2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid

No clear pattern

0% of complaints about the 2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid arrived in its first year of service. That is an unusual figure for a 2012 vehicle, but with only 79 complaints on record the sample is too small to call it a pattern — the margin of error covers the range where ordinary vehicles sit. The figures below are reported without a verdict. The most-reported system is steering (19 complaints), typically at 7.5 yr or about 66,000 miles.

Complaints: 79
Median age at failure: 6.1 yr
Median mileage: 60,000 n=58
Crash / fire / tow: 1.3% of reports
Safety recalls: 0

In owners’ own words

Steering 11,200 mi 2.0 yr in service

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. *TR

Steering 11,200 mi 2.0 yr in service

POWER STEERING QUIT WITH NO WARNING AND SERVICE ADVANCETRAC MESSAGE CAME ON. FORD SAYS THE RACK AND PINION STEERING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NOW I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR, NO CONFIDENCE IN THE QUALITY AND SAFETY. *TR

Steering 37,000 mi 1.8 yr in service

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. *JS 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.

Air bags mileage not reported 5.5 yr in service

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 LINCOLN MKZ HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V024000 (AIR BAGS) EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR REPAIR. THE CONTACT RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTIFICATION IN MARCH OF 2017. THE DEALER (TED BRITT FORD SALES, 11165 FAIRFAX BLVD, FAIRFAX, VA, 22030) STATED THAT THE PARTS WERE UNAVAILABLE FOR THE REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE UNAVAILABLE AND THAT THEY WERE NOT CERTAIN WHEN THEY WOULD BE AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

Other MKZ Hybrid model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

In owners’ own words

Other MKZ Hybrid model years

How to read this