2015 Lincoln MKZ reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2015 Lincoln MKZ has 82 complaints with NHTSA after 12 years, or 4 per year. That is more complaints per year than most MKZ years here — over the median of the other years, which is 3. NHTSA has 11 recalls on file, including Camera, Hoses and fittings, and Pedals and linkages.

2012 Lincoln MKZ — Photo by IFCAR, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons Public domain

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (16 of 82), then Back-over prevention (11) and Service brakes (9). Those filings include 4 that report a crash.

Next to 2014 and 2016

The 2014 MKZ has 97 complaints, 5 per year, and the 2016 has 64 complaints, 3 per year. The 2015 has fewer complaints per year than the 2014. The 2015 has more complaints per year than the 2016.

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 2015 Lincoln MKZ. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (11)

Recall back-over prevention, sensing system, camera 2025-10-13 · NHTSA campaign 25V695000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Flex, 2015 Explorer, Lincoln MKT, Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 C-Max, Escape, Taurus, 2016 Fusion, 2018-2019 Taurus, 2019 Lincoln MKT, Fiesta, and 2020 Mustang vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, intermittent, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.

Remedy Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on October 25, 2025. Additional letters will be mailed once the final remedy is available on each phase. Mustang owner notification letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA9. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 14, 2025.

Recall hydraulic brakes, foundation components, hoses and fittings 2023-03-10 · NHTSA campaign 23V162000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. The front brake hoses may rupture and leak brake fluid.

Remedy Dealers will replace the front brake hoses, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 27, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S12.

Recall hydraulic brakes, pedals and linkages 2022-01-13 · NHTSA campaign 22V011000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Fusion, Lincoln MKZ, and 2015 Mustang vehicles originally sold or ever registered, in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Hawaii. Exposure to certain environmental conditions, such as high temperatures, high humidity, and salt air can cause the brake pedal bumper to corrode and separate from the brake pedal.

Remedy Dealers will replace the brake pedal bumpers and clutch pedal bumpers, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on March 4, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on June 13, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S02.

Recall exterior lighting, headlights 2020-04-24 · NHTSA campaign 20E025000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain Replacement Headlamps, part number DP5Z-13008-T and DP5Z-13008-V, sold for use with 2013-2016 Lincoln MKZ vehicles. The headlamps may have an improper beam pattern and incorrect horizontal adjustment, the side markers may not illuminate and DOT markings may be missing. As such, these headlamps fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Remedy Ford will notify vehicle manufacturers, and dealers will inspect the headlamps, and replace the headlamps, as necessary, free of charge. Additionally, Ford will instruct dealers to return all improper headlamps and not to install them on any vehicles. The recall began June 3, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20C10.

Recall latches, locks, and linkages, doors, latch 2020-03-23 · NHTSA campaign 20V177000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Fiesta, 2014-2016 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles sold, or ever registered in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and Ford or Lincoln dealers will replace the side door latches, free of charge. The recall began September 21, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S15.

Recall Electric power steering 2019-08-29 · NHTSA campaign 19V632000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2016 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 Ford Edge, and 2016 Lincoln MKX vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Road salt or other contaminants may corrode the electric power steering gear motor attachment bolts.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gear motor bolts and apply a wax sealer. If any of the steering gear motor attachment bolts are broken or missing, a new steering gear will be installed in the vehicle. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began October 18, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S26.

Recall seat belts, front 2019-08-12 · NHTSA campaign 19V590000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. In the event of a crash, heat from the deployment of a seat belt pretensioner may cause a front seat belt anchor cable to fail.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will apply a protective coating to the seat belt cable, free of charge. The recall began September 9, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S25. Note: This recall is an expansion of a recall 16V-875.

Recall steering, steering wheel 2018-03-12 · NHTSA campaign 18V167000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Lincoln MKZ and Ford Fusion vehicles. The steering wheel retaining bolt may loosen allowing the steering wheel to detach while driving.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel bolt with a longer bolt, free of charge. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S08.

Recall seat belts, front 2016-12-05 · NHTSA campaign 16V875000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Ford Fusion vehicles manufactured November 2, 2012, to July 31, 2014, and 2013-2015 Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured November 14, 2012, to July 31, 2014. In the event of a crash, heat from the deployment of a seat belt pretensioner may cause a front seat belt anchor cable to fail.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will apply a protective coating to the seat belt cable, free of charge. The recall began May 16, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S42.

Recall Electric power steering 2015-04-28 · NHTSA campaign 15V250000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured February 3, 2012, to March 20, 2015, and 2015 Ford Edge vehicles manufactured February 26, 2015, to February 28, 2015, and originally sold, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. In the affected vehicles, snow or water containing road salt or other contaminants may corrode the electric power steering gear motor attachment bolts.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will apply sealer and replace the steering gear motor bolts as required. If one or more of the steering gear motor attachment bolts are broken or missing, a new steering gear will be installed in the vehicle. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on June 24, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S14.

Recall exterior lighting, headlights 2015-04-27 · NHTSA campaign 15V248000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured February 17, 2014, to March 19, 2015, and equipped with daytime running lights (DRL). In the affected vehicles, the parking lights do not reduce their light output from a DRL level when used in conjunction with the headlights. As such, the light output may exceed the the permissable amount allowed by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Remedy Ford has notified owners, and dealers will update the lighting control software, free of charge. The recall began on May 8, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for the recall is 15C02.

Complaints by component (82 total)

Electrical system

Back-over prevention

Service brakes

Steering

Air bags

Hydraulic brakes

Engine

Seat belts

Structure

Powertrain

Suspension

Visibility and wipers

Speed control

Exterior lighting

Forward collision avoidance

Fuel and propulsion system

Latches, locks, and linkages

Wheels

Fuel system, gasoline

Seats

Tires

Visibility

Show 14 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 2015 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rear-view camera became inoperable. The contact stated that the rear-view camera image intermittently operated as needed. The…"
Back-over prevention · filed 2026-09-02
"The contact owns a 2015 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and occupied, the contact became aware that the steering wheel was loose. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the…"
Steering · filed 2026-09-02
"The contact owns a 2015 Lincoln MKZ. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that…"
Back-over prevention · filed 2026-08-20
"The contact owns a 2015 Lincoln MKZ. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that…"
Back-over prevention · filed 2026-08-13
"While in reverse of my vehicle, the back-up camera display either goes completely black, displays an error message or glitches turning itself on/off at random. Referencing recall “25v695“ this recall has been on notice…"
Electrical system, Visibility and wipers, Back-over prevention · filed 2026-08-08

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2015 Lincoln MKZ 4 DR AWD	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars	4 stars
2015 Lincoln MKZ 4 DR FWD	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars	4 stars
2015 Lincoln MKZ HEV 4 DR FWD	5 stars	5 stars	4 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
MKZ all-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	All-wheel drive	22	31	25 MPG	$2600
MKZ all-wheel drive	3.7L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	All-wheel drive	18	25	21 MPG	$3100
MKZ front-wheel drive	3.7L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	18	27	21 MPG	$3100
MKZ front-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	22	33	26 MPG	$2500
MKZ hybrid front-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (variable gear ratios)	Front-wheel drive	41	39	40 MPG	$1600

Specs and fitment

Second generation, 2012–2020

Body styles Sedan

Oil SAE 5W-30 (2.0L turbo ~5.7 qt; 3.0L V6 ~6.0 qt with filter)

Tire size 225/50R17, 225/45R18, 245/45R18, or 245/40R19 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 19V632000 expands coverage for certain 2013-2016 Lincoln MKZ vehicles (with Fusion and other Ford models; 116,160 units across the campaign) originally sold or registered in salt-belt states: steering-gear motor bolts can corrode and allow the motor to detach, causing loss of power steering assist. Dealers replace bolts and apply sealer, or replace the gear if bolts are broken. Recall 18V167000 covers certain 2014-2018 MKZ vehicles (with Fusion; 1,301,986 units across the campaign) where the steering-wheel retaining bolt may loosen and allow the wheel to detach while driving; dealers install a longer bolt.

Compare

Previous year 2014 Lincoln MKZ Next year 2016 Lincoln MKZ See every Lincoln MKZ model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2015 Lincoln MKZ reliable?

What are common problems with a 2015 Lincoln MKZ?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (16 of 82), then Back-over prevention (11) and Service brakes (9). Those filings include 4 that report a crash.

Is the 2015 Lincoln MKZ more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2014 MKZ has 97 complaints, 5 per year, and the 2016 has 64 complaints, 3 per year. The 2015 has fewer complaints per year than the 2014. The 2015 has more complaints per year than the 2016.

Has the 2015 Lincoln MKZ been recalled?

The 2015 Lincoln MKZ has 11 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 2015 Lincoln MKZ?

Owners have filed 82 complaints about the 2015 Lincoln MKZ with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2015 Lincoln MKZ get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2015 Lincoln MKZ is 26.6 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What generation is the 2017 Lincoln MKZ?

Second generation (2012-2020) for the US years this site tracks.

What oil does a Lincoln MKZ take?

US notes list 5W-30 for the 2.0L turbo or 3.0L V6 engines covered here.

What tire sizes does a Lincoln MKZ use?

Common US sizes include 225/50R17 on base trims and 245/40R19 on Reserve.