Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 Lincoln MKX owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Car just went from complete cool to over heating and engine light to flash. Checked to make sure I had fluids. All full. While I had car turned off turned it back on after 15 minutes and car went straight to overheating again. Had a garage look at my car, there's a 3 cylinder misfire on just the one side of the engine. They agree and don't understand why this happened or how.
Water pump failure 3 times. Internal water pump failed causing engine to overheat dumping coolant into the engine oil. Original water pump replaced 5/16/21. Replacement water pump failed and was replaced 6/19/22. Second Replacement water pump has failed also as of January 1, 2023 resulting in catastrophic engine failure.
I have had fairly issues with overheating and have had several repairs done including: 12/29/2019 - Radiator Fan Assembly and Electric Fan Motor Replacement 10/02/2021 - Replace Thermostat and Gasket & Replace Coolant Recovery Tank 8/9/2022 - Installed Module, Control, Sensors and Fuel Filler (all done with regards to presumably fixing the overheating and RPM fluctuation while overheating) I paid $3K for the August 2022 repairs and they told me they could not replicate the issue but believe that the repairs are related to the problems I am experiencing. I use my car to drive to periodically drive to another town (60 miles away) and then to drive to the airport for work (about 25 miles). After August, I took my car on the 60 mile drive and 30 miles in, the car started overheating. I called the Ford dealership and they told me to check the radiator (it was full and slightly bubbling). …
It's been a 4 year battle. I received a bait and switch clone vehicle A Frankenstein!! The vehicle and vin are clones. The vehicle was delivered in the dark after hours during a time I was sick. Im also disabled. I had looked at the vehicle on the [redacted] website Hyundai Genesis lot then went and looked in person and test drove it. I was told it was a one owner vehicle out of Michigan. I purchased it two days later and traded in my perfect immaculate truck. I did not drive the vehicle until 4 days later and I noticed immediately the interior didn't match. Warning lights were coming on. And when I got to my destination it all unfolded. I found receipts in the vehicle from the Lafayette In area that had a name on them. I tried to contact that person but was unsuccessful. I contacted the dealership over and over and over. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKX. While parking the vehicle, the low coolant level warning light illuminated and the vehicle started to smoke. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who stated that the module, which controlled the cooling system, failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 48,000.
My 2011 Lincoln MKX has a blown head gasket. One week prior to this diagnosis, my car was evaluated and diagnosed by the Lincoln dealership because of an engine light being on. There were no symptoms--only the light was on when the car was on. I had the oil changed by the dealership at this time as well. The diagnosis stated that no problem could be found, but that the light May come back on, and I would need to bring it back for (and pay for) another diagnostic check. The next day, the light came back on, still with no symptoms other than the light being on. I wasn't able to get the Lincoln to the dealership right away. Exactly one week later, still with no symptoms other than the light being on, I drove the Lincoln on a highway close to my home for 5 minutes and it began struggling like it was going to stall. Immediately the light "low engine oil pressure" came on. …
While driving about 55 MPH on the highway my car suddenly stopped. The engine was still on but I had no control except to coast to the side of the road. A sign that said AWD failed appeared. I turned it off and restarted it and drove home. We took it to the Ford garage. They had no idea what was wrong since there was no "code". We took it home after about a week. In less than a week my husband was driving home from work and the same thing happened to him. After the Ford garage had it for about 3 weeks they called and said they were going to replace the throttle body. My husband said that is a design flaw and Lincoln's problem. They didn't want to call so gave us the phone number and my husband called. Their response was things fail in cars. My husband said cars shouldn't quit working while you are driving down the highway. Next day Lincoln rep said they would pay $250 toward the repair. …
The brake booster failed on my vehicle and was just replaced by the dealership for nearly $900 dollars. This is the 2nd major safety issue I have had with this vehicle because the throttle body had an issue that caused the vehicle to completely shut down while driving with no warning. That was replaced at no cost but I had to do my own research for the repair and that issue could have caused an accident with injuries or death. Because Lincoln determined that my particular VIN is not eligible then the cost is on me, again a major safety issue that could have caused injury and death when the brakes barely stopped. I know I cannot recover money for own repair but I feel Ford/Lincoln should not be able to get away with making their own determinations of what vehicles should be covered when they are at fault for building a poor. Substandard product. …
While driving the vehicle and approaching a stop sign the vehicle just shut off on its own. I lost all engine power, brakes, and steering capabilities., etc with no warning. Luckily no other vehicles were near me at the time. I was able to roll backwards in neutral to a somewhat safe location off the road. Several days after that it happened again. I was in a parking lot and had just started the vehicle and then it warned low oil pressure and then just shut off on its own. I checked the oil and it's not low. Oil level is perfect. After some quick online research I found many similar complaints from other Lincoln owners. Unexpected engine shut off while driving and with no warning. Scary and very unsafe to say the least. I contacted the dealership where I bought the vehicle and they said this is the first time they heard of this issue. Please advise. Thank you.
My 2011 Lincoln MKX suddenly shut off when driving off the expressway. The engine suddenly turned off, giving me a wrench tool on the dash board. Luckily had just gotten off the expressway and was able to move off the frontage into a store. I was able to turn it back on but turned off on me like 3 more times. When I took it in to my dealership right the next day they couldn't find out what was wrong with it. So I took I took it home then started noticing that my truck felt like it was going to turn off suddenly. Took it to dealership again and they told me that it sound it like it was the throttle body, caused by a leak in oil. They changed it out and my truck works good now. Doesn't feel like its going to turn off all of a sudden.
Engine complaints in other MKX years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2011 Lincoln MKX?
NHTSA has 26 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2011 Lincoln MKX, 17% of the model year's 149 complaints. The component named most often is cooling system (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Lincoln MKX engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2011 Lincoln MKX, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2011 Lincoln MKX engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 57,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 2 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.