Most common 2009 Lincoln MKX problems
Share of the 66 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Lincoln MKX complaints by model year
Best MKX years: 2015, 2014, 2009. Years to avoid: 2016, 2013. Compare all years →
2009 Lincoln MKX recalls (6)
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
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.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver-side airbag inflator or module with an alternate one, free of charge.
Air bags › Frontal
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2009-2011 Mercury Milan, 2006 Ford GT, 2008-2012 Fusion, 2007-2010 Edge and Lincoln MKX, and 2009-2010 Lincoln MKZ vehicles.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver and passenger air bag module, and replace either the module or the inflator, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 17, 2021.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S.
Remedy: 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.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
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…
Remedy: 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.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
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,…
Remedy: 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.
Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Tank assembly
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Ford Edge vehicles manufactured September 11, 2008, to July 1, 2010, and Lincoln MKX vehicles manufactured September 23, 2008, to July 1, 2010, originally sold in, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine,…
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and either clean and treat the fuel tank with a corrosion preventative or replace the tank, free of charge. The recall began on May 10, 2016.
What 2009 Lincoln MKX owners say
Air bags all 35 →
The contact owns a 2009 Lincoln MKX. The contact received a notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V158000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was notified of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer had been notified of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
My car has a Recall for the AIRBAGS . The car started life in south Texas where it is hot and humid which makes the problem worse. My dealer hasn't complied with the RECALL, [redacted] , Stone Lake, WI [redacted]
Brakes
The contact owns a 2009 Lincoln MKX. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to stop immediately. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated she continued to pump on the brake pedal until the vehicle began to decelerate. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the Hydraulic Control Unit (HCU) to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired but was pending repairs. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 162,000.
I have a 2009 Lincoln MKX where the brakes were so stiff that I could hardly stop my vehicle. This is such a huge safety issue. This issue has been covered under Ford for certain VIN #'s but not under my 2009 VIN number. I can't understand how this is covered by them for some cars and not others? Evidently it will take injury or death for Ford to realize that this isn't something that should be over looked in some vins and not others. This was a cost of close to $850 which in my opinion should be covered by Ford! Have a 2009 Lincoln MKX where the brakes were so stiff that I could hardly stop my vehicle. This is such a huge safety issue. This issue has been covered under Ford for certain VIN #'s but not under my 2009 VIN number. I can't understand how this is covered by them for some MKX cars and not others? …
Electrical system
My 2009 MKX has scared the heck out of us as we thought a bomb had gone off, followed by the high-pitched whine which only stopped after we turned the car off and open a door for it to reset itself. We were driving with kids in the back asleep,, and all of a sudden it went off and we couldn't stand it. Turning the radio off didn't help, turning the ac off didn't help either. We were forced to pulled over in the middle of the night. Since then I can not trust my car won't go off and cause me to hit another car or god forbid something else. It usually happens in the hotter months for the last 3 - 4 years. I've tried to find correlation to something, and all I can think off is the heat causing it to go off.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Lincoln MKX. The contact stated that the automatic release button failed to respond. In addition, the contact stated that the door ajar warning light illuminated and there were no doors opened. The contact also noticed that the trunk door was not auto releasing upon coming down and which could cause an injury. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.
2009 Lincoln MKX engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 24 / 19 |
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 15 / 22 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2009 Lincoln MKX a good car?
Based on 66 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2009 MKX rates better than average: 57% fewer complaints than a typical year of the MKX at the same age. It is one of the best MKX years by this measure. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2009 Lincoln MKX?
The air bags — 35 complaints, 53% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the brakes (11) and electrical system (7).
How many recalls does the 2009 Lincoln MKX have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2009 Lincoln MKX, the most recent from March 10, 2021 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Lincoln MKX?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2015, 2014 and 2009. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2016 and 2013. See the full Lincoln MKX years comparison.
At what mileage do 2009 Lincoln MKX problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 87,000 miles; 35% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.