2016 Lincoln MKT reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 9 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Lincoln MKT over 11 years — 1 per year. The other MKT years sit at about the same rate: their median is 1 complaints per year. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Structure, body, Rear, and Turbocharger.

2012 Lincoln MKT — Photo by Kevauto, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Structure (3 of 9), then Back-over prevention (2) and Electrical system (1). Those filings include 2 that report an injury.

Next to 2015 and 2017

The 2015 MKT has 24 complaints, 2 per year, and the 2017 has 3 complaints, 0 per year. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2017.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2016 Lincoln MKT. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (3)

Recall structure, body 2025-12-01 · NHTSA campaign 25V827000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Lincoln MKT vehicles. The driver and front passenger B-Pillar door trim may detach while driving.

Remedy Dealers will repair the B-pillar trim, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed December 23, 2025. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in July 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SD5. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on December 2, 2025.

Recall suspension, rear 2020-02-10 · NHTSA campaign 20V072000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Lincoln MKT and Ford Flex and Taurus vehicles with the Police Interceptor or SHO Performance Pack. The rear suspension toe links may fracture due to stress on the rear suspension.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. Remedy parts are not currently available. Owners were notified about the recall on March 3, 2020. A second notice will be mailed when remedy parts become available, which is currently expected to be the end of September 2020. The recall began October 28, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 or Lincoln customer service at 1-800-521-4140. Ford's number for this recall is 20S04.

Recall engine and cooling, engine, gasoline, turbocharger 2016-12-22 · NHTSA campaign 16V925000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2016 Ford Taurus, 2016-2017 Ford Flex, Lincoln MKT, 2017 Ford Explorer and Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Utility vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI engines. Improperly brazed turbocharger oil supply tubes may leak oil on engine components.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the turbocharger oil supply tubes, free of charge. The recall began on January 31, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S46.

Complaints by component (9 total)

Structure

Back-over prevention

Electrical system

Engine

Steering

Suspension

Visibility and wipers

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKT. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V827000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the…"
Structure, Back-over prevention · filed 2026-07-23
"The engine light continues to come on and the only reading it gives off is that the engine is running lean. Nothing seems to be smoking or wrong with the vehicle. It continues to drive well. Then the backup cameras…"
Electrical system, Engine, Back-over prevention · filed 2025-12-04
"Panoramic sunroof shattered and it’s broken in pieces now; No longer just shattered I am on the phone with a George Hilliker from the Newark CarMax now. To my dismay there is nothing that can be done since this is not a…"
Unknown or other · filed 2021-05-19
"TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 LINCOLN MKT. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V072000 (SUSPENSION) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER…"
Suspension · filed 2020-08-21
"WHILE MAKING A TURN ONTO HIGHWAY MY ELECTRIC POWER STEERING COMPLETELY WENT OUT WITH CARS TURNING NEXT TO ME. IT YANKED THE WHEEL OUT OF MY HAND ALMOST CAUSING A CRASH. THEN A WINDOW APPEARS IN LY CAR SAYING YOUR…"
Steering · filed 2019-07-14

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2016 Lincoln MKT SUV AWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	4 stars
2016 Lincoln MKT SUV FWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
MKT all-wheel drive	3.5L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	All-wheel drive	15	21	17 MPG	$3800
MKT front-wheel drive	3.7L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	16	24	19 MPG	$3400
MKT Livery all-wheel drive	3.7L, 6-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	All-wheel drive	16	23	18 MPG	$3600
MKT Livery front-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	18	25	21 MPG	$3100

Specs and fitment

1st generation, 2012–2019

Body styles SUV

Oil 5W-30 , 5.7 qt capacity

Tire size 235/55R19, 235/60R18, 255/55R18, 255/45R20 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 16V-621 covers certain 2013-2015 Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI EcoBoost engines, and also certain Ford Taurus, Flex, and Lincoln MKS vehicles: dealers inspect the fuel pump electronic module part number and replace the fuel PEM as necessary. Recall 15V-172 covers certain 2013-2015 MKT vehicles with a limousine or hearse preparation package: dealers replace the vacuum pump relay with a new electro-mechanical relay.

Compare

Previous year 2015 Lincoln MKT Next year 2017 Lincoln MKT See every Lincoln MKT model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Lincoln MKT reliable?

What are common problems with a 2016 Lincoln MKT?

The complaints owners file most often name Structure (3 of 9), then Back-over prevention (2) and Electrical system (1). Those filings include 2 that report an injury.

Is the 2016 Lincoln MKT more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2015 MKT has 24 complaints, 2 per year, and the 2017 has 3 complaints, 0 per year. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2017.

Has the 2016 Lincoln MKT been recalled?

The 2016 Lincoln MKT has 3 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2016 Lincoln MKT?

Owners have filed 9 complaints about the 2016 Lincoln MKT with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2016 Lincoln MKT get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2016 Lincoln MKT is 18.8 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Lincoln MKT take?

5W-30; capacity is about 5.7 quarts with filter.

What does recall 16V-621 cover on the MKT?

Certain 2013-2015 MKT vehicles with 3.5L GTDI EcoBoost engines (and certain other Ford/Lincoln models)—see the NHTSA campaign for the defect and remedy.

What tire sizes did the MKT use?

235/55R19, 235/60R18, 255/55R18, or 255/45R20 depending on trim.