2007 Lincoln MKZ Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Jun 11, 2026 · 259 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other MKZ years
Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 15 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 259 complaints with NHTSA about the 2007 Lincoln MKZ. That ranks 2nd out of 15 MKZ model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (184 complaints, 71%), typically at around 66,285 miles. Complaints mention 14 crashes, 3 fires, 6 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.

Lincoln MKZ
Lincoln MKZ II facelift photographed in Harbin , Heilongjiang province, China.. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: Navigator84, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2007 Lincoln MKZ problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Air Bags184 · ~66,285 mi
Service Brakes29 · ~67,771 mi
Wheels18 · ~92,000 mi
Service Brakes, Hydraulic14 · ~125,000 mi
Electrical System7 · ~63,000 mi
Power Train7 · ~110,500 mi
Engine6 · ~89,400 mi
Unknown or Other6 · ~107,200 mi
Structure5 · ~100,000 mi
Seats4 · ~110,000 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Air Bags problems18471%66,285“takata air bags” (30%)—
Service Brakes2911%67,771——
Wheels187%92,000——
Service Brakes, Hydraulic145%125,000——
Electrical System73%63,000——
Power Train73%110,500——
Engine62%89,400——
Unknown or Other62%107,200——
Structure52%100,000——
Seats42%110,000——
Fuel/propulsion System31%97,000——
Seat Belts31%130,000——
Tires31%55,000——
Latches/locks/linkages21%69,000——
Suspension21%58,500——
Visibility/wiper21%62,143——
Electronic Stability Control (esc)10%145,000——
Engine and Engine Cooling10%15,000——
Equipment10%37,000——
Forward Collision Avoidance10%———
Fuel System, Gasoline10%187,000——
Vehicle Speed Control10%61,000——
Visibility10%210,000——

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2017, with 90 complaints
2007: 1200712008: 332009: 1200912010: 112011: 5201152012: 332013: 5201352014: 11112015: 4201542016: 25252017: 902017902018: 54542019: 172019172020: 10102021: 152021152022: 222023: 3202332024: 552025: 2202522026: 22

n = 259 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2007 Lincoln MKZ recalls (4)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator moduleMar 10, 2021 · NHTSA campaign 21V158000 · 2,602,668 vehicles

Problem: 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 degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

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 passenger side, and November 14, 2022 for the driver side. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S12.

Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/moduleDec 18, 2019 · NHTSA campaign 19V904000 · 600,166 vehicles

Problem: 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. This reaction may cause the valves to not close properly.

Risk: If the valves do not properly close, additional brake pedal travel may be required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

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 condition, replacing the HCU as necessary. All services will be performed free of charge. The recall began April 1, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S54.

Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator moduleDo not driveJan 10, 2017 · NHTSA campaign 17V024000 · 654,695 vehicles

Problem: 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, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Ford is recalling certain 2009 Ford Ranger, Edge, Fusion and Mustang, Lincoln MKX, MKZ and Zephyr and Mercury Milan vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Ford is recalling certain 2007-2008 Ford Ranger, Edge and Lincoln MKX, 2006-2008 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ, 2005-2008 Ford Mustang and 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

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 letters informing owners of the recall and that parts are not yet available began mailing March 1, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S01.

Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator moduleDo not driveMay 31, 2016 · NHTSA campaign 16V384000 · 1,892,343 vehicles

Problem: 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 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Ford is recalling certain model year 2007-2008 Ford Ranger, Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2006-2008 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles and 2005-2008 Ford Mustang vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Any vehicle not included in "Zone A", or "Zone B" is not included in the safety recall. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

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 mailed interim letters informing owners that parts are not yet available on July 15, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S01.

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

  • Extended Braking Distance (EA18002) — opened Apr 18, 2018, closed Jan 15, 2021, led to recall 19V904000.
  • Floor mat interference with accelerator (EA12009) — opened Dec 12, 2012, closed Jun 12, 2014, led to recall 14E028000.
  • Tire valve cracking (PE08060) — opened Oct 14, 2008, closed Apr 9, 2009.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

Internal Water pump Failed causing immediate shutdown of vehicle. This water pump is internal to the engine and requires half of the engine be taken apart to be replaced. This affect all 3.5 and 3.7 Ford engines through 2021. Unlike traditional water pumps which are belt driven this one is driven…

Engine · received Jun 11, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11743504

Under the following recall [XXX] Recall was performed in 2022 by Ford of Upland by replacing only the brake fluid. The problem resurfaced just as described in the recall a while back. I contacted Ford on 5/21 they contacted the dealer who refused to repair at no cost. Car is currently at…

Service Brakes · received May 22, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11739635

Varsity Ford Lincoln is refusing to fix open recalls. My vehicle has been sitting with them for 90 days. Lincoln is refusing to help. Now the dealership in a letter is stating they are not going to fix the open recalls because I have to pay them money to fix my brakes before they'll do that in a…

Air Bags · received Mar 6, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11646784

Dealership and Lincoln refusing to repair.

Service Brakes · received Jan 6, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11634267

Car is inoperable due to the brake issue and airbag issue. Lincoln refuses to assist with getting it towed or working with the dealership. They will say that they do these things or are trying to help but they do not. This has been going on for 5 years. Dealerships will not fix the vehicle because…

Air Bags · received Dec 16, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11630926

Other Lincoln MKZ years

← 2006 MKZ · 2008 MKZ →

YearComplaintsRecalls
2020 MKZ21
2019 MKZ211
2018 MKZ352
2017 MKZ1414
2016 MKZ646
2015 MKZ8410
2014 MKZ9713
2013 MKZ10912
2012 MKZ1465
2011 MKZ1455
2010 MKZ1697
2009 MKZ1146
2008 MKZ2814
20072594
2006 MKZ04

See all Lincoln MKZ problems by year, every Lincoln model, or the Lincoln VIN decoder.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2007 Lincoln MKZ?

Owners most often report air bags, service brakes, wheels problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 184 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2007 Lincoln MKZ?

Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2007 Lincoln MKZ a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other MKZ model years, the 2007 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.