2017 Lincoln MKX reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2017 Lincoln MKX has 52 complaints with NHTSA after 10 years, or 3 per year. That is more complaints per year than most MKX years here — over the median of the other years, which is 3. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Hoses and fittings, Service brakes, and Power adjuster.

2012 Lincoln MKX — Photo by Navigator84, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (13 of 52), then Hydraulic brakes (13) and Engine (7).

Next to 2016 and 2018

The 2016 MKX has 155 complaints, 17 per year, and the 2018 has 31 complaints, 2 per year. The 2017 has fewer complaints per year than the 2016. The 2017 has more complaints per year than 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 MKX. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (5)

Recall hydraulic brakes, foundation components, hoses and fittings 2025-08-22 · NHTSA campaign 25V544000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Lincoln MKX and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The rear brake jounce hose may rupture and leak brake fluid.

Remedy Dealers will inspect and replace the brake jounce hoses and adjust brake jounce hoses with no damage present, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 17, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S87.

Recall Service brakes 2020-08-10 · NHTSA campaign 20V469000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Ford Edge and 2016-2018 Lincoln MKX vehicles. The front brake hoses may rupture prematurely.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front brake hoses with the new hoses that have a revised braid material, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 13, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S42.

Recall seats, front assembly, power adjuster 2020-07-17 · NHTSA campaign 20V414000

Summary Ford Motor Company, Inc. (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Lincoln MKX and 2019-2020 Nautilus vehicles equipped with 16-way electric tilt seats. The seat cushion frame edge may contact the wire harness when the seat occupant uses the tilt function of the seat, potentially damaging one or more wires within the harness, which can result in either inadvertent deployment of the air bag or nondeployment of the air bag in the event of a crash.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install protective flocking tape onto the exposed edge of the 16-way seat cushion frames, and inspect the wire harness for damage, and repair or replace it as needed, free of charge. This recall began August 12, 2020. Owners may contact Ford/Lincoln customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S37.

Recall electrical system, 12V/24V/48V battery, cables 2019-11-12 · NHTSA campaign 19V809000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Lincoln MKX vehicles equipped with 3.7L engines. The battery positive cable harness may contact the transmission shifter cable bracket resulting in a short circuit.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will remove the battery harness clips and elbow guide, and install a wire channel shield and protective sleeve to the battery cable harness, free of charge. Interim notices informing owners of the safety risk were mailed on December 2, 2019. Owners will receive a second notice when the remedy becomes available, currently expected to be the end of April 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S41.

Recall air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator 2017-02-27 · NHTSA campaign 17V123000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles and 2017 Lincoln Continental vehicles. In the event of a crash, the driver's frontal air bag may not fully inflate or the air bag cushion may detach from the air bag module. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began June 16, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17C02.

Complaints by component (52 total)

Electrical system

Hydraulic brakes

Engine

Service brakes

Powertrain

Wheels

Back-over prevention

Seat belts

Seats

Visibility and wipers

Air bags

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Exterior lighting

Fuel and propulsion system

Speed control

Structure

Traction control

Visibility

Show 10 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKX. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle veered to the right. Additionally, the vehicle shuddered while slowing down and while making a turn. The contact…"
Hydraulic brakes, Structure · filed 2026-06-23
"The check engine light is on for periods of time and then goes off. Maybe the sensor is faulty?"
Electrical system · filed 2026-06-08
"I submitted a safety complain on recalls that the Lincoln Client Relationship Center informed whereby my VIN is not included on the recalls I listed from NHTSA complaint I just filed, complaint Number: XXX I also have a…"
Seats · filed 2026-05-15
"Urgent Safety!!! I called and spoke with Lincoln Client Relations Center regarding two recalls that are for the exact same vehicle I now own; 2017 Lincoln MKX, VIN: [XXX] . The recalls that are in existence for…"
Seats · filed 2026-05-15
"The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKX. The contact received a recall notice for NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V544000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the parts were not available for the recall repair. The contact then…"
Hydraulic brakes · filed 2026-05-11

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2017 Lincoln MKX SUV AWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2017 Lincoln MKX SUV FWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	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
MKX all-wheel drive	2.7L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	All-wheel drive	17	24	19 MPG	$3400
MKX all-wheel drive	3.7L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	All-wheel drive	16	23	19 MPG	$3400
MKX front-wheel drive	2.7L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	18	25	20 MPG	$3250
MKX front-wheel drive	3.7L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	17	25	20 MPG	$3250

Specs and fitment

Second generation (facelift / late), 2016–2018

Body styles SUV

Oil 5W-30 (2.7L turbo); 5W-20 (3.7L) , 6 qt capacity

Tire size 245/60R18, 245/50R20 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Late second-generation MKX years keep the AWD PTU heat story: Ford SSM 47230 notes that certain 2007–2016 Edge/MKX and related AWD vehicles built on or before 30-Jun-2016 may show a propane/natural-gas odor at idle or low speed from PTU fluid broken down by heat, with an idler-bearing repair kit when the odor traces to the PTU. Confirm that messaging and any open campaigns on the VIN; continue scheduled PTU fluid attention even when the owner’s manual calls the fill lifetime.

Compare

Previous year 2016 Lincoln MKX Next year 2018 Lincoln MKX See every Lincoln MKX model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2017 Lincoln MKX reliable?

What are common problems with a 2017 Lincoln MKX?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (13 of 52), then Hydraulic brakes (13) and Engine (7).

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

The 2016 MKX has 155 complaints, 17 per year, and the 2018 has 31 complaints, 2 per year. The 2017 has fewer complaints per year than the 2016. The 2017 has more complaints per year than the 2018.

Has the 2017 Lincoln MKX been recalled?

The 2017 Lincoln MKX has 5 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 MKX?

Owners have filed 52 complaints about the 2017 Lincoln MKX with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2017 Lincoln MKX get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2017 Lincoln MKX is 19.5 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Lincoln MKX take?

2012-2015: 5W-20 for the 3.7L. 2016-2018: 5W-30 for the 2.7L turbo and 5W-20 for the 3.7L. Confirm the filler-cap grade.

What tire sizes does the MKX use?

245/60R18, 245/50R20, and on earlier years 265/40R22 depending on trim.

What PTU odor issue is noted on late second-gen MKX?

Ford SSM 47230 notes that certain 2007–2016 Edge/MKX and related AWD vehicles built on or before 30-Jun-2016 may show a propane/natural-gas odor at idle or low speed from PTU fluid broken down by heat.