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EnginePart report

2016 Lincoln MKZ Engine Problems

Complaints
6about this part
Share
9%of 64 total for the year
Median mileage
63,500miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 6 complaints about the engine of the 2016 Lincoln MKZ, 9% of the 64 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 63,500 miles.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“While traveling on the the highway the engine went to low idle. The places the operator in a very precarious situation when trying to navigate the car to to the shoulder of the road. At issue was the throttle body. Ford and Lincoln seem to know that there is an issue. There should be a service bulletin or a recall for the issue. Ford has nothing up on their web site.”

NHTSA complaint #10893423, filed 2016-08, 7,000 miles

“My MKZ started slowly losing coolant and running rough particularly upon starting the engine. Two days later the overheating warning came on and I pulled over and shut off the engine. Sioux Falls Ford has diagnosed it as coolant intrusion in the engine requiring a new engine block.”

NHTSA complaint #11666907, filed 2025-06

“Check engine light came on, car ran hot, and emitted smoke. It also began to run rough. Frightening to say the least. I immediately drove home and took it to my mechanic the next day. He found coolant leaked into cylinder 3. He did research and found tons of reports of the same problem with the Ford 2.0 eco boost engine. Several people reported engine seizing, smoke, or fires. This is a safety hazard.”

NHTSA complaint #11540859, filed 2023-08

“The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated with smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated the vehicle lost motive power but was able to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.”

NHTSA complaint #11664541, filed 2025-06, 120,000 miles

Related service bulletins

Engine: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2019838%
20181336%
20177654%
201669%
201578%
20141010%
2013109%
201253%
2011107%
201053%
200944%
200852%
200762%

Other parts of the 2016 Lincoln MKZ

Brakes
14 complaintsSteering
12 complaintsElectrical system
11 complaintsAir bags
9 complaintsOther or unknown
6 complaintsBack-over prevention (rear camera)
5 complaintsSeat belts
3 complaintsWheels
3 complaintsFuel system
2 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
2 complaintsBody and structure
2 complaintsEngine cooling
1 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2016 Lincoln MKZ

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.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology