2012 Lincoln MKZ Problems, Recalls & Reliability
176 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2012 Lincoln MKZ, alongside 6 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 70/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 42,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2012 sits among all MKZ years
What owners report
“Takata recall. I got a recall notice from lincoln, but your site says there is no recall.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 MKZ
“Driver's side door lock will not unlock from inside of car. This is a safety factor in the event of an accident. Not able to open door from inside - had to roll window down and open from handle on outside of car. Vehicle was stationary.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 MKZ
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 94 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 54,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 33,000 and 84,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (6)
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 air bag inflator and/or module replacement service parts that may have been used as part of a collision repair. The parts include certain driver-side air bag inflators and/or modules, designed to fit 2005-2014…
Fix: Ford will notify dealers that purchased the affected parts, and dealers will provide replacement parts to purchasers, free of charge. The recall began March 18, 2021. Owners may contact Ford…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern…
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. The…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and 2010-2012 Lincoln MKZ vehicles that previously received a replacement passenger air bag under recall 16V-384, 17V-024 or 18V-046. In the event of a crash requiring deployment…
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag module, free of charge. The recall began November 21, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.…
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 2011-2012 Ford Fusion vehicles without a 3.5L engine and Lincoln MKZ hybrid electric vehicles, 2011 Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles…
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will check the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) for Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC). If dealers find any loss of steering assist DTCs, the steering gear will…
Federal defect investigations
Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade,…
Led to recall campaign 15V340000.
Technical service bulletins
38 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2012 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 2012 Lincoln MKZ reliable?
The 2012 Lincoln MKZ drew 176 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 70/100, scored against the model's worst year (2007).
What are the most common 2012 Lincoln MKZ problems?
The top reported problems for the 2012 Lincoln MKZ are airbags (68 complaints), other (25), and steering (20).
At what mileage do 2012 Lincoln MKZ problems show up?
Owners most often report 2012 Lincoln MKZ problems around 54,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 33,000 and 84,000 miles.
Does the 2012 Lincoln MKZ have recalls?
6 recall campaigns apply to the 2012 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.