2007 Lincoln MKX Problems

What owners report

Complaints about this model year are dominated by two things: a long-running air bag inflator recall and waiting for remedy parts, and gasoline odors or leaks traced to a corroded fuel tank. Owners also describe power transfer unit (PTU) noise and leaks and a brake pedal that feels hard or slow to respond, mostly at higher mileage—median reported mileage across the complaints is around 90,000.

1. 1
   Fuel system

   Fuel smell and leaks from corroded fuel tank

   • 46 complaints (15%)
   • median 91,850 mi at 8.0 yrs old (34 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,000 (median of 6 quotes)
   • filed 2007–2022

   Owners report a strong gasoline smell outside or inside the vehicle after refueling, fuel pooling under the car, and diagnosis of a rusted or leaking fuel tank at the seams. Some describe fuel spitting back or shutting off the pump during refueling. Several say the tank needed replacement but parts were unavailable for months, and some vehicles were outside the recall population by VIN. Mostly reported between about 66,000 and 150,000 miles, often in vehicles registered in states that use road salt.

   Recall 14V682000

   What to check: Smell around the filler neck and under the rear of the car after a fill-up, and look for damp or rusty seams on the tank. Check the VIN against recall 14V682000 and whether the tank was replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I've been smelling gas and I thought it might have been from other cars on the road until today when my car started making a loud noise sounding like it was coming from the passenger front side.it stalled out on me around a month ago for no reason and when I went to park it today I kept smelling gas and noticed it's my vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #10554220, filed 2013-11, 131,632 miles

   “I had noticed a faint gas smell from my 2007 MKX. Fri 10/17/14 after filling up my gas tank and parking at work, I found a puddle of gas underneath my car. Took the MKX to my mechanic and found that the tank is rusting and leaking at the seams. $1600 for a new tank but none are available. Call ford consumer complaint line and told there is not a recall and ford would not replace or take care of the problem. There are numerous blogs about this problem with the ford MKX and edge cars but being ignored by ford. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10648787, filed 2014-10, 89,000 miles
2. 2
   Air bags

   Air bag inflator recall with no remedy parts available

   • 145 complaints (49%)
   • median 95,800 mi at 11.1 yrs old (25 state mileage)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2008–2024

   Owners describe receiving recall notices for the front air bag inflators and then being told by dealers that the replacement parts were not yet available, sometimes waiting many months or years. A few report that a dealer removed the passenger-side air bag and left the vehicle without one. Several also describe air bags that did not deploy in a collision, or a driver-side bag that inflated unexpectedly. Reports span vehicles from low mileage (under 50,000 miles) to well over 150,000 miles, with timing tied to recall notice dates rather than mileage.

   Recall 21V158000Recall 21V081000Recall 17V024000 · DO NOT DRIVERecall 16V384000 · DO NOT DRIVE1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the driver and passenger inflators have actually been replaced under the recall, and get the repair documentation—do not assume a notice received means the work was done. Confirm both front air bags are physically present.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Takata inflator and airbag when I enter my VIN regarding the takata airbags, it suggests that my vehicle has two airbag issues for which parts are not currently available. When I contacted customer service regarding the matter they also indicated that parts for my vehicle would not be available until the end of the year. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11133221, filed 2018-10, 120,000 miles

   “Takata recall - ford/Lincoln provided a mid-size SUV rental for 1week and a half, then asked that I take a compact vehicle. I bought a Lincoln MKX (mid size SUV) and would like a similar rental while a fix/repair is provided for my vehicle. If my family wanted a compact vehicle we would've bought one, we bought a Lincoln mks (mid size SUV) as that's what my family needs. I would like ford/Lincoln to accomodate to the level of vehicle owned. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11120710, filed 2018-08, 39,000 miles
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Power transfer unit noise, leak and binding

   Mentioned in 8 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners of all-wheel-drive versions describe a howling, grinding or clunking noise that grows with speed, a burning smell traced to a leaking PTU, and in some cases wheels that felt like they were locking or jumping at low speed. Shops diagnosed the PTU as the source and quoted replacement; some had a seal and gasket replaced under warranty only to have the leak return. Reported from roughly 75,000 to 140,000 miles, often noticed first while accelerating or turning at low speed.

   What to check: Drive at low speed in a tight turn and listen for chatter or grinding from the rear, and check for fluid seepage or a burning smell around the PTU. Ask whether the unit or its seals have been serviced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have not had an accident yet, but several soon will! I have a 2007 Lincoln MKX (same as ford edge and same problem according to the dealer). When on a hill, even a relatively slight incline, and you take your foot off the brake to go to the gas after a stop, it rolls backward! It acts like a car with a clutch-even though it is an automatic. I have never in 50 years of driving had an automatic that did this rather than hold itself for that split second until you can make the switch from brake to gas!. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10234927, filed 2008-07, 42 miles

   “My 2007 MKX only has 135,000 miles since purchase we've had to change front axles, calipers, 2 sets of lifetime brakes but most concerning is the ptu has to be changed. As I was looking into ptu information I have came across detailed information that the ptu is a known issue through the manufacturer so I'm not understanding why there's no recall on this ongoing issue. I was driving and started hearing a loud metal thumping and felt like wheels were trying to lock up and when backing into driveway it started jumping.”

   NHTSA complaint #11407552, filed 2021-04, 135,000 miles
4. 4
   Brakes

   Hard or slow-responding brake pedal

   Mentioned in 8 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe a pedal that is abnormally stiff, hesitates before engaging, or sinks toward the floor, sometimes with a hissing or screeching noise and an ABS light. Some were told the brake booster and brake light switch needed replacement; others report no diagnosis after multiple part replacements. Mostly reported between about 100,000 and 140,000 miles, at both city and highway speeds.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test the pedal feel on a cold start and after several stops, listen for hissing, and ask for records of booster, master cylinder or ABS service.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 2007 Lincoln MKX is suddenly decelerating and stopping or freezing up while driving. The problem started after premier ford Lincoln service repaired power brakes booster. I made several complaints to car maker and repairs shop. Premier shop appear unsure of problem and offered expensive solutions to force new car purchase. I believe Lincoln is aware of problem and refuses to issue recall.”

   NHTSA complaint #10994633, filed 2017-06, 105,726 miles

   “The brakes shutter when making stops and the pedal becomes hard then goes all the way down. This has happened many times whether at slow speeds in the city and highway speed, which almost LED to an accident because the vehicle almost did not stop. Also the ABS light comes on when driving on highway. I've had many parts replaced such as suspension front and rear, stabilizer arms in front, calipers, brake pads etc. But the vehicle continues to have this issue.”

   NHTSA complaint #11290465, filed 2019-12, 115,000 miles
5. 5
   Engine

   Stalling, misfire and loss of power

   • 39 complaints (13%)
   • median 89,820 mi at 9.2 yrs old (37 state mileage)
   • 9 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $800 (median of 7 quotes)
   • filed 2007–2024

   Owners report the engine cutting out or losing power while driving, sometimes with a pop, vibration, check engine light or an overheat message. Diagnoses in the complaints include failed ignition coils and spark plugs, and in one case a fractured water pump that led to engine replacement. Scattered from about 40,000 to 140,000 miles, with several reports around 80,000 to 105,000 miles.

   What to check: Ask for service records on ignition coils, spark plugs and the water pump, and scan for stored misfire codes before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving out of the parking lot suddenly anxious about the gas pedal because however hard I pressed it, the car wouldn't move ahead. I managed to get onto the main road with the emergency wrench coming up along with the driver airbag and zero mileage for the car indicating. However, this was lucky because it didn't happen on highway, I was extremely stressed out standing in the lane to turn to highway. I changed my mind, turned around, and returned to the parking lot at a crawl. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10550569, filed 2013-11, 40,000 miles

   “When we purchased the vehicle from valley cadillac in roanoke va in 2014. We smelled something burning a few days later. We took it back to the dealer who kept it for over a week. They told me that they would have to send it to the ford dealer because they couldn't repair it.I was never was told what the issue was only that it cost upwards of $800. Here we are and I was stranded on i81 because the truck lost power and started vibrating . It was towed to a repair shop and I am mortified at the findings. The coil packs were bad. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11052520, filed 2017-12, 91,000 miles

Buying note. Check the recall status carefully—especially whether the air bag inflators were actually replaced and whether the fuel tank recall applies to the VIN and was completed. On a test drive, listen for PTU noise in low-speed turns and feel for a hard or sinking brake pedal.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.