Problems · NHTSA complaints

2008 Lincoln MKZ problems

Owners filed 281 complaints about the 2008 Lincoln MKZ with NHTSA between Sep 2009 and Jul 2024. The most-cited component is air bags (166).

Complaints
281
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
12
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
3
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Air bags166
  2. Service brakes52
  3. Wheels32
  4. Service brakes, hydraulic24
  5. Electrical system8
  6. Structure6
  7. Power train6
  8. Engine5
  9. Vehicle speed control5
  10. Exterior lighting3
  11. Tires3
  12. Engine and engine cooling1
  13. Service brakes, air1
  14. Fuel/propulsion system1

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 Nov 9, 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
20091
20104
20110
20123
20133
201411
201513
201628
201790
201866
201911
202019
202123
20225
20232
20242

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

166 reports3 crashes3 related recalls
“Bought vehicle from owner 02/2023. Check brake system light came on a few months after, breaks started to skip and making a sound. Took it in to Ford dealership and they showed 2 recalls but never said it would be fixed.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 10, 2023Air bags, Service brakesODI 11549234

Service brakes

52 reports8 crashes
“I called ford dealerships to fix the problems back in 2019 but the two recalls have not been fixed yet. Recently, my car was almost failing to stop while I was breaking down.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 12, 2022Air bags, Service brakesODI 11460487

Wheels

32 reports
“AFTER REPAIRING BRAKES AT MY COST MANY TIMES NOW THEY ARE RECALLED. I HAD TO REPLACE THE LINCOLN WHEELS AT MY COST AFTER RESEARCHING THAT MANY PROBLEMS WERE REPORTED. ALSO WITH ONLY 65,000 MILES ON MY CAR MY TRANSMISSION IS OUT. I HAVE HAD MANY ELECTRICAL ISSUES. IT IS CLEAR THAT MAJOR ISSUES IS ON THE THIS MODEL YEAR. WHILE DRIVING MY TRANSMISSION FAILED. I TOWED THE CAR TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY WANT TO NOW CHARGE 4400.00 FOR THE TRANSMISSION. I AM OUT OF MONEY WITH THIS VEHICLE AND IT WAS CLEARLY POORLY MANUFACTURED. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 17, 2020Power train, Wheels, Service brakesODI 11321395

Service brakes, hydraulic

24 reports3 crashes1 related recall
“The contact owns a 2008 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle overheated, and smoke was coming inside the cabin through the A/C vents. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road to inspect the vehicle and noticed that coolant was leaking onto the ground. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the thermostat was replaced; however, the failure reoccurred on four other occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who refilled the coolant in the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that on 5 separate occasions while driving, the brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle hesitated to respond, causing his vehicle to rear-end his wife’s vehicle. There were no injuries sustained. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle would shudder while depressing the brake pedal. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V904000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact also stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 21V158000 (Air Bags), 17V024000 (Air Bags) and…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 1, 2022Service brakes, hydraulic, Engine and engine cooling, Air bagsCrash reportedODI 11491847

Electrical system

8 reports
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LINCOLN MKZ. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO OPEN ALL THE VEHICLE'S DOORS, THE DOOR HANDLES FRACTURED. ALSO, THE REAR LOCKS FAILED TO OPERATE THE DOORS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT AN UNKNOWN ELECTRICAL MOTOR SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 14, 2019Electrical system, Structure, Latches/locks/linkagesODI 11180100

Structure

6 reports1 crash
“OUR VEHICLE IS SUBJECT TO NHTSA RECALL 19V-904. IN 2020, LINCOLN STOPPED REPAIRING VEHICLES SUBJECT TO THIS RECALL. UNFORTUNATELY, MY VEHICLE IS SUFFERING FROM THIS BRAKE PROBLEM AND I HAVE LOST USE OF MY BRAKES ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. ON JUNE 26, 2020, MY BRAKES FAILED RESULTING IN A PROPERTY DAMAGE ACCIDENT. AFTER BODY DAMAGE REPAIR, MY BRAKES HAVE AGAIN FAILED. THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP FINALLY AGREED TO EXAMINE THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE BRAKE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE RECALL. NEVERTHELESS, IN ADDITION TO THE THOUSANDS PAID TO REPAIR MINE AND THE OTHER PARTY'S VEHICLE'S DAMAGE, I'VE HAD TO PAY THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP $1093.80 TO FIX THE CAR. THE BRAKE FAILURE IS DANGEROUS AND POTENTIALLY DEADLY. LINCOLN'S DELAY IN REMEDYING THE ISSUE IS THE DIRECT CAUSE OF MY CAR ACCIDENT.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 30, 2020Structure, Service brakes, EngineCrash reportedODI 11362099
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 9, 2026

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