YearToAvoid

2012 Lincoln MKZ Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Avoid

Complaint Index

90/100

#2 most-complained of 11 MKZ years

The 2012 Lincoln MKZ has 146 NHTSA complaints, a Complaint Index of 90, and ranks 2nd-worst among 11 model years. Airbags account for 47% of complaints, with 5 recalls including 2 do-not-drive campaigns, making this year a relative Avoid.

Complaints
146
Recalls
5
incl. Do Not Drive
Crashes / fires
10 / 2
Injuries / deaths
9 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
4 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
20
17.5 city / 25.5 hwy

Top 2012 Lincoln MKZ problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Airbags68 (47%)
  2. Brakes22 (15%)
  3. Other22 (15%)
  4. Steering20 (14%)
  5. Electrical System12 (8%)
  6. Structure & Body12 (8%)
  7. Engine7 (5%)
  8. Transmission & Powertrain4 (3%)
  9. Collision Avoidance & Cameras2 (1%)
  10. Seat Belts2 (1%)

What owners report

  • Airbags fail to deploy during moderate-speed rear-end or frontal collisions, sometimes at highway speeds around 45-50 mph.
  • Steering suddenly locks up or freezes at low speed, with a power steering failure warning light appearing.
  • Vehicle loses steering control mid-turn and slides off the road or into an embankment.
  • Electronic steering and traction control fail simultaneously, causing loss of control at very low speed.
  • Electrical problems trigger smoke and engine fire while the vehicle is parked or fueling.
  • Brakes fail to fully stop the car after a collision, requiring repeated use of the emergency brake.
2012 Lincoln MKZ complaints: complaints filed per quarter262012 Q32015 Q22017 Q32018 Q42020 Q12021 Q22022 Q42025 Q2
174 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2012 Q3 to 2025 Q4; peak 2017 Q4 (26).

2012 Lincoln MKZ recalls

5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 21V158000Mar 10, 2021Airbags2,602,668 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion, Lincoln Zephyr, Lincoln MKZ, 2006-2011 Mercury Milan, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, and Lincoln MKX vehicles. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver-side airbag inflator or module with an alternate one, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 9, 2021 for the passenger side, and November 14, 2022 for the driver side. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S12.

  2. NHTSA 19V001000Jan 7, 2019Airbags782,384 vehiclesDo Not Drive

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, Ford is recalling certain 2011 Ford Ranger and Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Fusion and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles and 2011-2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Ford is also recalling certain 2010 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2010-2011 Ford Ranger and Mercury Milan vehicles, 2010-2012 Ford Fusion and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, and 2010-2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, used as original equipment or replacement equipment (such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bags), that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 13, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall 19S01.

  3. NHTSA 18V775000Nov 1, 2018Airbags215 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and 2010-2012 Lincoln MKZ vehicles that previously received a replacement passenger air bag under recall 16V-384, 17V-024 or 18V-046. In the event of a crash requiring deployment of the passenger air bag, the bracket that secures the air bag inflator to the module housing may deform, allowing the gas that inflates the air bag to leak out.

    Risk: If the air bag does not inflate as intended, there is an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag module, free of charge. The recall began November 21, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S34.

See all 5 recalls for the 2012 Lincoln MKZ →

2012 Lincoln MKZ fuel economy and fuel cost

City
17.5 MPG
Highway
25.5 MPG
Combined
20 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,250
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2012 compared with other MKZ years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)025507510020102011201220132014201520162017201820192020
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2010Avoid1001697 !20
2011Avoid801455 !20
2012Avoid901465 !20
2013Caution601091223.5
2014Caution50971323.5

All Lincoln MKZ years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 Lincoln MKZ reliable?
Based on NHTSA complaints and recalls, the 2012 MKZ ranks 2nd-worst of 11 model years, with a Complaint Index of 90 and 146 complaints, making it an Avoid year relative to other MKZ years.
What is the biggest problem with the 2012 Lincoln MKZ?
Airbags are the top problem area, making up 47% of complaints (68 of 146), including reports of non-deployment during crashes, at a median mileage of 42,000.
Does the 2012 Lincoln MKZ have any do-not-drive recalls?
Yes, NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2012 MKZ, and 2 of them are do-not-drive recalls involving airbag components.
How does the 2012 MKZ compare to other years?
The 2012 MKZ's Complaint Index of 90 is worse than 2013 (60), 2015 (30), 2018 (20), and 2019 (10), but slightly better than 2010 (100).

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.