, Fusion and Mustang, Lincoln MKX, MKZ
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners of the recall and that parts are not yet available began mailing March 1, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S01.
Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module 2016-05-31 · campaign 16V384000 · 1,892,343 vehicles ⚠ DO NOT DRIVE
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Ford Ranger vehicles, 2006-2011 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles, and 2005-2011 Ford Mustang vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islan
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Ford mailed interim letters informing owners that parts are not yet available on July 15, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S01.
Equipment 2014-05-29 · campaign 14E028000 · 82,579 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain all weather driver side accessory floor mats sold for use in model year 2006-2011 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan, 2006 Lincoln Zephyr, and 2007-2011 Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured November 9, 2007, through October 31, 2010. The affected floor mats may move and possibly interfere with the accelerator pedal.
Risk: The floor mat could shift such that it could interfere with the accelerator pedal, preventing its return to an idle position, which could result in unintended vehicle speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install new replacement mats, free of charge. The recall began in July 2014. Owners may contact Ford's customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S07. NOTE: Vehicles built after October 31, 2010, while potentially equipped with the same floor mats, are equipped with a Brake Over Accelerator (BOA) feature that prevents simultaneous accelerator and brake application, allowing the vehicle to be safely stopped by pressing firm
Service bulletins (21)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-02-24 · SSM 54601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
ford and lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. unlike the integrated wired keypad, the accessory wireless keypad master code cannot be retrieved from the
Equipment 2024-04-24 · SSM 52476 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
all accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. if the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the vehicle s owner during initial delivery. unlike the integrated (wired) factory keypad,
Engine And Engine Cooling 2024-02-08 · SSM 52243 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
when performing any transmission fluid change or topoff involving motorcraftâ® premium atf, merconâ® v has replaced all versions of motorcraftâ® premium atf and can be used going forward. mixing motorcraftâ® premium atf and merconâ® v in the same transmission is acceptable. after 31-jan-2024, motorc
Air Bags 2023-07-27 · 22B05 S1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
certain 2005-2014 mustang, 2005-2006 gt, 2004-2011 ranger, 2006-2012 fusion and mkz/zephyr, 2006-2011 milan, and 2007-2010 edge & mkx vehicles driver & passenger airbag module quality control inspection reason for this supplement ã¢â⢠updated ranger technical information to include images of a
Air Bags 2022-03-28 · 22B05 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
certain 2005-2014 mustang, 2005-2006 gt, 2004-2011 ranger, 2006-2012 fusion & mkz/zephyr, 2006-2011 milan, and 2007-2010 edge & mkx vehicles driver & passenger airbag module quality control inspection: ford motor company has determined that some vehicles claimed by dealers as repaired under takata a
Service Brakes, Hydraulic 2021-12-07 · 21N11-S3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
certain 2006-2010 model year fusion/milan/mkz/zephyr vehicles equipped with anti-lock brake systems dot 3 brake fluid and anti-lock brake system function in some of the affected vehicles, customers may return to the dealer with complaints of extended brake pedal travel after either 19s54 or 20s14
Showing the 6 most recent of 21 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2024-07-06 · Service Brakes“have tried to schedule an appointment with my local lincoln dealer to have the recall on my car fixed but they told at this time they have no way to fix it.…”
2024-07-02 · Structure:body“ 2008 lincoln mkz awd. driver's door won't open from inside. multiple online mentions of this dangerous problem. can't get out of vehicle in case of emergency. …”
2023-10-10 · Service Brakes“bought vehicle from owner 02/2023. check brake system light came on a few months after, breaks started to skip and making a sound. took it in to ford dealership and they showed 2 recalls but never said it would be fixed. …”
2023-01-17 · Power Train“vehicle is awd, part is transfer case/power transfer unit. many issues from customers online and what was marketed as a lifetime part was changed to maintenance at 30,000 miles since the amount of gear oil is minuscule and the heat this part has to contend with is extreme due to location. car becomes undriveable very quickly and is very dangero…”
2022-11-01 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · 122,416 mi · 💥 crash“the contact owns a 2008 lincoln mkz. the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle overheated, and smoke was coming inside the cabin through the a/c vents. the contact was able to veer to the side of the road to inspect the vehicle and noticed that coolant was leaking onto the ground. the vehicle was towed to the dealer…”
2022-08-20 · Power Train“i experienced unintended acceleration upon entering a highway. the vehicle accelerated normally in first gear, but upon shifting into second gear, acceleration exceeded pedal input, as though the cruise control 'resume' function had activated. acceleration continued with my foot completely off the accelerator pedal and with full brake application. …”
2022-06-07 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic“the contact owns a 2008 lincoln mkz. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 19v904000 (service brakes, hydraulic) and 21v158000 (air bags) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. the contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. the manufacturer…”
2022-04-12 · Service Brakes“i called ford dealerships to fix the problems back in 2019 but the two recalls have not been fixed yet. recently, my car was almost failing to stop while i was breaking down.…”
2022-03-22 · Service Brakes“manufacturer recall number19s54 nhtsa recall number19v904 manufacturer recall number21s12 nhtsa recall number21v158 i've been waiting to complete the first recall for my car for over two years and during that time a second recall for the airbag has come out. i am afraid to drive my car and put others in danger and i'm afraid to sell my car becaus…”
2021-11-18 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip · 113,000 mi“the contact owns a 2008 lincoln mkz. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the brake pedal would only respond when depressed all the way to the floorboard. the abs warning light was illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the vehicle speed sensor needed to be replaced. the contact stated t…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.