2011 Lincoln MKZ Problems & Complaints

Most common 2011 Lincoln MKZ problems

• Air bags~45,000 miles
  6646%
• Brakes~99,000 miles
  2014%
• Steering~72,000 miles
  1913%
• Engine & cooling~89,000 miles
  139%
• Body & structure~56,000 miles
  107%
• Electrical system~38,000 miles
  86%
• Other / not specified~53,000 miles
  86%
• Speed control & acceleration~28,000 miles
  75%
• Wheels & tires~83,000 miles
  64%
• Transmission & drivetrain~31,000 miles
  43%
• Lights~60,000 miles
  32%
• Stability & traction control~89,000 miles
  32%
• Seats~0 miles
  21%
• Equipment & accessories~25,000 miles
  21%
• Locks & latches~100,000 miles
  21%
• Suspension~116,000 miles
  21%
• Fuel & propulsion system~36,000 miles
  21%

Share of the 145 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.

Lincoln MKZ complaints by model year

Best MKZ years: 2006, 2019, 2007. Years to avoid: 2010, 2017, 2012, 2011. Compare all years →

2011 Lincoln MKZ recalls (5)

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2011 Lincoln MKZ:

What 2011 Lincoln MKZ owners say

Air bags all 66 →

Takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKZ. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V158000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact recently received a recall notice stating that parts were available; however, the contact was informed by the dealer that the parts were still not available. The manufacturer was made aware 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. Parts distribution disconnect.

My vehicle has a safety recall for a possible exploding driver airbag, recall number 21V158. This recall was issued 3/25/21, about 10 months ago, and the manufacturer still does not have a fix for it. This is unacceptable given the severity of the recall. The NHTSA website states that if the manufacturer has not remedied a recall in a reasonable amount of time, then a vehicle complaint should be submitted. In my mind, 10 months is an unreasonable amount of time. I hope that the NHTSA can put additional pressure on Ford/Lincoln to remedy this recall ASAP.

Brakes all 20 →

I was stopping at a stop sign and was unable to stop immediately, instead I coasted a little bit before stopping. Then the brake warning lights and ABS and traction lights came on. I pulled over to a parking lot and turned the car off and turned it back on: all the lights came back on. I put on my flashers and very carefully and slowly drove my car to Jiffy Lube. They did an $108 oil change and checked the brake pads and brake fluid levels and said everything was fine and I would need to take it to a larger shop. I contacted the Apple Ford dealer near me and had my family follow me as I dropped it off. They said it would be a total of $310 for diagnostic and brake flush. I did the flush and it didn't work. They said it would cost just shy of $3k to replace the entire hydraulic system. I took the car home because that is too much for a 2011 vehicle. …

Recently I have experienced a "soft brake pedal" on my 2011 Lincoln MKZ. I investigated online and here's what I found. So far there is no recall on this vehicle but SHOULD BE. NHTSA believes the hydraulic control valves can become corroded and stuck, causing soft brake pedals and longer stopping distances. In some cases, braking returns to normal when the valves subsequently become unstuck, causing an intermittent condition that makes a correct diagnosis difficult. On Ford's side, engineers discovered a gelatinous material that prevented control valves from properly returning to the closed positions after actuation. The automaker also found the gelatinous material likely occurred when brake fluid hit the valve coating. …

Steering

While making a right turn into Walmart parking lot, car was suddenly very difficult to turn. We almost hit the car in the lane next to us. We had to back up into the main road and risked a collision there as well just to pull into the parking lot. Like the power steering went out. Just a mile before that turn we made a turn and had no issue. Highway driving is okay, it is just difficult to steer in low speed city driving conditions. I had a mechanic look at it. he could not find anything wrong so we flushed the power steering with fresh fluid. It did not seam to help. He concluded that the electric assist is probably what failed. We looked this up, and it is a common problem with this model year MKZ and a recall has been out for this. But, for some reason my car does not pull up this recall.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKZ hybrid. The contact stated while making a turn from a stop sign, the steering wheel became hard to maneuver. As a result, the vehicle was hit on the front passenger side by another vehicle. The contact stated that the front passenger side air bag deployed injuring his girlfriend. His girlfriend sustained cuts to the stomach as the contact stated it seemed that metal shrapnel had deployed from the air bag. The passenger in the rear middle also sustained injuries to the hip. Medical attention was required. A police report was filed. The contact stated prior to the collision, he contacted st auto sales inc (4545 glenwood rd, decatur, ga) to make them aware of the steering wheel failure. The contact stated that they advised him to add steering fluid to the reservoir. …

2011 Lincoln MKZ engines & fuel economy

EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.