2017 Lincoln MKT reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2017 Lincoln MKT holds 3 complaints after 10 years, a rate of 0 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most MKT years here — under the median of the other years, which is 1. 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 Engine and engine cooling (1 of 3), then Steering (1) and Structure (1).

Next to 2016 and 2018

The 2016 MKT has 9 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2018 has 7 complaints, 0 per year. The 2017 has fewer complaints per year than the 2016. The 2017 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2018.

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 2017 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 (3 total)

Engine and engine cooling

Steering

Structure

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"The contact owns a 2017 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 local dealer was not made aware…"
Structure · filed 2026-05-15
"The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKT. The contact stated while driving after the vehicle had been in idling for 4-5 minutes, there was an excessive amount of smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. There was no warning light…"
Engine and engine cooling · filed 2022-11-10
"THIS VEHICLE IS A RENTAL FROM BUDGET. ON 11/10 - 11/11/17, DRIVING FROM FT MYERS, FL TO KNOXVILLE, TN, ON I-75, AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OF 55-80 MPH, WHILE CHANGING LANES, VEHICLE WOULD START TO STEER SMOOTHLY EITHER TO LEFT…"
Steering · filed 2017-11-13

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2017 Lincoln MKT SUV AWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	4 stars
2017 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 Hearse all-wheel drive	3.5L, 6-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	All-wheel drive	14	19	16 MPG	$4050
MKT Limo all-wheel drive	3.5L, 6-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	All-wheel drive	14	19	15 MPG	$4300
MKT Livery all-wheel drive	3.7L, 6-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	All-wheel drive	16	23	18 MPG	$3600

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 2016 Lincoln MKT Next year 2018 Lincoln MKT See every Lincoln MKT model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2017 Lincoln MKT reliable?

What are common problems with a 2017 Lincoln MKT?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine and engine cooling (1 of 3), then Steering (1) and Structure (1).

Is the 2017 Lincoln MKT more reliable than the years next to it?

Has the 2017 Lincoln MKT been recalled?

The 2017 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 2017 Lincoln MKT?

Owners have filed 3 complaints about the 2017 Lincoln MKT with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2017 Lincoln MKT get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2017 Lincoln MKT is 17 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.