Problems · NHTSA complaints

2010 Lincoln MKX problems

Owners filed 111 complaints about the 2010 Lincoln MKX with NHTSA between Feb 2010 and Sep 2024. The most-cited component is air bags (54).

Complaints
111
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
9
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
4
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Air bags54
  2. Service brakes22
  3. Seats6
  4. Structure5
  5. Vehicle speed control5
  6. Engine4
  7. Power train4
  8. Visibility3
  9. Exterior lighting3
  10. Electrical system3
  11. Service brakes, hydraulic2
  12. Fuel system, gasoline2
  13. Fuel/propulsion system2
  14. Lane departure1

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 27, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20103
20111
20126
20130
20143
20155
20166
201727
201826
20199
20203
20216
20227
20236
20243

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Air bags

54 reports3 crashes6 related recalls
“I am satisfied with the help that the customer service assisted me with and that was getting my service moved up to September 26th from the original date of October 30th. But I am not satisfied with the remedy. I have received several written letters from Lincoln that go into detail of the recall on my car and as well they say and in BIG RED LETTERS ..DO NOT DRIVE YOUR CAR UNTIL REPAIRS ARE DONE. WELL, I should say that you see my 2010 Lincoln Mkx is my and only vehicle I own I can not just park it up and forget I have a life and a job because of no fault of my own that my one and only car urgently is needing repair to the factory installed air bags. Therefore I ask Lincoln to assist me with a rental until my car had been repaired. I do not feel safe DRIVING MY CAR.Letter's I have on hand from Lincoln plainly stating DO NOT DRIVE. I am upset Lincoln ortrays they care so much to bombard me with all the recall letters and such but pretty much told me NO WE DONT DO RENTAL CARS So what I am to do??? I don't have rental coverage on my insurance. I couldn't afford it. So what choice do I have??? If I do die from their faulty air bags imploding on me atleast make sure…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 7, 2024Air bagsODI 11613278

Service brakes

22 reports1 crash
“Brakes are extremely hard to use, takes both feet to stop vehicle, once stopped the engine will stall while brake is touched, must put vehicle in park when stopped.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 31, 2023Service brakesODI 11562805

Seats

6 reports
“The front seat when we had to come to a stop the seat bounced forward and then back. Very dangerous. This should be a recall. I have many read letters of this happening for many others. It is an accident waiting to happen.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 14, 2022SeatsODI 11451864

Structure

5 reports1 crash1 fire
“First it was the alarm system it would lock me out the car. Then it was the air conditioning it would only turn on when it wanted too. Then I would press the seat cooler and it malfunctioned and I had a second degree burn on my lower back. Then the check engine light came on and it started to overheat. I pulled over turned off the ignition and the car was still running. That happened twice my mechanic would come turn the car off even by disconnecting the battery the car was still on somehow he had to disconnect another part for car to turn off. He told me not move it anymore. 15 to 20 minutes later the car was on fire and the fire department came and turned it off. I bought the car on 4/24/2021 and it was on fire on 05/27/2021.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 30, 2021Electrical system, Structure, EngineFire reportedODI 11422924

Vehicle speed control

5 reports3 crashes
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 LINCOLN MKX. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IDLING AT A RED LIGHT WITH THE CONTACT DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED FORWARD. THE CONTACT STRUCK THE PRECEDING VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49,858.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 18, 2019Vehicle speed controlCrash reportedODI 11197155

Engine

4 reports1 fire
“DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND MY CAR STARTED RUNNING WEIRD AND HAD NO POWER. PULLED OVER AND THERE WAS STEAM COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE COOLANT JUG WAS EMPTY. CHECKED THE OIL AND IT IT WAS MILKY AND STEAMING AS WELL.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 31, 2019EngineODI 11277238
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 27, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.