Most common 2006 Lincoln Zephyr problems
Share of the 229 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Lincoln Zephyr complaints by model year
Best Zephyr years: 2007, 2009, 2010. Years to avoid: 2006. Compare all years →
2006 Lincoln Zephyr recalls (4)
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.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip › Control unit/module
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.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will flush the brake system with DOT 4 fluid and install a new brake fluid reservoir cap.
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.
What 2006 Lincoln Zephyr owners say
Air bags all 142 →
The contact owns a 2006 Lincoln Zephyr. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 mph and making a turn, an unknown truck crashed head-on into the vehicle. There were no warning indicator lights illuminated. The vehicle was able to be driven after the crash. A police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries to his tongue and neck but medical attention was not provided. There were no reported fire or air bag deployments. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted.The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V158000 ( Air bags) after the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.
The airbag sensor light is indicating a sensor needs replacement. I have replaced airbags on both the driver and passenger side due to recall. Diagnostics state it is the sensor, passenger side. I have attempted to have repaired, and after 5 weeks and 4 mechanics, no one can seem to get the new sensor to connect to the system and work properly. I did not have a vehicle for weeks! PLEASE HELP!
Wheels & tires all 29 →
Driving at approx 30mph my tire blew out after just replacing all 4 tires 3K miles before. Took the tire back to the merchant and they replaced it because I had a hazard protection plan with tires. Replaced all 4 tires in sept of 2014 due to normal wear and I have had to replace 3 tires due to tire coming off of the rim while driving and losing air pressure, slow leak that resulted in flat and a blowout while driving at 40mph and landed me into a ditch. The tire merchant informed me that the wheels are defective due to the chrome on rim peeling and damaging tire as well as preventing a seal between tire and rim to keep tire inflated. Replacing the wheels with manufacturer wheels will result in same problem being that it is a defect in the product. I feel Ford needs to take responsibility for this defect and reimburse customers for new wheels.
The 2006 Lincoln Zephyr was traveling at a speed of 40 and the rear passenger tire suddenly blew up. The mechanic inspected the cause and concluded that the original aluminum Lincoln-factory wheel was defective. The mechanic also inspected the other three wheels and the same problem is continuing to occur with all the 2006 Lincoln Zephyr wheels. The manufacturing defect was described by the mechanic as follows: the chrome is peeling off the wheel, which prevents a good seal between the wheel and the tire, resulting in the loss of air pressure. The sudden loss of air pressure May cause serious injury or death.
Body & structure
When husband was driving the gas pedal stuck in the mat causing him to run off road causing damage to hood, fender, headlight, grill & left front wheel got damaged but since we only have liability it has forced us to drive it damaged. In motion, ran into woods
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Lincoln Zephyr. The contact stated that the driver's side door handle failed to open without warning. The contact had to open the door from the exterior in order to exit the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the entire door handle needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact also stated that the failure recurred several other times after the repair. The vehicle was not taken back to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.
2006 Lincoln Zephyr engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 26 / 20 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2006 Lincoln Zephyr a good car?
Based on 229 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2006 Zephyr rates avoid: 26.5× as many complaints as a typical year of the Zephyr at the same age. It is one of the Zephyr years we suggest avoiding. 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 2006 Lincoln Zephyr?
The air bags — 142 complaints, 62% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the wheels & tires (29) and body & structure (13).
How many recalls does the 2006 Lincoln Zephyr have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2006 Lincoln Zephyr, 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 Zephyr?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2007, 2009 and 2010. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2006. See the full Lincoln Zephyr years comparison.
At what mileage do 2006 Lincoln Zephyr problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 82,000 miles; 18% 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.