Research · complaint index
Lincoln MKZ years to avoidWhat NHTSA complaint data does and doesn’t say
We compared 14 model years of the Lincoln MKZ by owner complaints to NHTSA, adjusted for how long each year has been on the road. No single year stands far above the rest.
Complaints per year on the road
1.0 = typical year for this model
| Year | Complaints | Per year on road | Index | Recalls | Crashes | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | Fewest complaints |
| 2019 | 21 | 3 | 0.3 | 1 | 2 | Fewest complaints |
| 2018 | 36 | 4 | 0.5 | 2 | 1 | Typical |
| 2017 | 140 | 14 | 1.8 | 4 | 6 | Typical |
| 2016 | 64 | 6 | 0.7 | 7 | 8 | Typical |
| 2015 | 84 | 7 | 0.9 | 11 | 4 | Typical |
| 2014 | 98 | 8 | 1.0 | 14 | 7 | Typical |
| 2013 | 109 | 8 | 1.0 | 13 | 4 | Typical |
| 2012 | 146 | 10 | 1.3 | 6 | 10 | Typical |
| 2011 | 185 | 12 | 1.5 | 7 | 12 | Typical |
| 2010 | 170 | 10 | 1.3 | 9 | 14 | Typical |
| 2009 | 114 | 6 | 0.8 | 7 | 8 | Typical |
| 2008 | 281 | 15 | 1.9 | 5 | 12 | Typical |
| 2007 | 259 | 13 | 1.7 | 5 | 14 | Typical |
- 20202 complaints · 1 recallFewest complaints
- 201921 complaints · 1 recallFewest complaints
- 201836 complaints · 2 recallsTypical
- 2017140 complaints · 4 recallsTypical
- 201664 complaints · 7 recallsTypical
- 201584 complaints · 11 recallsTypical
- 201498 complaints · 14 recallsTypical
- 2013109 complaints · 13 recallsTypical
- 2012146 complaints · 6 recallsTypical
- 2011185 complaints · 7 recallsTypical
- 2010170 complaints · 9 recallsTypical
- 2009114 complaints · 7 recallsTypical
- 2008281 complaints · 5 recallsTypical
- 2007259 complaints · 5 recallsTypical
Data from NHTSA Complaints & Recalls APIs · synced Nov 10, 2026
Fewest complaints for their age: 2020, 2019.
About this comparison
What Lincoln MKZ years have the most complaints?
No Lincoln MKZ model year drew more than twice the typical complaint rate among the 14 model years compared. The highest was 2008.
Is this a reliability rating?
No. These are counts of unverified owner complaints to NHTSA. They are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so a popular year can collect more complaints. Use them to find patterns, then read the reports.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.