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Lincoln MKZ HybridModel year report

2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid Problems

Compared with other Lincoln MKZ Hybrid years

More complaints than typical for this model

67/100 1.5× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with fewer complaints than typical and no open NHTSA investigation: 2011

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
59filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
60,000miles, 41 complaints with mileage
Recalls
0campaigns on record
Trend
RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—no overall rating published
EPA fuel economy
38 mpgcombined, 2.5L 4-cyl · hybrid FWD · 41 city / 35 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid most often report sudden loss of power steering assist, often paired with 'service AdvanceTrac' or 'steering assist fault' messages, and a large share of complaints concern the Takata airbag inflator recall and repeated delays in getting the remedy. A smaller but consistent group describes losing engine power or brake assist while driving, and several mention the driver's interior door handle failing. Complaints span low and high mileage, with steering complaints clustering in the 40,000-100,000 mile range.

  1. Steering

    Power steering assist cuts out

    • 18 complaints (31%)
    • median 66,000 mi at 7.6 yrs old (17 state mileage)
    • filed 2013–2023

    Owners describe the power steering assist dropping out, sometimes while driving and sometimes right after start-up, with warnings such as 'power steering assist fault' or 'service AdvanceTrac' appearing. The wheel becomes very hard to turn, and in some cases restarting the car restores assist while in others the problem returns. Complaints mention dealers replacing the rack and pinion or steering gear, reprogramming the power steering control module, or telling owners their VIN was not covered by a related campaign. Most often reported between roughly 35,000 and 125,000 miles, with several under 60,000 miles; some cases occurred while driving at 20-55 mph and others while parked or reversing.

    What to check: Drive the car at low speed and check the instrument panel for steering or AdvanceTrac warnings; ask whether the steering gear or power steering control module has been replaced or reprogrammed, and keep in mind that assist can drop out intermittently.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “While driving near my home the power steering failed with no warning and the service advancetrac message came on. I have the car exactly 2 years and have only a little over 11,000 miles on it! Thank goodness I wasn't on a highway and I was only blocks from my home.”

    NHTSA complaint #10543877, filed 2013-09, 11,200 miles

    “This happened to me once before in april of 2015, don't remember the date. However also on friday may 15th, 2015, I was backing my Lincoln mkz 2012 hybrid out of the church parking lot and the steering wheel wouldn't turn. I dashboard warning light said power steering not functioning or something similar. It happened once before in april, and at that time, I was also parked, started up the car and it wouldn't steer. I stopped the car, started it up again and that time it corrected itself. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10717194, filed 2015-05, 32,000 miles
  2. Air bags

    Takata airbag inflator recall remedy delays

    • 16 complaints (27%)
    • median 52,750 mi at 5.8 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2017–2022

    Many complaints describe receiving notice of the Takata airbag inflator recall and then being unable to get the repair done because dealers said parts were unavailable. Owners report calling repeatedly over months, being told they would be contacted when parts arrived, and in some cases being given a rental in the meantime. Most of these complaints state no failure had occurred at the time of filing. Filed mainly in 2017-2019 and 2022, generally with no mileage stated since owners were reporting on recall status rather than a breakdown.

    1 related service bulletin

    What to check: Ask for written confirmation that the Takata airbag inflator recall has been completed on the vehicle, and verify the open-recall status by VIN before buying.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Takata recall notified of recall many months ago but every time I call dealer they say they don't have replacements. Dealer is island Lincoln mercury on merritt island, fl note: date below is just a guess. I can not find notification”

    NHTSA complaint #11044009, filed 2017-11, 35,000 miles

    “Takata recall. I was notified of a recall of takata airbag inflators for my car this date by postcard. From tk holdings, inc. I contacted the dealer who informed me there are no parts available anywhere to repair the defect. Thus, I have no remedy available to repair this safety defect in my car.”

    NHTSA complaint #11047505, filed 2017-11
  3. Engine

    Engine shuts off with 'stop safely now' message

    • 9 complaints (15%)
    • median 56,115 mi at 3.7 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2014–2018

    Owners describe the engine cutting out while driving, sometimes at highway speed with cruise control on, along with a red warning telling them to pull over and stop safely. The throttle becomes unresponsive and the car coasts until it can be restarted. Complaints mention dealers being unable to reproduce the problem, replacing the hybrid battery or throttle body, or suggesting a new 12-volt battery. Reported from roughly 23,000 to 91,000 miles, with several cases in the 50,000-60,000 mile range, often during highway driving.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask whether any stored diagnostic codes or throttle body, hybrid battery or 12-volt battery work has been done, and note that two service bulletins describe reduced electric operation and increased engine running as these hybrids age.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “While driving 55 MPH on highway, red triangle with ! In the middle with text stop safely now appeared on dashboard. At the same time the engine shut off (along with the air conditioner and radio). The car would not restart in neutral. I had to coast to the shoulder of the highway to stop, put the car in park, turn the key to restart and then drive again. This happened 3 times in 45 minutes. I took the car to a Lincoln dealership. They could not find anything wrong other than recommending I purchase a new battery. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10726257, filed 2015-06, 56,115 miles

    “September 25, 2014 - while driving approximately 40 miles per hour, the stop car safety now warning came. I have about 91,000 miles on the vehicle. I had the vehicle towed to maplecrest ford Lincoln. They have checked the vehicle, driven it, check for codes and have found nothing in three days of checking. They told me that they contacted Lincoln's tech team for assistance. The tech team cannot determine what is wrong with the car. The two options that I have been given are 1. Do nothing and see if the problem recurs or 2. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10640217, filed 2014-09, 91,000 miles
  4. Body and structure

    Driver's interior door handle fails

    • 6 complaints (10%)
    • median 53,300 mi at 6.3 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2015–2025

    Owners report the inside driver's door handle snapping or going slack so the door will not open from inside, forcing them to open it from the outside or climb over the console. Some complaints note the window stop working around the same time. Dealers reportedly replaced the interior door handle, and in one case the lock, with the problem sometimes returning. Reported from about 23,000 to 55,000 miles, typically noticed when parked and trying to exit the car.

    What to check: Open and close the driver's door several times using the interior handle from both locked and unlocked states, and ask whether the handle or latch has been replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Shortly after I had the takata recall fixed, I had the following things happen to the vehicle: interior driver's door handle will not operate. Prior to that the driver's window would not operate. Mysteriously, the window began operating, then the interior door handle failed. The vehicle was stationary when each incident occurred.”

    NHTSA complaint #11206413, filed 2019-05, 53,300 miles

    “Failure of driver's inside door handle: when attempting to exit my car, the door handle's mechanism suddenly failed and I was unable to egress the vehicle and I came close to panicking. So I was forced to exit via the passenger door which was very difficult climbing over the center console. After talking to the Lincoln assistant service manager and researching the internet, I quickly learned that fords, including lincolns, have an extremely high failure rate of this part. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11163758, filed 2018-12, 43,208 miles
  5. Brakes

    Brake pedal goes to the floor, reduced brake assist

    • 7 complaints (12%)
    • median 75,768 mi at 6.5 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2014–2026

    Owners describe the brake pedal sinking to the floor with little or no braking force, sometimes with ABS, traction control or 'check brake' warnings lit and sometimes with no warning at all. Some report that restarting the car cleared the warning and restored normal braking, while others had the vehicle towed. Complaints mention dealers diagnosing ABS control module or power brake assist faults. Mostly reported between about 24,000 and 93,000 miles, with a few at higher mileage; several occurred in stop-and-go or low-speed stopping situations.

    What to check: Test the brake pedal feel at low speed and check for ABS or brake warnings on the dash; ask whether the ABS control module or brake assist components have been serviced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I have a Lincoln MKZ Hybrid 2012 with 88k miles on it. While I was slowing to a stop as I approached a stoplight at a busy intersection, the 'Check Brake' warning on the dashboard lit up without warning and no prior issues, and my ability to brake became near impossible as the pedal softened. I needed to push it all the way to the floor to get the vehicle to stop. I shifted into park and turned off the vehicle - following turning it back on, the dashboard warning disappeared, I was able to brake again, and the warning has not come back since. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11742028, filed 2026-06

    “Started vehicle in parking lot. Brake light, ABS, traction control lights all on. Backed out of parking spot. Thought I could get it home. Pulled out onto city street. Total brake failure; pedal went all the way down. Did not remember to use emergency brake to stop, but put into park to get vehicle to stop. Managed to pull into another parking lot, continuing to put into park to stop. Called aaa and had towed. Dealer invoice states, verified cust concern. Experienced no power brake assist on vehicle. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11228689, filed 2019-07, 92,537 miles

Buying note. Check the open-recall status by VIN, especially for the Takata airbag inflator, and test the steering, brakes and driver's door handle during a test drive. Service records showing steering gear or ABS module work are worth asking about, since several of these complaints involve repeat visits for the same symptom.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 56 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 59 consumer complaints for the 2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid. 41 of the complaints include a mileage, and 34% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 60,000 miles. Of all complaints, 1 involved a crash, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 9 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 2 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 67 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: Vehicle speed control (2), Exterior lighting (1), Latches, locks and linkages (1), Seats (1).

Example complaints

Steering: “I currently have a rental car because of the takata recall , but the main issue is the traction control function. The adjustments made when traction control is on, during periods of rain have almost cause 3 collisions I think of. Its not like a loss of power steering, but an overcompensation. It feels ready to hydroplane when ever there is heavy rain. I have also replaced all four wheels and it makes no difference.”

NHTSA complaint #11118447, filed 2018-08, 12 miles

Air bags: “The passenger frontal airbag inflator has been recalled in march 2017. As of today, 2017.10.24, the certified Lincoln dealer in austin texas does not have a replacement for this recalled item. I called in march and again today, and replacement parts are not available. This is a safety issue that should be fixed before a potential airbag deployment happens.”

NHTSA complaint #11039280, filed 2017-10, 130,000 miles

Electrical system: “While driving there is a large pop sound and then extreme static / white noise that comes through the speaker system even if the audio is turned off. It will periodically do this off and on and is extremely loud and distracting while driving. Also because it is so sporadic and the pop and static noise is never known when it is going to happen it has nearly caused accidents from being scared when it comes on suddenly. It does this while city driving or highway driving. I can not take a picture of a sound but I do have video and you can also youtube other peoples complaints about this issue. …”

NHTSA complaint #11115266, filed 2018-08, 63,000 miles

Brakes: “While driving on two lane road approx. 50 MPH, engine stopped, advance track light came on , lost steering and breaking, coasted to stop. Restarted and drove home. Carried to dealer , who replaced. Steering gear. Computer should show you warning but not shut vehicle down loosing breaking and steering. If there had been traffic or had been on busy road traveling int. Speed could have been life taking for my family and others on same road.”

NHTSA complaint #10608420, filed 2014-07, 37,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

34% of the 41 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 37,777 and 92,537 miles.

2%0–1010%10–2522%25–5032%50–7510%75–10022%100–1502%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (41 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 60,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: rising. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

’13’15’1714’19’21’23’26
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.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid 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
MKZ Hybrid FWD2.5L 4-cyl · hybridCVT413538$1,750

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

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid in the data used here. A recall can apply to some vehicles of a model year and not others, so check a specific vehicle by 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. 9 on record; the latest 9 are shown.

Other model years of the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20171769,0000—40—Rising
2016763,9000—40—Not enough data
20151315,4000—40—Not enough data
20142870,0000—3850 · TypicalRising
20131350,0000—38—Not enough data
20125960,0000—3867 · MoreRising
20114072,1000—386 · FewerRising

All Lincoln MKZ Hybrid model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid?

Owners of the 2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid most often report sudden loss of power steering assist, often paired with 'service AdvanceTrac' or 'steering assist fault' messages, and a large share of complaints concern the Takata airbag inflator recall and repeated delays in getting the remedy. The issues reported most often: Power steering assist cuts out; Takata airbag inflator recall remedy delays; Engine shuts off with 'stop safely now' message.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid have?

NHTSA recorded 59 consumer complaints for the 2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid as of Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid is reported most often?

Steering is named most often, in 19 complaints (32% of the total), followed by air bags with 17.

Has the 2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid been recalled?

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year in the data used here. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid get?

The EPA rates the 2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid (MKZ Hybrid FWD, 2.5L 4-cyl · hybrid) at 38 mpg combined, 41 city and 35 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $1,750 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid reported?

Among the 41 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 60,000 miles and the middle half falls between 37,777 and 92,537 miles; 34% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. 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.