2015 Lincoln MKZ Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other MKZ years
- Fewer complaints than other years 10th of 15 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 10 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 84 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 Lincoln MKZ. That ranks 10th out of 15 MKZ model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (16 complaints, 19%), typically at around 27,118 miles. Complaints mention 4 crashes. There are 10 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
- 84owner complaints
- 10safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 4complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2015 Lincoln MKZ 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 16 | 19% | 27,118 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 12 | 14% | 84,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 9 | 11% | 51,250 | — | — |
| Steering | 8 | 10% | 88,400 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 7 | 8% | 20,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 7 | 8% | 29,489 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 7 | 8% | 107,100 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 7 | 8% | 46,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 6% | 72,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 5 | 6% | 10,005 | — | — |
| Power Train | 4 | 5% | 49,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 4 | 5% | 28,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 4 | 5% | 6 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 4% | 63,600 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 2% | 27,995 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 2% | 42,500 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 2% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 1% | 115,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 1% | 40,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2015 Lincoln MKZ recalls (10)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Flex, 2015 Explorer, Lincoln MKT, Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 C-Max, Escape, Taurus, 2016 Fusion, 2018-2019 Taurus, 2019 Lincoln MKT, Fiesta, and 2020 Mustang vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, intermittent, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.
Risk: A rearview camera that fails to properly display an image can reduce the driverâs view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on October 25, 2025. Additional letters will be mailed once the final remedy is available on each phase. Mustang owner notification letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA9. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 14, 2025.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. The front brake hoses may rupture and leak brake fluid.
Risk: A brake fluid leak will increase brake pedal travel and extend the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the front brake hoses, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 27, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S12.
Service brakes, hydraulic:pedals and linkages
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Fusion, Lincoln MKZ, and 2015 Mustang vehicles originally sold or ever registered, in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Hawaii. Exposure to certain environmental conditions, such as high temperatures, high humidity, and salt air can cause the brake pedal bumper to corrode and separate from the brake pedal.
Risk: A separated brake pedal bumper can cause the brake lights to illuminate continuously, causing confusion to other drivers and increasing the risk of a crash. On automatic transmission vehicles, a missing brake pedal bumper can allow the driver to shift the vehicle out of the "PARK" position without depressing the brake, allowing the vehicle to rollaway, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the brake pedal bumpers and clutch pedal bumpers, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on March 4, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on June 13, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S02.
Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Fiesta, 2014-2016 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles sold, or ever registered in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.
Risk: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and Ford or Lincoln dealers will replace the side door latches, free of charge. The recall began September 21, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S15.
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.
Seat belts:front
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. In the event of a crash, heat from the deployment of a seat belt pretensioner may cause a front seat belt anchor cable to fail.
Risk: A failed seat belt anchor cable cannot properly restrain the front seat occupants, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will apply a protective coating to the seat belt cable, free of charge. The recall began September 9, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S25. Note: This recall is an expansion of a recall 16V-875.
Steering: steering wheel/handle bar
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Lincoln MKZ and Ford Fusion vehicles. The steering wheel retaining bolt may loosen allowing the steering wheel to detach while driving.
Risk: A steering wheel detachment can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel bolt with a longer bolt, free of charge. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S08.
Seat belts:front
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Ford Fusion vehicles manufactured November 2, 2012, to July 31, 2014, and 2013-2015 Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured November 14, 2012, to July 31, 2014. In the event of a crash, heat from the deployment of a seat belt pretensioner may cause a front seat belt anchor cable to fail.
Risk: If the driver or front passenger seatbelt cables cannot properly restrain the front seat occupants, they would be at an increased risk of injury.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will apply a protective coating to the seat belt cable, free of charge. The recall began May 16, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S42.
Steering:electric power assist system
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured February 3, 2012, to March 20, 2015, and 2015 Ford Edge vehicles manufactured February 26, 2015, to February 28, 2015, and originally sold, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. In the affected vehicles, snow or water containing 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. Loss of power steering assist would require a higher steering effort, especially at lower speeds, which may increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will apply sealer and replace the steering gear motor bolts as required. If one or more 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 on June 24, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S14.
Exterior lighting:headlights
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured February 17, 2014, to March 19, 2015, and equipped with daytime running lights (DRL). In the affected vehicles, the parking lights do not reduce their light output from a DRL level when used in conjunction with the headlights. As such, the light output may exceed the the permissable amount allowed by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk: If the light output is excessive, oncoming traffic may be temporarily blinded, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford has notified owners, and dealers will update the lighting control software, free of charge. The recall began on May 8, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for the recall is 15C02.
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.
- Front Brake Jounce Hose Failures (RQ22004) — opened Aug 8, 2022, closed Mar 24, 2023, led to recall 23V162000.
- Door Latch Failures (RQ19005) — opened Dec 19, 2019, closed Feb 7, 2022, led to recall 20V177000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The engine failed due to design flaw in the engine block
The contact owns a 2015 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera displayed a black screen. The dealer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that parts were unavailable to repair the vehicle. The contact received notification…
The contact owns a 2015 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rear-view camera became inoperable. The contact stated that the rear-view camera image intermittently operated as needed. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over…
The contact owns a 2015 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and occupied, the contact became aware that the steering wheel was loose. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was informed that there was a recall associated with the…
The contact owns a 2015 Lincoln MKZ. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while in reverse(R), the rear-view camera intermittently displayed a distorted…
Other Lincoln MKZ years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 MKZ | 2 | 1 |
| 2019 MKZ | 21 | 1 |
| 2018 MKZ | 35 | 2 |
| 2017 MKZ | 141 | 4 |
| 2016 MKZ | 64 | 6 |
| 2015 | 84 | 10 |
| 2014 MKZ | 97 | 13 |
| 2013 MKZ | 109 | 12 |
| 2012 MKZ | 146 | 5 |
| 2011 MKZ | 145 | 5 |
| 2010 MKZ | 169 | 7 |
| 2009 MKZ | 114 | 6 |
| 2008 MKZ | 281 | 4 |
| 2007 MKZ | 259 | 4 |
| 2006 MKZ | 0 | 4 |
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 2015 Lincoln MKZ?
Owners most often report electrical system, back over prevention, service brakes problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 16 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2015 Lincoln MKZ?
Yes, 10 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2015 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 2015 has fewer 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.