YearToAvoid

2013 Lincoln MKZ Structure & Body Problems

Structure & Body complaints make up 22% of all 2013 Lincoln MKZ complaints (24 of 109), the highest share of any model year for this component. Door latches are the dominant issue, tied to four separate recalls, with a median failure mileage of 37,500.

Structure & Body complaints
24
22% of 109
Crashes reported
1
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
0
Median mileage
37,500 mi
Related recalls
4

Typical body and structure symptoms owners report

  • Front or rear door latches fail to hold, causing doors to pop open or swing open while driving.
  • Owners report door latch parts were on backorder for months after the 2015 recall, leaving vehicles unrepaired.
  • Panoramic sunroof closed on an occupant's hand while exiting the vehicle.
  • Driver seat bolster material breaks and cannot be sourced as a replacement part.
  • Interior door handle stops sitting flush and the door periodically fails to shut properly.

When 2013 Lincoln MKZ body and structure complaints were filed

First complaint Jul 10, 2014, latest Feb 8, 2023.

2013 Lincoln MKZ structure & body complaints: complaints filed per month2Jul 2014Jul 2015Jun 2017Mar 2018Nov 2019Jul 2020Aug 2021
24 complaints filed with NHTSA from Jul 2014 to Feb 2023; peak Jul 2017 (2).

Structure & Body recalls for the 2013 Lincoln MKZ

  1. NHTSA 20V331000Jun 8, 2020Structure & Body2,147,323 vehicles

    Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Fiesta, 2013-2014 Fusion, 2015 Mustang, 2013-2015 Escape and C-Max, 2012-2015 Focus, 2014-2016 Transit Connect, 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ, and 2015 MKC vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and repaired under recalls 15V-246, 16V-643 or 17V-210, however the repair may not have been completed properly. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.

    Risk: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the latch date codes to confirm if the repair was done correctly, and replace the side door latches if necessary, free of charge. Owners will also have the option to inspect their own vehicle's door latches and enter the date codes into a website to determine if the latches are correct. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S30.

  2. NHTSA 17V210000Mar 27, 2017Structure & Body191,432 vehicles

    Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Ford Fiesta, 2013-2014 Ford Fusion and 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ vehicles. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.

    Risk: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace all four door latches, free of charge. The recall began May 1, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S16.

  3. NHTSA 15V246000Apr 24, 2015Structure & Body456,440 vehicles

    Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) notified the agency on April 23, 2015, that they are recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured July 1, 2012, to May 31, 2013, and 2012-2014 Fiesta vehicles manufactured February 1, 2012, to May 31, 2013. On April 30, 2015, Ford expanded the recall to cover an additional 119,567 vehicles, including certain model year 2011 Ford Fiestas manufactured from November 11, 2009, to May 31, 2013 and certain model year 2013 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured from February 1, 2012, to June 30, 2012. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.

    Risk: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace all four door latches with an improved part, free of charge. Interim notifications were mailed to owners on June 5, 2015. The recall began on December 18, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S16.

  4. NHTSA 14V164000Apr 2, 2014Structure & Body43,135 vehicles

    Seats:front assembly:recliner

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured August 15, 2012, through September 10, 2013, 2013-2014 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured June 5, 2012, through August 12, 2013, and 2013-2014 Ford C-Max vehicles manufactured from July 23, 2012, through May 28, 2013. The driver and passenger seatback assemblies may have been produced with sub-standard weld joints used to attach the seat back recliner mechanism to the seat frame. The affected seat backs may have insufficient strength to meet the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 207, "Seating Systems."

    Risk: The back of the subject seats may become loose or lean while driving and potentially increase the risk of injury in certain crashes.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the seatback, free of charge. The recall began on May 30, 2014. Owners may contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14C03.

Structure & Body complaints by MKZ model year

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

  1. 20060 (0%)
  2. 200711 (4%)
  3. 20087 (2%)
  4. 20092 (2%)
  5. 20109 (5%)
  6. 201114 (10%)
  7. 201212 (8%)
  8. 201324 (22%)
  9. 201413 (13%)
  10. 20158 (10%)
  11. 20164 (6%)
  12. 20173 (2%)
  13. 20181 (3%)
  14. 20191 (5%)
  15. 20200 (0%)

Frequently asked questions

How common are structure and body complaints on the 2013 Lincoln MKZ?
NHTSA lists 24 Structure & Body complaints for the 2013 MKZ, which is 22% of all 109 complaints filed for that year, the highest share among the model years shown.
Is there a recall for door latches on the 2013 Lincoln MKZ?
Yes. NHTSA lists four recalls touching Structure & Body on the 2013 MKZ, including campaigns 14V164000, 15V246000, 17V210000, and 20V331000, several of which involve door latches that can fail and let doors open.
At what mileage do these structural problems typically show up?
The median mileage at failure for Structure & Body complaints on the 2013 MKZ is 37,500 miles.
Did these structure and body issues cause any crashes?
NHTSA data shows 1 crash and 0 fires linked to Structure & Body complaints on the 2013 MKZ, with no reported injuries.

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.