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Lincoln MKXModel year report

2016 Lincoln MKX Problems

Compared with other Lincoln MKX years

More complaints than typical for this model

100/100 5.8× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with fewer complaints than typical and no open NHTSA investigation: 2014

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
156filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
20,000miles, 87 complaints with mileage
Recalls
7campaigns on record
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
5 / 5stars overall, 2 rated versions
EPA fuel economy
20 mpgcombined, 2.7L 6-cyl FWD · 18 city / 26 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2016 Lincoln MKX (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2016 Lincoln MKX most often describe sudden loss of throttle response or stalling, frequently traced by dealers to the throttle body and reported at very low mileage. A second, larger cluster of complaints concerns brake hydraulic hoses that split or rupture and let the pedal go to the floor, mostly at higher mileage. Scattered reports cover battery drain, exhaust odors in the cabin, and brake noise.

  1. Engine

    Sudden loss of power / throttle, stalling

    • 30 complaints (19%)
    • median 6,000 mi at 0.9 yrs old (25 state mileage)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2015–2026

    Drivers describe losing the ability to accelerate while moving, sometimes on the highway, with the engine dropping to idle or cutting out and a wrench or check engine light appearing. Several owners say restarting after a short wait restored normal operation. Complaints describe dealers identifying the throttle body and replacing it, with some noting the part was on back order. Mostly reported under about 15,000 miles, often during acceleration or at highway speed.

    What to check: Ask for service records showing whether the throttle body was replaced or reflashed, and test drive at steady highway speed watching for hesitation or a wrench light.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “While driving on a highway in rush hour traffic, my vehicle suddenly lost acceleration and warning light/wrench symbol came on. I could not accelerate over 10 MPH and limped to side of road. I turned off vehicle for about 20 minutes, after that turned back on and vehicle worked completely normal. I drove to dealer immediately, they replaced throttle body and updated software. My vehicle has 10,400 miles.”

    NHTSA complaint #10917221, filed 2016-10, 10,400 miles

    “May 19 2016 I experienced the inability to accelerate. Turned off the car and retried. I went about a half mile when it happened again. The service said it was the throttle body. After 27 days I got my car back.. While Lincoln was helpful, I do believe this should be a recall. If that had happened when I was pulling in to busy fast traffic, it could be deadly. I was on side street, also on highway pulling into traffic turning left.”

    NHTSA complaint #10875416, filed 2016-06, 10,500 miles
  2. Brakes

    Brake hose rupture and pedal to the floor

    • 43 complaints (28%)
    • median 66,000 mi at 7.3 yrs old (19 state mileage)
    • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2015–2026

    Owners describe the brake pedal dropping to the floor and low brake fluid warnings, sometimes with fluid found on the ground near a wheel. Complaints mention front brake lines splitting at the caliper and, in later filings, rear brake hoses rupturing. Some owners report the repair was not covered, and several say they were waiting on parts for a brake hose recall. Typically reported between roughly 50,000 and 140,000 miles.

    Recall 25V544000Recall 20V4690004 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask whether the front and rear brake hose recalls (20V469000 and 25V544000) were completed, and have a shop inspect the flexible hoses for cracks, swelling or fluid residue.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Exited off freeway brake pedal popped and went all the to the floor. I had no brakes! Right front brake line split, loss of brake fluid and loss of brakes!!! This is a huge safety issue, if this would have happened 3 minutes sooner, I would have been going 70-80 MPH. This should be under a recall!”

    NHTSA complaint #11317125, filed 2020-03, 84,000 miles

    “3/8/19 right front brake line at the caliper split at 51,000 miles, complete loss of fluid and brakes while driving in the city. Was not a covered repair by the dealer. 5/24/19 left front brake line just failed at 56,000 miles. Again a complete loss of brake fluid and brakes while driving in the city.vehicle is currently at the dealer.”

    NHTSA complaint #11210287, filed 2019-05, 51,000 miles
  3. Engine

    Exhaust or fuel odor inside the cabin

    • 10 complaints (6%)
    • median 15,500 mi at 1.7 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2016–2023

    Owners describe exhaust or sulfur-like fumes entering the cabin, worse under hard acceleration and noticeable with the air conditioning on recirculate. Complaints say dealers and a field engineer could not identify a repair, and one owner was advised to stop using recirculation. Reported from a few hundred to about 31,000 miles.

    1 related service bulletin

    What to check: Drive the car with windows up and A/C on, including a hard acceleration, and note any exhaust or sulfur smell; ask whether the vehicle has been inspected for exhaust leaks.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “2016 Lincoln MKX - under hard acceleration, I am getting exhaust fumes and also rotten egg smell coming into the interior with a.c. On and in recirculate mode with windows up. My SUV only has 27,000 miles on it. I should not be getting exhaust fumes of any kind inside of my SUV. This should be investigated because exhaust fumes inside of a SUV are dangerous.”

    NHTSA complaint #11011586, filed 2017-07, 27,000 miles

    “I have noticed exhaust fumes in the cabin when driving. I drive both highway and city, but it is worse on the highway. I started feeling tires and foggy headed every time I drove. I tried recycling air and open air both but didn't seem to help. I went to the dealership for oil change and told them about the problem. Service concierge said they had another 2016 MKX in at that time with the same problem. I was told they couldn't look at my vehicle for over two weeks and wouldn't have a loaner car until then. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11394400, filed 2021-02, 24,000 miles
  4. Electrical system

    Battery drain and intermittent no-start

    • 13 complaints (8%)
    • median 55,500 mi at 5.2 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
    • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2020–2025

    Complaints describe the battery going flat after a few days parked and the vehicle failing to start even after a new battery was fitted. Owners report dealers were unable to locate the source of the draw, and one owner attributes it to shift indicator lighting staying on with the ignition off. Reported from roughly 24,000 to 122,000 miles, often after several days without use.

    Recall 19V8090001 related service bulletin

    What to check: Ask about battery replacements and any draw testing, and check whether the battery cable recall 19V809000 was performed.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “The battery will discharge after three to five days without starting. The dealer has been unable to locate the battery draw after several visits. The battery was replaced on the first visit to the dealer service department but did not resolve this issue.”

    NHTSA complaint #11353291, filed 2020-09, 76,000 miles

    “The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKX. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the battery and indicated that the gear selector indicator on the gauge cluster and shifter buttons remained illuminated while the vehicle was off causing the battery to drain. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 85,000.”

    NHTSA complaint #11435723, filed 2021-10, 85,000 miles

Buying note. Check that both brake hose recalls and the battery cable recall were completed, and get service history for throttle body repairs. A pre-purchase inspection covering the brake hoses, battery draw and a highway test drive is worthwhile on this model year.

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.

NHTSA recorded 156 consumer complaints for the 2016 Lincoln MKX. 87 of the complaints include a mileage, and 74% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 20,000 miles. Of all complaints, 6 involved a crash, 3 a fire, 3 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns and 221 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 9 Lincoln MKX model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 100 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (more complaints than typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Body and structure (5), Suspension (4), Back-over prevention (rear camera) (3), Forward collision avoidance (3), Lane departure (2), Seats (2), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (2), Air bags (1), Electronic stability control (1), Engine cooling (1), Latches, locks and linkages (1), Seat belts (1), Tires (1).

Example complaints

Brakes: “Yesterday, december 17, 2020, while backing from a parking space the brakes self-applied, no alarm sounded prior, and while not close to anything. I could let off the accelerator and the brake would release some. When straightened out and driving a short distance down the aisle it happened 2 or 3 more times and gave a red side warning light. Dead stops, accelerator felt hard to push. Happened both when cars were on the side(s) and none close at all. I got to the intersection with no cars close on all 4-sides. …”

NHTSA complaint #11384066, filed 2020-12, 40,711 miles

Engine: “We just described this dangerous, 5 times malfunction in a previous notice, today. My address is listed slightly incorrect and the 1st malfunction was oct 7, 2017, not the 2016, I see that was listed. It was purchased in 2016. The speeds were different. 70 twice, 55 twice and 50 once. The 70's were in heavy traffic on hwy 80 around chicago.”

NHTSA complaint #11219371, filed 2019-06, 14,000 miles

Electrical system: “On 5/11/19, I was driving about 50mph when the entire dash went dark, which also caused the engine to stop running (with 3/4 tank of gas) as I looked at an 'all power off' displayed in the information area of the dash (that normally displays the trip mileage indicator). I immediately pressed the emergency flash button which worked. Fortunately, I was in the right hand lane and had enough speed to simply coast to a safe area on the right shoulder. With the engine not running, I felt I had one chance to use the power brake pedal to stop the car. …”

NHTSA complaint #11207822, filed 2019-05, 25,000 miles

Other or unknown: “I'm not sure if this is considered a design flaw, but I do consider this a safety issue. While driving, I have reached over to press the button to turn on my radio and my car has turned off and I have to come/roll to a complete stop to restart the car. After this happened a few times, I realized I was pressing the button located next to the radio button. The button I was pressing was the start/stop button. Luckily I have done this while driving around my small town, but it would cause an accident if this happened on a 4-8 lane highway. …”

NHTSA complaint #11351125, filed 2020-08, 27,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

74% of the 87 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 5,500 and 50,000 miles.

39%0–1017%10–2517%25–5011%50–757%75–1008%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (87 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 20,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

20162820182020202220242026
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2016 Lincoln MKX. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
MKX · SUV AWD★★★★★5 / 5554 · 15.5% risk
MKX · SUV FWD★★★★★5 / 5554 · 15.4% risk

Driver aids listed by NHTSA for the 2016 model year: forward collision warning optional, lane departure warning not available, automatic emergency braking not available.

Neighbouring years: 2015: 4 stars overall; 2017: same overall rating. A redesign between years can change both the car and the test.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2016 Lincoln MKX version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
MKX AWD2.7L 6-cyl6-speed automatic172419$3,550
MKX AWD3.7L 6-cyl6-speed automatic162319$3,550
MKX FWD2.7L 6-cyl6-speed automatic182620$3,350
MKX FWD3.7L 6-cyl6-speed automatic172520$3,350

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

See all 7 recalls for the 2016 Lincoln MKX → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 221 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 221 bulletins →

Other model years of the Lincoln MKX

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20183117,914552039 · TypicalRising
20175229,713552050 · TypicalStable
201615620,0007520100 · MoreStable
20151927,5000420—Falling
20143528,000142114 · FewerRising
201316459,000142149 · TypicalStable
20128465,000142132 · FewerFalling
201114981,0003—2171 · MoreFalling
201011189,0006—2084 · MoreFalling
20096686,5006—1950 · TypicalFalling
200825389,0006—1980 · MoreFalling
200729890,0005—19Not compared (before 2008)Falling

All Lincoln MKX model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2016 Lincoln MKX?

Owners of the 2016 Lincoln MKX most often describe sudden loss of throttle response or stalling, frequently traced by dealers to the throttle body and reported at very low mileage. The issues reported most often: Sudden loss of power / throttle, stalling; Brake hose rupture and pedal to the floor; Exhaust or fuel odor inside the cabin.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2016 Lincoln MKX have?

NHTSA recorded 156 consumer complaints for the 2016 Lincoln MKX as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2016 Lincoln MKX is reported most often?

Brakes is named most often, in 56 complaints (36% of the total), followed by engine with 32.

Has the 2016 Lincoln MKX been recalled?

NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

How did the 2016 Lincoln MKX do in NHTSA crash tests?

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings give the 2016 Lincoln MKX 5 out of 5 stars overall, across 2 rated versions (body style and drive). Ratings from different model years are only comparable when the vehicle was not redesigned in between.

What gas mileage does the 2016 Lincoln MKX get?

The EPA rates the 2016 Lincoln MKX (MKX FWD, 2.7L 6-cyl) at 20 mpg combined, 18 city and 26 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,350 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2016 Lincoln MKX reported?

Among the 87 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 20,000 miles and the middle half falls between 5,500 and 50,000 miles; 74% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.