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The 2016 Lincoln MKX has 145 NHTSA owner complaints and 1 active recall campaign on file. Here's the breakdown — what's serious, what's noise, and what a working mechanic would actually do about it.
The 2016 Lincoln MKX has 145 NHTSA owner complaints and 1 recall on file (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). The most-reported system is brakes at 39 complaints, typically surfacing around 74,598 miles (~$450 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 MKX | 163 | 0 |
| 2014 MKX | 34 | 0 |
| 2015 MKX | 19 | 0 |
| 2016 MKX (this page) | 145 | 1 |
| 2017 MKX | 52 | 1 |
| 2018 MKX | 29 | 0 |
Solid reliability overall. Common issues are concentrated in a few systems.
Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
Driver-assist features on the tested model: Electronic stability control: Standard · Forward collision warning: Optional · Lane departure warning: No
Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program — tested configuration: 2016 Lincoln MKX SUV FWD. Stars rate crash protection in NHTSA's tests, not overall reliability — see the owner-complaint data below for what actually goes wrong.
Here's what this model is known to do — so you can inspect for it, price it in, or make the seller fix it before you sign.
⚠ The one to take seriously: electrical is flagged severe on this model , showing up around 34,224 mi. Inspect it closely on a test drive.
Run the VIN from the listing — 1 active recall on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 7.4/10 model. The priciest documented failure is engine (~$3,100) — get the seller's service records for it or inspect closely. Otherwise an average-risk used buy at a fair price.
We tell you what this model is known for and what to inspect — a vehicle-history report tells you what this exact car has been through. Smart buyers get both.
See the full pre-purchase inspection checklist →A noise, a warning light, a repair quote, "should I buy this?" — get an answer grounded in this vehicle's actual NHTSA record, not generic advice.
Answers use this vehicle's NHTSA complaint & recall record — owner-reported and unverified, not a diagnosis. Verify anything safety-critical with a mechanic.
When owners report each system failing, in actual miles — so you can see what's likely behind you, what's due around now, and what to budget for next. Enter your mileage to mark where you are.
"Typical" = median owner-reported failure mileage from the NHTSA complaint record for this exact year and model. Not a maintenance schedule — a heads-up on where this model's failures cluster.
2016 Lincoln mkx - FWD- loses balance when accelerated. Its wobbles/ swirls when stepped on the gas on a city street or on a highway. When we brought the car in, Lincoln dealership services foreman, adviser and director claimed its their mkx FWD normal characteristics. The…
While driving, there is an electrical issue that is causing warning alarms to go off for hill-descend control, advance-trac traction control, etc. During this time, there is also a complete loss of power steering and making the vehicle almost impossible to turn. The first…
Yesterday, december 17, 2020, while backing from a parking space the brakes self-applied, no alarm sounded prior, and while not close to anything. I could let off the accelerator and the brake would release some. When straightened out and driving a short distance down the…
The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKX. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the dealer for routine maintenance, the dealer informed the contact that the lug nuts needed to be replaced due to the lug nut edges being rounded. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had…
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
An improperly anchored child seat can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
NHTSA has an open defect investigation covering this vehicle — the step that can precede a recall, not a finding of fault. EA21002 on NHTSA →
How NHTSA investigations work, and what's open now →
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 7.4 out of 10 based on 145 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2016 Lincoln MKX is generally a sound vehicle. The areas to watch are listed in the top problem section above — most are budget items, not deal-breakers.
The 2016 Lincoln MKX is acceptable, with specific caveats. Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy. The record behind that call: Reliability score 7.4/10 — around the segment average; 1 recall campaign on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Inspect the brakes first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 39 owner complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 74,598 miles. Average repair cost runs about $450 at an independent shop. Also confirm any open recalls have been completed by running the VIN, and ask for service records covering the problem areas listed above.
It scores 7.4 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 145 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is brakes. Typical failure occurs around 74,598 miles. Priced fairly and clean on inspection, it's a reasonable used buy. Our data covers what this model is known for — pair it with a vehicle-history report on the VIN to see what that specific car has been through.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is brakes, with 39 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 74,598 miles. Average repair cost runs about $450 at an independent shop.
The brakes is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $450 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 74,598 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 145 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $450, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.