LINCOLN MKX · model year

2012 LINCOLN MKX

108 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

4 / 5 ★

New Car Assessment Program

The 2012LINCOLNMKX carries 108 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 4/5 rating, with 3/5 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 2012 MKX is service brakes with 26 filings, followed by electrical system (17) and power train (11). 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 1 active recall campaign, 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 2012 MKX, 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.

108
Complaints
2
Crashes
0
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths
2012 LINCOLN MKX — NHTSA crash-test profile NHTSA NCAP crash-test star ratings for the 2012 LINCOLN MKX. Overall composite: 4.0 of 5 stars across 3 safety dimensions. Front CrashSide CrashRollover 4.0 NHTSA NCAP of 5 stars
  • Front Crash 3.0 ★
  • 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

108 filings

Crashes Reported

2 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: 3/5 · Side: 5/5 · Rollover: 4/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
SERVICE BRAKES26
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM17
POWER TRAIN11
STRUCTURE:BODY9
ENGINE8
UNKNOWN OR OTHER7
AIR BAGS4
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM3
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC3
EXTERIOR LIGHTING2
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM2
LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION2
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH1
STRUCTURE1
VISIBILITY1

Recalls (1)

14V39300002/07/2014

POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles manufactured September 2, 2010, to November 30, 2013; 2013-2014 Ford Taurus and Lincoln MKS vehicles manufactured August 25, 2011, to November 30, 2013; and 2013-2014 Ford Flex and Lincoln MKT vehi

Recent Complaints

20250901SERVICE BRAKES

Recalled master cylinder brake booster was repaired at the dealership under the recall approx 4 or 5 years ago. The same issue has began again. Out of nowhere while braking, the pedal will become soft and press to the floor. During this time, the car will not slow down. This is resembling a defective part.

20250829ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The camera change from vertical to horizontal, the camera shutdown while in motion.

20250623BACK OVER PREVENTION

The contact owns a 2012 Lincoln MKX. The contact stated that the back over prevention camera was reversed. The contact stated that the image was upside down and the camera was flickering. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The contact believed that the failure was weather-related. The contact called an unknown local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 185,000.

Mileage: 185,000

20250110ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Backup camera faulty won’t connect just black screen

20241213SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM

brake booster

20240530SERVICE BRAKES

What system Failed: Hydraulic Control Unit within the braking system. Brake Pedal and Master cylinder in good working order. Safety Concern: Vehicle failed to stop. Peddle completely to the floor. Accident avoided. Problem Reproduced or confirmed by Service Center: Yes, at a cost of $1,699.00 Inspected: Yes. Vehicle has low miles. Odometer: 114,591 Warnings: No lights or warnings, attempted to stop and brake pedal to the floor. Stopped driving until repairs made. Unsafe! Vehicle failed to stop in normal traffic without warning, speed was approximately 45 mph. Personal Information: Site stated do not list personal information. Therefore, repair invoice available upon request. No upload given at this time.

20231110AIR BAGS

DRIVER SIDE FRONT DOOR SENSOR SAYS CAR DOOR IS OPEN EVEN WHEN DOOR IS FIRMLY SHUT. CAUSES DOORS NOT TO LOCK, INTERIOR AND PUDDLE LIGHTS REMAIN ON, DRAINS BATTERY, DOORS WON'T LOCK EVEN WITH CAR IN MOTION. Severe Rust problems under carriage Air Bag light remains on

20231110STRUCTURE:BODY

DRIVER SIDE FRONT DOOR SENSOR SAYS CAR DOOR IS OPEN EVEN WHEN DOOR IS FIRMLY SHUT. CAUSES DOORS NOT TO LOCK, INTERIOR AND PUDDLE LIGHTS REMAIN ON, DRAINS BATTERY, DOORS WON'T LOCK EVEN WITH CAR IN MOTION. Severe Rust problems under carriage Air Bag light remains on

20231110ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

DRIVER SIDE FRONT DOOR SENSOR SAYS CAR DOOR IS OPEN EVEN WHEN DOOR IS FIRMLY SHUT. CAUSES DOORS NOT TO LOCK, INTERIOR AND PUDDLE LIGHTS REMAIN ON, DRAINS BATTERY, DOORS WON'T LOCK EVEN WITH CAR IN MOTION. Severe Rust problems under carriage Air Bag light remains on

20230622ENGINE

Entering I-294 express ramp, vehicle was not accelerating beyond 40mph. then as I entered highway it shut down completely. I coasted to the right shoulder. The dash displayed a "low oil pressure" alert. So I did not attempt to restart the car. When I had it towed home, I checked the oil level and it was full. Nothing like this happened before. The vehicle is almost 12 years old with 167,000 miles. Had this happened in traffic on the expy, I could have been creamed by other cars or a truck. I am going to the dealer today to investigate but this seems like an anomaly where the engine shuts down because the computer thinks there is a catastrophic failure that is not really happening.

20230622FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Entering I-294 express ramp, vehicle was not accelerating beyond 40mph. then as I entered highway it shut down completely. I coasted to the right shoulder. The dash displayed a "low oil pressure" alert. So I did not attempt to restart the car. When I had it towed home, I checked the oil level and it was full. Nothing like this happened before. The vehicle is almost 12 years old with 167,000 miles. Had this happened in traffic on the expy, I could have been creamed by other cars or a truck. I am going to the dealer today to investigate but this seems like an anomaly where the engine shuts down because the computer thinks there is a catastrophic failure that is not really happening.

20230612BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING

I am having issues with my touch screen. My screen will go black every other week, for about a day and the the SNYC will update. This time, it’s been over a week, and the screen is still black. I have tried changing fuses to no avail. Also, the rear camera does not work. Along with the blind spot warning or the rear cross traffic warning. How should I proceed? I believe it may be a faulty chip in the computer board.

20230612LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION

I am having issues with my touch screen. My screen will go black every other week, for about a day and the the SNYC will update. This time, it’s been over a week, and the screen is still black. I have tried changing fuses to no avail. Also, the rear camera does not work. Along with the blind spot warning or the rear cross traffic warning. How should I proceed? I believe it may be a faulty chip in the computer board.

20230612ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I am having issues with my touch screen. My screen will go black every other week, for about a day and the the SNYC will update. This time, it’s been over a week, and the screen is still black. I have tried changing fuses to no avail. Also, the rear camera does not work. Along with the blind spot warning or the rear cross traffic warning. How should I proceed? I believe it may be a faulty chip in the computer board.

20230119SERVICE BRAKES

While leaving out my driveway my brakes went straight to the floor before stopping. After I put the car in park and put my foot on the break again it was hard to push the brake pedal. I also hear air coming from the break pedal area. I had no warning and still do not have any warnings. I’ve noticed after reading a lot of reviews this seem to be a common problem and it’s not safe. Mileage 104,000

20230104SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

The contact owns a 2012 Lincoln MKX. The contact stated that the brake pedal would depress to the floorboard without warning. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and the brake master cylinder was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was then diagnosed with a defective ABS system; however, the part for the repair was on backorder. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and provided the same information as the dealer. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

Mileage: 130,000

20220829POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2012 Lincoln MKX. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to respond. The All-Wheel Drive (AWD) warning light and the power train warning light were illuminated. The contact stated that he veered to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle and waited for 15-20 seconds. The contact then continued driving; however, the failure recurred increasingly. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who test drove the vehicle and informed the contact that they could not duplicate the failure. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under an unknown NHTSA Campaign because the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 97,400.

Mileage: 97,400

20220525SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

The contact owns a 2012 Lincoln MKX. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, there was a brake booster fault and the contact depressed the brake pedal to the floor. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer who diagnosed the failure with the brake booster. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 138,300.

Mileage: 138,300

20220415SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

The contact owns a 2012 Lincoln MKX. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the brake pedal became firm and difficult to depress. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed the failure to be brake booster and brake master cylinder failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 67,000. The contact stated the brake booster was replaced.

Mileage: 67,000

20220201SERVICE BRAKES

The braking system failed to adequately stop the car. In contacting the Lincoln Customer Service, this failure mode is associated with a Lincoln Customer program # 13N02. This program has a 10 years or 150000 miles limit for repair. The vehicle (MKX - 2012) has 65000 miles and was purchased 12/20/2011. It is 1 month out of the defined period. The car has only been driven a few hundred miles since 2020 due to illness and death of the owners. The brake system is a safety device and should not be considered a "Customer Care" program with limits as noted above. The failure of a breaking system will cause potential personal injury including death and should be reconsidered as a safety recall or the program should be extended. The incident of a major traffic accident on the highway was avoided that would have involved multiple cars if not taking evasive action in the median. The problem was confirmed by a dealer, verbally given the operation of the brake system. There w

Compare 2012LINCOLNMKX to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2012 LINCOLN MKX have?
The 2012 LINCOLN MKX has 108 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2012 LINCOLN MKX?
The 2012 LINCOLN MKX received an overall NHTSA safety rating of 4/5, front crash rating of 3/5, side crash rating of 5/5, and rollover rating of 4/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2012 LINCOLN MKX?
Yes, the 2012 LINCOLN MKX has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2012 LINCOLN MKX?
The most-complained component for the 2012 LINCOLN MKX is SERVICE BRAKES with 26 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and POWER TRAIN.
Is the 2012 LINCOLN MKX 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 2012 LINCOLN MKX 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.