2016 Lincoln MKX Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other MKX years
- More complaints than other years 4th of 14 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 7 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 156 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Lincoln MKX. That ranks 4th out of 14 MKX model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes (39 complaints, 25%), typically at around 49,000 miles. Complaints mention 6 crashes, 3 fires, 3 injuries. There are 7 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
.jpg){kind=link}
- 156owner complaints
- 7safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 6complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2016 Lincoln MKX problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes | 39 | 25% | 49,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 32 | 21% | 7,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 27 | 17% | 14,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 22 | 14% | 92,723 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 22 | 14% | 7,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 12 | 8% | 5,482 | — | — |
| Power Train | 12 | 8% | 18,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 7 | 4% | 20,482 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 6 | 4% | 30,183 | — | — |
| Steering | 6 | 4% | 30,523 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 6 | 4% | 7,401 | — | — |
| Structure | 5 | 3% | 28,500 | — | — |
| Suspension | 4 | 3% | 46 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 3 | 2% | 46,356 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 3 | 2% | 40,711 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 1% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 1% | 17,938 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 1 | 1% | 35,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 1% | 5,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 1% | 54,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 1% | 134,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2016 Lincoln MKX recalls (7)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Lincoln MKX and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The rear brake jounce hose may rupture and leak brake fluid.
Risk: A brake fluid leak can extend the distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the brake jounce hoses and adjust brake jounce hoses with no damage present, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 17, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S87.
Service brakes; service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Ford Edge and 2016-2018 Lincoln MKX vehicles. The front brake hoses may rupture prematurely.
Risk: A ruptured front brake hose will cause a brake fluid leak, lengthening the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front brake hoses with the new hoses that have a revised braid material, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 13, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S42.
Seats:front assembly:power adjust; air bags; electrical system:wiring:interior/under dash
Problem: Ford Motor Company, Inc. (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Lincoln MKX and 2019-2020 Nautilus vehicles equipped with 16-way electric tilt seats. The seat cushion frame edge may contact the wire harness when the seat occupant uses the tilt function of the seat, potentially damaging one or more wires within the harness, which can result in either inadvertent deployment of the air bag or nondeployment of the air bag in the event of a crash.
Risk: An air bag that deploys inadvertently increases the risk of a crash. An air bag that does not deploy in the event of a crash increases the risk of injury.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install protective flocking tape onto the exposed edge of the 16-way seat cushion frames, and inspect the wire harness for damage, and repair or replace it as needed, free of charge. This recall began August 12, 2020. Owners may contact Ford/Lincoln customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S37.
Electrical system:12v/24v/48v battery:cables
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Lincoln MKX vehicles equipped with 3.7L engines. The battery positive cable harness may contact the transmission shifter cable bracket resulting in a short circuit.
Risk: An electrical short increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will remove the battery harness clips and elbow guide, and install a wire channel shield and protective sleeve to the battery cable harness, free of charge. Interim notices informing owners of the safety risk were mailed on December 2, 2019. Owners will receive a second notice when the remedy becomes available, currently expected to be the end of April 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S41.
Steering:electric power assist system
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2016 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 Ford Edge, and 2016 Lincoln MKX vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Road salt or other contaminants may corrode the electric power steering gear motor attachment bolts.
Risk: If the bolts corrode, the steering gear motor may detach from the gear housing resulting in a loss of power steering assist, requiring a greater steering effort, especially at lower speeds, and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gear motor bolts and apply a wax sealer. If any of the steering gear motor attachment bolts are broken or missing, a new steering gear will be installed in the vehicle. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began October 18, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S26.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles and 2017 Lincoln Continental vehicles. In the event of a crash, the driver's frontal air bag may not fully inflate or the air bag cushion may detach from the air bag module. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: During deployment, if the air bag does not fully inflate or the cushion detaches, there is an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began June 16, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17C02.
Child seat:tether: connector/clip
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2016 Lincoln MKX vehicles manufactured September 24, 2015. An incorrect seat back trim cover was installed on the affected vehicles, blocking the child seat tether anchors in the second row center seating position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 225, "Child restraint anchorage systems."
Risk: An improperly anchored child seat can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the seat back trim cover and tether cover bezel on the second row, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16C09.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture (EA21002) — opened Sep 17, 2021, still open.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
"AWD Temporarily Disabled" warning notification came on while driving 55 mph in the middle lane of an expressway during late afternoon/early evening hours. The roadway was clear of debris and the weather was sunny. There was no further instruction of what to do from the dashboard. However, after…
The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKX. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the brake pedal became inoperable, and the brake warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled away from oncoming traffic to ensure that the vehicle stopped and avoided a crash. The vehicle was taken to an…
The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V544000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available for…
Unknown there were no incidents But the recall is almost 1 year old I received the notice September 2025 regarding a possible brake hose defect waiting almost 1 year for a Fix is Rediclous there had been no updates from Ford/Lincoln motor company brake issue should be taken more Seriously
The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKX. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to immediately stop with the message âLow Brake Fluidâ displayed. Brake fluid was later added to the brake reservoir, and the vehicle was driven to the…
Other Lincoln MKX years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 MKX | 0 | 1 |
| 2019 MKX | 0 | 1 |
| 2018 MKX | 31 | 5 |
| 2017 MKX | 52 | 5 |
| 2016 | 156 | 7 |
| 2015 MKX | 19 | 0 |
| 2014 MKX | 35 | 1 |
| 2013 MKX | 163 | 1 |
| 2012 MKX | 84 | 1 |
| 2011 MKX | 149 | 3 |
| 2010 MKX | 111 | 6 |
| 2009 MKX | 66 | 6 |
| 2008 MKX | 253 | 6 |
| 2007 MKX | 298 | 5 |
See all Lincoln MKX problems by year, every Lincoln model, or the Lincoln VIN decoder.
Similar Lincoln models
Embed this 2016 Lincoln MKX badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Lincoln MKX?
Owners most often report service brakes, engine, electrical system problems. The top one, service brakes, accounts for 39 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2016 Lincoln MKX?
Yes, 7 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2016 Lincoln MKX a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other MKX model years, the 2016 has more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.