2015 Lincoln Mkz problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Back Over Prevention (10) · Service Brakes (9) · Steering (8)
🧭 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
47 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (11)
Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera 2025-10-13 · campaign 25V695000 · 1,448,655 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Flex, 2015 Explorer, Lincoln MKT, Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 C-Max, Escape, Taurus, 2016 Fusion, 2018-2019 Taurus, 2019 Lincoln MKT, Fiesta, and 2020 Mustang vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, intermittent, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.
Risk: A rearview camera that fails to properly display an image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on October 25, 2025. Additional letters will be mailed once the final remedy is available on each phase. Mustang owner notification letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford'
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings 2023-03-10 · campaign 23V162000 · 1,280,726 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. The front brake hoses may rupture and leak brake fluid.
Risk: A brake fluid leak will increase brake pedal travel and extend the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers 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.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:pedals And Linkages 2022-01-13 · campaign 22V011000 · 199,085 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Fusion, Lincoln MKZ, and 2015 Mustang vehicles originally sold or ever registered, in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Hawaii. Exposure to certain environmental conditions, such as high temperatures, high humidity, and salt air can cause the brake pedal bumper to corrode and separate from the brake pedal.
Risk: A separated brake pedal bumper can cause the brake lights to illuminate continuously, causing confusion to other drivers and increasing the risk of a crash. On automatic transmission vehicles, a missing brake pedal bumper can allow the driver to shift the vehicle out of the "PARK" position without depressing the brake, allowing the vehicle to rollaway, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the brake pedal bumpers and clutch pedal bumpers, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on March 4, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on June 13, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S02.
Exterior Lighting:headlights 2020-04-24 · campaign 20E025000 · 130 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain Replacement Headlamps, part number DP5Z-13008-T and DP5Z-13008-V, sold for use with 2013-2016 Lincoln MKZ vehicles. The headlamps may have an improper beam pattern and incorrect horizontal adjustment, the side markers may not illuminate and DOT markings may be missing. As such, these headlamps fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk: The incorrect headlamps may reduce the driver's visibility or make the vehicle less visible, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify vehicle manufacturers, and dealers will inspect the headlamps, and replace the headlamps, as necessary, free of charge. Additionally, Ford will instruct dealers to return all improper headlamps and not to install them on any vehicles. The recall began June 3, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20C10.
Latches/Locks/Linkages:doors:latch 2020-03-23 · campaign 20V177000 · 288,110 vehicles
Defect: Ford 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 lea
Risk: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
Fix: Ford 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.
Steering:electric Power Assist System 2019-08-29 · campaign 19V632000 · 116,160 vehicles
Defect: Ford 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
Risk: If 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.
Fix: Ford 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.
Seat Belts:front 2019-08-12 · campaign 19V590000 · 103,374 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. In the event of a crash, heat from the deployment of a seat belt pretensioner may cause a front seat belt anchor cable to fail.
Risk: A failed seat belt anchor cable cannot properly restrain the front seat occupants, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will apply a protective coating to the seat belt cable, free of charge. The recall began September 9, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S25. Note: This recall is an expansion of a recall 16V-875.
Steering: Steering Wheel/Handle Bar 2018-03-12 · campaign 18V167000 · 1,301,986 vehicles
Defect: Ford 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.
Risk: A steering wheel detachment can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford 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.
Seat Belts:front 2016-12-05 · campaign 16V875000 · 603,392 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Ford Fusion vehicles manufactured November 2, 2012, to July 31, 2014, and 2013-2015 Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured November 14, 2012, to July 31, 2014. In the event of a crash, heat from the deployment of a seat belt pretensioner may cause a front seat belt anchor cable to fail.
Risk: If the driver or front passenger seatbelt cables cannot properly restrain the front seat occupants, they would be at an increased risk of injury.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will apply a protective coating to the seat belt cable, free of charge. The recall began May 16, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S42.
Steering:electric Power Assist System 2015-04-28 · campaign 15V250000 · 487,301 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured February 3, 2012, to March 20, 2015, and 2015 Ford Edge vehicles manufactured February 26, 2015, to February 28, 2015, and originally sold, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsi
Risk: If the bolts corrode, the steering gear motor may detach from the gear housing resulting in a loss of power steering assist. Loss of power steering assist would require a higher steering effort, especially at lower speeds, which may increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will apply sealer and replace the steering gear motor bolts as required. If one or more 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 on June 24, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S14.
Exterior Lighting:headlights 2015-04-27 · campaign 15V248000 · 21,435 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured February 17, 2014, to March 19, 2015, and equipped with daytime running lights (DRL). In the affected vehicles, the parking lights do not reduce their light output from a DRL level when used in conjunction with the headlights. As such, the light output may exceed the the permissable amount allowed by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associate
Risk: If the light output is excessive, oncoming traffic may be temporarily blinded, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford has notified owners, and dealers will update the lighting control software, free of charge. The recall began on May 8, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for the recall is 15C02.
Service bulletins (139)
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.
Power Train 2025-11-12 · SSM 54366 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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 th
Unknown Or Other 2024-10-10 · SSM 53040 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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.
Unknown Or Other 2024-08-08 · 20R01 S1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
certain 2014-2015 model year fiesta, 2014-2016 model year fusion, mkz and 2014-2016 model year transit connect vehicles not covered in safety recall: 20s15 or 23s36 door latch replacement and inspection
Engine And Engine Cooling 2024-03-06 · SSM 52335 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
for 2015-2024 ford and lincoln vehicles equipped with turbocharged engines and customer concern of an engine oil leak, refer to workshop manual (wsm), section 303-00 for oil leak inspection and testing methods. ford has evaluated turbochargers replaced for oil leak symptoms and although oil may coll
Power Train 2024-03-01 · SSM 52314 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
during service and repair requiring removal and replacement of a crankshaft bolt and/or crankshaft damper, achieving proper torque of the crankshaft pulley bolt is critical. incorrect torque may allow the bolt to loosen resulting in the timing gear breaking and engine damage. replacement of the bolt
Electrical System 2023-04-12 · 21B09 S2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
certain 2014-2020 model year multiple vehicle lines 3g telematics control unit to 4g upgrade kit reason for this supplement program terms & urgency / expiration date: program extension until july 31, 2023. service action: o ids level 128 or higher is now required to address various programmin
Showing the 6 most recent of 139 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-12 · Engine“the engine failed due to design flaw in the engine block…”
2026-09-30 · Back Over Prevention · 62,000 mi“the contact owns a 2015 lincoln mkz. the contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera displayed a black screen. the dealer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. the contact was informed that parts were unavailable to repair the vehicle. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 25v695000 (back over pre…”
2026-09-02 · Steering · 160,000 mi“the contact owns a 2015 lincoln mkz. the contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and occupied, the contact became aware that the steering wheel was loose. a dealer was contacted. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was informed that there was a recall associated with the failure, however, the vin was not included. the vehi…”
2026-09-02 · Back Over Prevention · 90,000 mi“the contact owns a 2015 lincoln mkz. the contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rear-view camera became inoperable. the contact stated that the rear-view camera image intermittently operated as needed. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 25v695000 (back over prevention); however, the part to do the recall repai…”
2026-08-20 · Back Over Prevention · 59,000 mi“the contact owns a 2015 lincoln mkz. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 25v695000 (back over prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. the contact stated that while in reverse(r), the rear-view camera intermittently displayed a distorted image and the message "camera unavailable - please …”
2026-08-13 · Back Over Prevention · 79,000 mi“the contact owns a 2015 lincoln mkz. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 25v695000 (back over prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. the contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera intermittently displayed a distorted image, and the message "camera unavailable - please con…”
2026-08-08 · Visibility/Wiper“while in reverse of my vehicle, the back-up camera display either goes completely black, displays an error message or glitches turning itself on/off at random. referencing recall “25v695“ this recall has been on notice with no follow up since i received the notification letter on october 2025. this is a very high safety risk when in reverse poten…”
2026-08-07 · Back Over Prevention“the contact owns a 2015 lincoln mkz. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 25v695000 (back over prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. the local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available. the contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amoun…”
2026-07-09 · Visibility/Wiper“rearview camera is displaying a distorted image and is sometimes black, with no image, when reversing. this happened for about a month until i paid for replacing the rearview camera. i want to be reimbursed but no parts are available for over 9 months and i can’t get a refund unless parts are available. this is way beyond a reasonable amount of ti…”
2026-06-09 · Back Over Prevention · 70,000 mi“the contact owns a 2015 lincoln mkz. the contact received a notification of nhtsa campaign number: 25v695000 (back over prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. the contact stated that the rearview camera occasionally displayed a distorted image while in reverse(r). no warning light illuminated. the local dealer…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.