2010 Lincoln MKZ problems & reliability
169 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2010 Lincoln MKZ, alongside 7 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
7 complaints report injuries (10 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2010 Lincoln MKZ vehicles were involved in 15 fatal crashes with 9 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 96 | 57% |
| Service Brakes | 26 | 15% |
| Exterior Lighting | 11 | 7% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 11 | 7% |
| Electrical System | 10 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 10 | 6% |
| Engine | 5 | 3% |
| Power Train | 4 | 2% |
| Structure | 4 | 2% |
| Seats | 3 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 72,233 miles (middle 50% between 45,000 and 110,000 miles), based on 73 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2010 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the ABS and the Traction Control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the ABS had failed and needed to be replaced. The local dealer was contacted, but the…”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Aug 7, 2025
“I bought this car and it started making a tick sound and when I got it home the drive train was hanging”
Exterior Lighting · filed May 4, 2025
“The contact owns a 2010 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, several unknown warning lights illuminated. Additionally, on several occasions, while driving at various speeds, the brake pedal was depressed, and the brake pedal remained on the floorboard. The vehicle…”
Service Brakes, Air · filed Aug 13, 2024
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Electric power steering failure
Preliminary Evaluation PE14030 · opened Oct 2, 2014 · closed Sep 10, 2015 · led to recall 15V340000
- Floor mat interference with accelerator
Engineering Analysis EA12009 · opened Dec 12, 2012 · closed Jun 12, 2014 · led to recall 14E028000
- Accel Pedal Interference - Acc Floormat
Preliminary Evaluation PE10019 · opened May 28, 2010 · closed Jan 11, 2013
Technical service bulletins
28 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2010 Lincoln MKZ. The 10 most recent:
Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. Unlike the integrated…
SSM 54601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 24, 2026
All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the…
SSM 52476 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2024
When performing any transmission fluid change or topoff involving Motorcraft® Premium ATF, MERCON® V has replaced all versions of Motorcraft® Premium ATF and can be used going forward. Mixing Motorcraft® Premium ATF…
SSM 52243 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 8, 2024
Certain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2005-2006 GT, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion and MKZ/Zephyr, 2006-2011 Milan, and 2007-2010 Edge & MKX Vehicles Driver & Passenger Airbag Module Quality Control Inspection REASON FOR THIS…
22B05 S1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 27, 2023
Some 2010-2012 Fusion hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), 2010-2011 Milan HEV and 2011-2012 MKZ HEV vehicles may experience reduced electric vehicle operation and increased gasoline engine operation around 10 years of…
TSB 23-2098 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 7, 2023
Certain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2005-2006 GT, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion & MKZ/Zephyr, 2006-2011 Milan, and 2007-2010 Edge & MKX Vehicles Driver & Passenger Airbag Module Quality Control Inspection: Ford Motor…
22B05 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 28, 2022
Certain 2006-2010 Model Year Fusion/Milan/MKZ/Zephyr Vehicles Equipped with Anti-Lock Brake Systems DOT 3 Brake Fluid and Anti-Lock Brake System Function In some of the affected vehicles, customers may return to the…
21N11-S3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 7, 2021
On vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission it is imperative that the converter pilot hub be greased with Motorcraft Multi-Purpose Grease Spray XL-5-A even if grease was not applied from the factory. Also verify…
SSM 47976 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 10, 2019
Replacing the original equipment SYNC/Navigation system with either an aftermarket SYNC/Navigation kit or modifying original SYNC/Navigation parts to provide additional features is not recommended nor supported on any…
SSM 47201 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 30, 2018
2010-2018 various vehicles equipped with SYNC or SYNC 3 may not function when attempting to find or use the Spotify app via AppLink. As of an update released on 1/15/2018 Spotify will no longer be supporting their…
SSM 47080 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 14, 2018
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2010 Lincoln MKZ has 7 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2010 Lincoln MKZ?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 72,233 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.