2008 Lincoln MKZ Problems, Recalls & Reliability
328 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2008 Lincoln MKZ, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 4 defect investigations. It scores 99/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 72,500 miles.
Below average
Where 2008 sits among all MKZ years
What owners report
“Takata recall. I was notified in 2016 about the airbag recall and have not been notified to bring it to a dealer for a fix. Can i require a replacement car from the dealer until the problem has been fixed by the dealer?”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 MKZ
“Our abs activated on ice/snow. Now, must push the brake pedal to the floor to get the car to stop.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 MKZ
“Tires constantly going flat because of rim.i would never purchase another lincoln ever”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 MKZ
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 148 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 80,200 miles. Half of those reports fall between 48,000 and 122,416 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion, Lincoln Zephyr, Lincoln MKZ, 2006-2011 Mercury Milan, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, and Lincoln MKX vehicles. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant…
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver-side airbag inflator or module with an alternate one, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 9, 2021 for the…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2006-2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ vehicles. The valves within the ABS Hydraulic Control Units (HCU) may react with brake fluids containing specific corrosion preventative additives.…
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will flush the brake system with DOT 4 fluid and install a new brake fluid reservoir cap. In addition, the HCU will be tested to detect a possible stuck valve…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012 Ford Fusion and Mustang and Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico,…
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Interim…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Ford Ranger vehicles, 2006-2011 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles, and 2005-2011 Ford Mustang…
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Ford…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain all weather driver side accessory floor mats sold for use in model year 2006-2011 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan, 2006 Lincoln Zephyr, and 2007-2011 Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured November 9, 2007, through…
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install new replacement mats, free of charge. The recall began in July 2014. Owners may contact Ford's customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 19V904000.
Led to recall campaign 14E028000.
Technical service bulletins
21 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on airbags and engine — are on file for the 2008 Lincoln MKZ. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2008 Lincoln MKZ reliable?
The 2008 Lincoln MKZ drew 328 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 99/100, scored against the model's worst year (2007).
What are the most common 2008 Lincoln MKZ problems?
The top reported problems for the 2008 Lincoln MKZ are airbags (167 complaints), brakes & stability (78), and wheels & tires (35).
At what mileage do 2008 Lincoln MKZ problems show up?
Owners most often report 2008 Lincoln MKZ problems around 80,200 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 48,000 and 122,416 miles.
Does the 2008 Lincoln MKZ have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2008 Lincoln MKZ. At least one carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning — check your VIN before driving.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.