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2010 Lincoln MKZProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 170 owner complaints about the 2010 Lincoln MKZ, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 7 safety recalls, and for recall 16V-384 the manufacturer reports only 24% of affected cars repaired.

2010 Lincoln MKZ
43
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.3× the MKZ median · #3 of 13 years by complaints
Safety recalls7Lowest repair rate 24%Owner complaints17021 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage67kAir bags, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 16, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain.

Complaints by system

Where the 2010 Lincoln MKZ has problems

170 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Air bags966
Service brakes263
Service brakes, hydraulic120
Exterior lighting110
Vehicle speed control109
Electrical system101
Engine50
Power train41
Structure42
13 other systems171

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

7 recalls

2010 Lincoln MKZ recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

27%repaired · 2023 Q1

Driver side: inflator module

Recall 21V-158 · Mar 10, 2021 · 2,602,668 vehicles · 699,731 repaired

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

33%repaired · 2022 Q4

Air bags: frontal

Recall 21V-081 · Feb 16, 2021 · 1,067 vehicles · 355 repaired

Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the frontal air bag, an inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

28%repaired · 2023 Q1

Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module

Recall 19V-904 · Dec 18, 2019 · 600,166 vehicles · 166,504 repaired

Risk. If the valves do not properly close, additional brake pedal travel may be required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

67%repaired · 2020 Q2

Passenger side: inflator module

Do not drive

Recall 19V-001 · Jan 7, 2019 · 782,384 vehicles · 527,515 repaired

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 3 more recalls
100%repaired · 2019 Q3

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 18V-775 · Nov 1, 2018 · 215 vehicles · 215 repaired

Risk. If the air bag does not inflate as intended, there is an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

30%repaired · 2019 Q3

Passenger side: inflator module

Do not drive

Recall 18V-046 · Jan 11, 2018 · 327,796 vehicles · 97,640 repaired

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

24%repaired · 2019 Q2

Passenger side: inflator module

Do not drive

Recall 16V-384 · May 31, 2016 · 1,892,343 vehicles · 462,303 repaired

Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Lincoln.

Best & worst years

2010 vs. every other MKZ year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the MKZ median. How we score

'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2010 Lincoln MKZ safety ratings

2010 Lincoln MKZ 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Rollover: 5 stars (9.2% risk)
  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
3 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2010 Lincoln MKZ, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Floor mat interference with acceleratorEA12009 · closed Jun 12, 2014
    Led to recall 14E-028
  2. Accel Pedal Interference - Acc FloormatPE10019 · closed Jan 11, 2013
    No recall
  3. Electric power steering failurePE14030 · closed Sep 10, 2015
    Led to recall 15V-340
In owners' words

What MKZ owners report

Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

Takata recall. The contact owns a 2010 Lincoln MKZ. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V158000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable…
Complaint 11481725 · Aug 29, 2022
The contact owns a 2010 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while in the car wash the transmission was shifted back to the Driver position when suddenly the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle and crash into a pair of the iron post. During…
Complaint 11470680 · Jun 23, 2022 · 100,000 miles
I traded in this 2010 Lincoln MKZ on November 24, 2018 at Classic Acura in Beaumont, Texas. Since that time I have contacted both Lincoln Motor Company by phone and email plus Kinsel Ford-Lincoln of Beaumont, Texas in person and by phone. These contacts were done multiple times and today I received…
Complaint 11427902 · Aug 5, 2021

Own a 2010 MKZ?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.