2016 Lincoln MKX problems & reliability
148 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Lincoln MKX, 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.
3 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2016 Lincoln MKX vehicles were involved in 19 fatal crashes with 4 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes → | 36 | 24% |
| Engine → | 32 | 22% |
| Electrical System → | 27 | 18% |
| Unknown OR Other | 21 | 14% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 17 | 11% |
| Fuel/propulsion System → | 12 | 8% |
| Power Train → | 11 | 7% |
| Wheels | 7 | 5% |
| Exterior Lighting | 6 | 4% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 6 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 25 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 76 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 21,500 miles (middle 50% between 6,925 and 50,250 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The ABS warning light was illuminated. The brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard, and the vehicle slowly stopped. The vehicle almost…”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Aug 4, 2026
“The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V544000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while coming to a complete stop and depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal went to the…”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Aug 3, 2026
“The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V544000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The vehicle was scheduled for the recall repair. The contact was later informed that parts were unavailable to repair the…”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Aug 3, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering Analysis EA21002 · opened Sep 17, 2021 · open
Technical service bulletins
220 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2016 Lincoln MKX. The 10 most recent:
Advance Notice – Customer Satisfaction Program 25N17 Certain 2015-2025 Model Year Multiple Vehicle Lines Rear View Camera Replacement If Required After Dealer Evaluation
25N17 · Other · issued Mar 25, 2026
Some 2016-2017 Edge/MKX, 2017 Continental/Fusion/MKZ vehicles equipped with a 2.7L or 3.0L EcoBoost engine and built on 1-Apr-2016 and through 1-Jan-2017 may exhibit white or blue smoke from the exhaust, rough idle in…
SSM 54504 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 16, 2026
This article supersedes TSB 24-2165 to update the TSB Service Procedure. Some vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit various SYNC performance related concerns including but not limited to: Display…
TSB 25-2570 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 26, 2025
The affected vehicles have an emissions control system that does not account for certain in-use conditions and might not control tailpipe emissions effectively over time.
25E02 · Emissions · issued Nov 25, 2025
Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022, P0024 and/or P0025. Pinpoint test HK in…
SSM 54366 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 12, 2025
The affected vehicles have an emissions control system that does not account for certain in-use conditions and might not control tailpipe emissions effectively over time.
25E02 · Emissions · issued Oct 13, 2025
This article supersedes TSB 24-2345 to update the Service Procedure. Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit an oil leak from the engine oil pan RTV seal. This may be due to a lack of RTV…
TSB 25-2395 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 27, 2025
Various vehicles equipped with a 2.7L or a 3.0L gas engine may require a crankshaft bolt replacement during repairs. Various vehicles equipped with a 2.7L or a 3.0L gas engine may require a crankshaft bolt replacement…
SSM 53174 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 27, 2024
Some 2015-2017 Edge, 2016-2017 MKX, 2017 Fusion/MKZ/Continental vehicles equipped with a 2.7L EcoBoost or 3.0L EcoBoost engine may exhibit an oil leak from the engine oil pan RTV seal.
TSB 24-2345 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 26, 2024
While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions. While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024…
SSM 53040 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 10, 2024
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 2016 Lincoln MKX 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 2016 Lincoln MKX?
- · 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.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 21,500 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.