LINCOLN MKC · model year

2016 LINCOLN MKC

98 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report, and 5 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

4 / 5 ★

New Car Assessment Program

The 2016LINCOLNMKC carries 98 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 11 fires, 1 injury, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 4/5 rating, with 4/5 front crash, 5/5 side crash, and 4/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2016 MKC is engine with 37 filings, followed by power train (11) and electrical system (10). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 5 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 15 investigation files overlapping the 2016 MKC, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

98
Complaints
1
Crashes
11
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths
2016 LINCOLN MKC — NHTSA crash-test profile NHTSA NCAP crash-test star ratings for the 2016 LINCOLN MKC. Overall composite: 4.0 of 5 stars across 3 safety dimensions. Front CrashSide CrashRollover 4.0 NHTSA NCAP of 5 stars
  • Front Crash 4.0 ★
  • Side Crash 5.0 ★
  • Rollover 4.0 ★
NHTSA overall 4.0/5 stars, with front-crash, side-crash and rollover ratings from standardized NCAP barrier and dynamic tests.

Total Complaints

98 filings

Crashes Reported

1 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: 4/5 — Strong NCAP rating · Front: 4/5 · Side: 5/5 · Rollover: 4/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ENGINE37
POWER TRAIN11
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM10
UNKNOWN OR OTHER9
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING6
STEERING4
EXTERIOR LIGHTING3
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM3
STRUCTURE:BODY2
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL2
WHEELS2
SERVICE BRAKES2
BACK OVER PREVENTION2
SEATS1
AIR BAGS1

Recalls (5)

16V18300031/03/2016

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Lincoln MKC vehicles manufactured November 25, 2013, to January 25, 2016, and 2016 Ford Explorer vehicles manufactured October 20, 2014, to January 28, 2016. The affected vehicles are equipped with 2.3L GTDI engines and engine bloc

23V37800026/05/2023

ENGINE

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Lincoln MKC vehicles. The battery monitor sensor may short-circuit and overheat, causing a fire in the engine compartment while parked or driving.

26V01100015/01/2026

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATER

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.

25V68500010/10/2025

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATER

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Lincoln MKC, 2016-2023 Explorer, 2019-2020 Fusion, 2019-2024 Ranger, 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair, Escape, 2021-2024 Bronco, Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it t

25V57200004/09/2025

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Lincoln MKC, Mustang, F-350 SD, F-250 SD, F-450 SD, 2015-2017 Lincoln Navigator, Expedition, 2015-2018 Edge, Transit Connect, 2016-2019 F-550 SD, Transit, 2017-2019 Econoline, and 2019 Ranger vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distort

Recent Complaints

20260212ENGINE

When driving you could smell fumes, it would jerk, and kick in and out of gear and would have no heat. Coolant was always low with no visible leaks to the mechanic.

20260212ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

When driving you could smell fumes, it would jerk, and kick in and out of gear and would have no heat. Coolant was always low with no visible leaks to the mechanic.

20260212POWER TRAIN

When driving you could smell fumes, it would jerk, and kick in and out of gear and would have no heat. Coolant was always low with no visible leaks to the mechanic.

20260122UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Ford does not have the parts to repair my car; my rear camera gets fuzzy at times

20260122ENGINE

I have a coolant leak and the dealership states that it's located in the engine.

20251210BACK OVER PREVENTION

The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKC. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V572000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the rearview camera displayed a black screen or was glitching while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact stated that the failure obstructed the driver's visibility, which prevented the driver from safely operating the vehicle. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

Mileage: 200,000

20251209SERVICE BRAKES

As far as everybody did and shut down three times in a major intersections as far as to completely shut off or keep up with the camera activity and it seems to not be able to empower through the cabin or central part of the cabin where the computer is stored when I had my f****** completely turn itself off and ran or red lights just to barely make it to my house and in the car would not start I had various problems with his car and I admit paid thousands at this point to see it keep up with it and I've seen it the under several recalls and just now seeing that my car is reaching some of the max amount that I've ever even been issue. I've never received an email on this car having a recall because I moved a few years ago and although I pick up my mail there I've never received anything from Lincoln or have I had any things in the middle for you guys my main concern is getting this rental car in place while all these updates I haven't paid for are completely addressed immediately and in

20251209STEERING

As far as everybody did and shut down three times in a major intersections as far as to completely shut off or keep up with the camera activity and it seems to not be able to empower through the cabin or central part of the cabin where the computer is stored when I had my f****** completely turn itself off and ran or red lights just to barely make it to my house and in the car would not start I had various problems with his car and I admit paid thousands at this point to see it keep up with it and I've seen it the under several recalls and just now seeing that my car is reaching some of the max amount that I've ever even been issue. I've never received an email on this car having a recall because I moved a few years ago and although I pick up my mail there I've never received anything from Lincoln or have I had any things in the middle for you guys my main concern is getting this rental car in place while all these updates I haven't paid for are completely addressed immediately and in

20251209FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

As far as everybody did and shut down three times in a major intersections as far as to completely shut off or keep up with the camera activity and it seems to not be able to empower through the cabin or central part of the cabin where the computer is stored when I had my f****** completely turn itself off and ran or red lights just to barely make it to my house and in the car would not start I had various problems with his car and I admit paid thousands at this point to see it keep up with it and I've seen it the under several recalls and just now seeing that my car is reaching some of the max amount that I've ever even been issue. I've never received an email on this car having a recall because I moved a few years ago and although I pick up my mail there I've never received anything from Lincoln or have I had any things in the middle for you guys my main concern is getting this rental car in place while all these updates I haven't paid for are completely addressed immediately and in

20251016ENGINE

The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the vehicle was shaking, and the check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. The contact stated that her brother had replaced the spark plugs and ignition coils. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that the spark plugs and coils needed to be replaced with OEM parts, and the turbocharger, purge valve, vacuum line, long block, and fuel pressure sensor needed to be replaced. The contact stated that her nephew replaced the spark plugs and ignition coils with OEM parts, and AAMCO replaced the fuel pressure sensor; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 158,000.

Mileage: 158,000

20251016ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the vehicle was shaking, and the check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. The contact stated that her brother had replaced the spark plugs and ignition coils. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that the spark plugs and coils needed to be replaced with OEM parts, and the turbocharger, purge valve, vacuum line, long block, and fuel pressure sensor needed to be replaced. The contact stated that her nephew replaced the spark plugs and ignition coils with OEM parts, and AAMCO replaced the fuel pressure sensor; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 158,000.

Mileage: 158,000

20250906POWER TRAIN

At 85,000 miles I was experiencing a grinding noise coming from my front end when making sharp turns to left or right. Took car to my mechanic immediately for diagnosis. They found the motor mounts and rear differential is binding and close to failure. My mechanic contacted FOMOCO to see about a replacement for the rear differential and was told that there were not any available due to a REDESIGN of the product. He was asked to check back in two weeks! Two weeks w/o my transportation! I replaced the motor mounts, (85Kmi?) After researching on line, several ford & lincoln sites the problems I am experiencing are not unique or infrequent on Lincolns and ford Edges. It would seem to me that these problems are frequent enough to have the manufacturer ininitiate a recall on these products! My mechanic also works on our Sherriff department vehicles and their Ford Edge units are experiencing same problems. I would hope these problems will initiate an investigation into this matter!

20250906ENGINE

At 85,000 miles I was experiencing a grinding noise coming from my front end when making sharp turns to left or right. Took car to my mechanic immediately for diagnosis. They found the motor mounts and rear differential is binding and close to failure. My mechanic contacted FOMOCO to see about a replacement for the rear differential and was told that there were not any available due to a REDESIGN of the product. He was asked to check back in two weeks! Two weeks w/o my transportation! I replaced the motor mounts, (85Kmi?) After researching on line, several ford & lincoln sites the problems I am experiencing are not unique or infrequent on Lincolns and ford Edges. It would seem to me that these problems are frequent enough to have the manufacturer ininitiate a recall on these products! My mechanic also works on our Sherriff department vehicles and their Ford Edge units are experiencing same problems. I would hope these problems will initiate an investigation into this matter!

20250826ENGINE

While driving a short distance to work, my 2016 MKC check engine light came on. The previous week I noticed that the engine hesitated slightly when it first started, but it drove normally. However, when the light came on, my husband took the vehicle to the dealership where we bought it in Dec 2019. We were shocked when we were told this was a very common problem with this type of engine, a 2.0 eco boost, and that the engine would have to be replaced due to coolant intrusion, at the cost of $9300! The vehicle only has 57,000 miles on it and has always been maintained at Prater Ford Lincoln in Calhoun GA. After some research I've found this to be a very well documented problem/engine design failure. Ford and Lincoln have refused any assistance in this matter. The local dealership where we purchased it has told us they won't provide any assistance either. The vehicle is currently in the shop, and the engine is being replaced. It was supposed to be completed 5 days ago. Why hasn't there b

20250826FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

While driving a short distance to work, my 2016 MKC check engine light came on. The previous week I noticed that the engine hesitated slightly when it first started, but it drove normally. However, when the light came on, my husband took the vehicle to the dealership where we bought it in Dec 2019. We were shocked when we were told this was a very common problem with this type of engine, a 2.0 eco boost, and that the engine would have to be replaced due to coolant intrusion, at the cost of $9300! The vehicle only has 57,000 miles on it and has always been maintained at Prater Ford Lincoln in Calhoun GA. After some research I've found this to be a very well documented problem/engine design failure. Ford and Lincoln have refused any assistance in this matter. The local dealership where we purchased it has told us they won't provide any assistance either. The vehicle is currently in the shop, and the engine is being replaced. It was supposed to be completed 5 days ago. Why hasn't there b

20250805ENGINE

Engin light came on, was diagenosed as coolent leaking in spark plug , or Bad head gasket.

20250802POWER TRAIN

Was at the Drive-thru ordering speaker and the car would not shift out of park and could not manually be shifted into neutral so the car could be moved. Drive-thru ordering window was blocked for 16 hyrs. Had to have the car towed with dolly. Vehicle was inspected by independent mechanic and found that the bushing was damaged.

20250718ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. Upon inspection, the contact discovered a low coolant level. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, who determined that there was coolant intrusion into cylinders #2 and #3. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

Mileage: 120,000

20250501ENGINE

I purchased a 2016 Lincoln MKC 2.0 with 96k miles on it 2 months ago, and we just discovered a coolant leak into the first cylinder, causing a cracked head gasket. The engine needs to be replaced, and will cost $15k. Many other drivers have experienced this problem and reported it, and Ford has done nothing to correct the main issue. This problem is causing overheating of the engine, and could potentially cause injury if not fixed.

20250401ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was heavy white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated upon depression of the accelerator pedal, with the check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of coolant, and there were no signs of a coolant leak. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the turbos, spark plugs, and fuel injectors were replaced; however, the failure persisted after the repair. The contact then scheduled an appointment with a local dealer for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 162,000.

Mileage: 162,000

Compare 2016LINCOLNMKC to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2016 LINCOLN MKC have?
The 2016 LINCOLN MKC has 98 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 11 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2016 LINCOLN MKC?
The 2016 LINCOLN MKC received an overall NHTSA safety rating of 4/5, front crash rating of 4/5, side crash rating of 5/5, and rollover rating of 4/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2016 LINCOLN MKC?
Yes, the 2016 LINCOLN MKC has 5 recall(s). The most common affected component is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 LINCOLN MKC?
The most-complained component for the 2016 LINCOLN MKC is ENGINE with 37 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Is the 2016 LINCOLN MKC safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2016 LINCOLN MKC has an NHTSA safety rating of 4/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.