LINCOLN MKZ HYBRID · model year

2016 LINCOLN MKZ HYBRID

7 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2016LINCOLNMKZ HYBRID carries 7 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2016 MKZ HYBRID is seat belts with 2 filings, followed by wheels (2) and air bags (1). 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.

NHTSA currently has 15 investigation files overlapping the 2016 MKZ HYBRID, 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.

7
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

7 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
SEAT BELTS2
WHEELS2
AIR BAGS1
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER CLOCKSPRING/SPIRAL CASSETTE1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1

Recent Complaints

20180510WHEELS

THE 2016 MKZ HYBRID DOES NOT COME WITH A SPARE TIRE. THIS WAS NOT TOLD TO ME WHEN THE CAR WAS PURCHASED. THE ABSENCE OF A SPARE TIRE PUTS ONE IN DANGER. THIS SHOULD BE WELL DOCUMENTED AT TIME OF PURCHASE. THEY PROVIDE A SPRAY CAN OF JUNK THAT IS USELESS UNLESS YOU HAVE A PIN IN YOUR TIRE. ANY DAMAGE TO THE TIRE AND YOU ARE STRANDED UNTIL YOU CAN GET TO A TIRE OUTLET THAT HAS THE TIRE YOU NEED. IT IS A DISGRACE THAT ON A LUXURY VEHICLE THIS ABSENCE PUTS YOU AT RISK. CAN YOU IMAGINE BEING STRANDED ON OPEN HIGHWAY AT 2 IN THE MORNING. IF TRIPLE AAA COMES YOU NEED TO BE PUT ON A FLATBED BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE A TIRE TO CHANGE. THIS IS A DANGEROUS AND SERIOUS MATTER THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY LINCOLN MOTOR COMPANY.

Mileage: 26,000

20180510UNKNOWN OR OTHER

THE 2016 MKZ HYBRID DOES NOT COME WITH A SPARE TIRE. THIS WAS NOT TOLD TO ME WHEN THE CAR WAS PURCHASED. THE ABSENCE OF A SPARE TIRE PUTS ONE IN DANGER. THIS SHOULD BE WELL DOCUMENTED AT TIME OF PURCHASE. THEY PROVIDE A SPRAY CAN OF JUNK THAT IS USELESS UNLESS YOU HAVE A PIN IN YOUR TIRE. ANY DAMAGE TO THE TIRE AND YOU ARE STRANDED UNTIL YOU CAN GET TO A TIRE OUTLET THAT HAS THE TIRE YOU NEED. IT IS A DISGRACE THAT ON A LUXURY VEHICLE THIS ABSENCE PUTS YOU AT RISK. CAN YOU IMAGINE BEING STRANDED ON OPEN HIGHWAY AT 2 IN THE MORNING. IF TRIPLE AAA COMES YOU NEED TO BE PUT ON A FLATBED BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE A TIRE TO CHANGE. THIS IS A DANGEROUS AND SERIOUS MATTER THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY LINCOLN MOTOR COMPANY.

Mileage: 26,000

20180502AIR BAGS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 LINCOLN MKZ HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE HORN WAS DEPRESSED TO ALERT ANOTHER MOTORIST, BUT IT FAILED TO FUNCTION. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SUNNYVALE FORD (650 E EL CAMINO REAL, SUNNYVALE, CA) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CLOCKSPRING WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED A REDUCED PRICE FOR THE REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 69,801.

Mileage: 69,801

20180502AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER CLOCKSPRING/SPIRAL CASSETTE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 LINCOLN MKZ HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE HORN WAS DEPRESSED TO ALERT ANOTHER MOTORIST, BUT IT FAILED TO FUNCTION. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SUNNYVALE FORD (650 E EL CAMINO REAL, SUNNYVALE, CA) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CLOCKSPRING WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED A REDUCED PRICE FOR THE REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 69,801.

Mileage: 69,801

20170908SEAT BELTS

SEATBELT LOCKS UP AND DOES NOT ALLOW FOR DRIVER TO BUCKLE UP. HAPPENS AT VARIOUS TIMES WHILE VEHICLE IS ON OR OFF., BOTH ON PARK POSITION AND OR DRIVE.

20170824WHEELS

AT 10,740 MILES, WE REPLACED TWO TIRES ALREADY DUE TO BULGES IN THE TIRE SIDEWALL. LINCOLN IS NOT ADDRESSING THIS SERIOUS DEFECT OF LOW TIRE PRESSURE AND AIR LEAKS IN THE TIRES. THIS IS AN ELEVATED SAFETY RISK AS VEHICLE BECOMES UNSTABLE AND HARD TO CONTROL AT LOW AIR PRESSURE. A NEW CAR SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM, BUT SEVERAL SIMILAR COMPLAINTS WERE NOTED ONLINE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS SAFETY HAZARD AS MICHELIN SAYS IT IS NOT THEIR PROBLEM AND LINCOLN BLAMES THE CUSTOMER HITTING POTHOLES WHICH WE DON'T EVEN RECALL HAPPENING. A VIDEO ONLINE ILLUSTRATES HOW TIRE SIDEWALL BULGES CAN OCCUR EASILY WITH UNDER INFLATED TIRES IF THE CAR RUNS OVER A CURB OR HITS A POTHOLE. WE ARE SENIOR CITIZENS, 72 AND 67, AND DRIVE CAREFULLY, TYPICALLY BELOW THE SPEED LIMIT. WE HAVE NEVER HAD THIS EXPERIENCE WITH ANY CARS DURING OUR LIFETIME. PLEASE PERFORM AN INVESTIGATION TO HALT THIS SERIOUS DEFECT THAT THE MANUFACTURER WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE. LIVES ARE IN DANGER DUE TO DIFFICULTY IN CONTROL AND AN U

20170301SEAT BELTS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 LINCOLN MKZ HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE REAR MIDDLE PASSENGER SEAT BELT WOULD NOT LATCH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE LATCH NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT BELT SHOULDER HARNESS WOULD TIGHTEN WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 58,000.

Mileage: 58,000

Compare 2016LINCOLNMKZ HYBRID to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2016 LINCOLN MKZ HYBRID have?
The 2016 LINCOLN MKZ HYBRID has 7 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 LINCOLN MKZ HYBRID?
The most-complained component for the 2016 LINCOLN MKZ HYBRID is SEAT BELTS with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include WHEELS and AIR BAGS.
Is the 2016 LINCOLN MKZ HYBRID safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. 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.