YearToAvoid

2012 Lincoln MKZ Airbags Problems

NHTSA lists 68 airbag complaints for the 2012 Lincoln MKZ, 47% of all complaints filed for that year. These include 4 crashes and 4 injuries, with a median failure mileage of 42,000. Four separate airbag-related recalls, including the Takata inflator recall, cover this model year.

Airbags complaints
68
47% of 146
Crashes reported
4
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
4
Median mileage
42,000 mi
Related recalls
4

Typical airbag symptoms owners report

  • Owners report frontal airbags failing to deploy during moderate-speed rear-end or frontal collisions, sometimes causing injuries.
  • Some drivers describe the vehicle unexpectedly shifting or lurching while trying to park, leading to a crash where airbags did not deploy.
  • Multiple owners report receiving Takata recall notices (campaign 17V024000) but being unable to get the passenger airbag inflator replaced due to long parts shortages, sometimes lasting several months.
  • Owners describe continued daily driving with a known defective airbag inflator while waiting on backordered recall parts.
  • A few complaints note confusion over whether a recall applied to their vehicle despite receiving official notification from Lincoln.

When 2012 Lincoln MKZ airbag complaints were filed

First complaint Jan 25, 2015, latest Aug 6, 2022.

2012 Lincoln MKZ airbags complaints: complaints filed per month14Jan 2015Jun 2017Oct 2017Feb 2018Aug 2018Dec 2018Dec 2019Aug 2022
68 complaints filed with NHTSA from Jan 2015 to Aug 2022; peak Oct 2017 (14).

Airbags recalls for the 2012 Lincoln MKZ

  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.

  4. NHTSA 17V024000Jan 10, 2017Airbags654,695 vehiclesDo Not Drive

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012 Ford Fusion and Mustang and Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in 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, unless included in "Zone A" above, Ford is recalling certain 2009 Ford Ranger, Edge, Fusion and Mustang, Lincoln MKX, MKZ and Zephyr and Mercury Milan vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in 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." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Ford is recalling certain 2007-2008 Ford Ranger, Edge and Lincoln MKX, 2006-2008 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ, 2005-2008 Ford Mustang and 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle 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. Interim letters informing owners of the recall and that parts are not yet available began mailing March 1, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S01.

Airbags complaints by MKZ model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 20060 (0%)
  2. 2007184 (71%)
  3. 2008166 (59%)
  4. 200966 (58%)
  5. 201096 (57%)
  6. 201166 (46%)
  7. 201268 (47%)
  8. 20134 (4%)
  9. 20143 (3%)
  10. 20157 (9%)
  11. 20169 (14%)
  12. 20174 (3%)
  13. 20181 (3%)
  14. 20190 (0%)
  15. 20200 (0%)

Frequently asked questions

How many airbag complaints does the 2012 Lincoln MKZ have?
NHTSA lists 68 airbag complaints for the 2012 Lincoln MKZ, which is 47% of all 146 complaints filed for that model year.
Did airbag failures cause crashes or injuries in the 2012 MKZ?
Yes. NHTSA data shows 4 crashes and 4 injuries linked to airbag complaints on the 2012 Lincoln MKZ.
Is there an airbag recall for the 2012 Lincoln MKZ?
Yes. Four recalls cover airbags on this model, including campaign 17V024000, a Takata frontal airbag inflator recall, and campaign 18V775000 for passenger airbag module replacement.
At what mileage do airbag problems typically show up on the 2012 MKZ?
The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for airbag complaints on the 2012 Lincoln MKZ is 42,000 miles.
Was the 2012 MKZ told not to drive due to the airbag recall?
Recall 17V024000, covering the 2012 MKZ Takata inflator, carries a do-not-drive advisory according to NHTSA recall data.

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.