2006 Lincoln Zephyr Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Avoid The 2006 Lincoln Zephyr ranks worst of 7 model years, with a complaint index of 100 and 229 complaints, mostly airbags (62%). Two of its four recalls are do-not-drive airbag campaigns, making it the year to avoid within this model.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 100/100
- #1 of 7 Zephyr years
- Verdict
- Avoid
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 229
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 4
- 2 Do Not Drive
- Crashes
- 9
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 1
- Injuries
- 12
- Top issue
- Airbags
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 20
- 17 city / 26 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 12 / 0
Top 2006 Lincoln Zephyr problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Airbags142 (62%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires32 (14%)
- Structure & Body19 (8%)
- Engine18 (8%)
- Brakes15 (7%)
- Electrical System11 (5%)
- Transmission & Powertrain11 (5%)
- Other10 (4%)
- Fuel System5 (2%)
- Steering3 (1%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Frontal airbags failed to deploy in crashes at highway speeds, sometimes with severe impact damage and injuries.
- A rear tire blew out at 40 mph, with owners citing a defective factory aluminum wheel that they said affected all four wheels.
- An engine coil reportedly melted, causing hesitation to accelerate and smoke coming from under the vehicle.
- Owners reported the gas pedal sticking under the floor mat, causing loss of control off the road.
- Power door locks failed to engage until the vehicle reached higher speeds than stated in the owner's manual.
- A heated/cooled seat unit repeatedly stopped working despite multiple dealer repair attempts.
2006 Lincoln Zephyr recalls
4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- 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.
- NHTSA 19V904000Dec 18, 2019Brakes600,166 vehicles
Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/module
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2006-2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ vehicles. The valves within the ABS Hydraulic Control Units (HCU) may react with brake fluids containing specific corrosion preventative additives. This reaction may cause the valves to not close properly.
Risk: If the valves do not properly close, additional brake pedal travel may be required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will flush the brake system with DOT 4 fluid and install a new brake fluid reservoir cap. In addition, the HCU will be tested to detect a possible stuck valve condition, replacing the HCU as necessary. All services will be performed free of charge. The recall began April 1, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S54.
- 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.
2006 Lincoln Zephyr fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 17 MPG
- Highway
- 26 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.
2006 compared with other Zephyr years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2006 Lincoln Zephyr reliable?
- Among the 7 model years with data, 2006 has the highest complaint index (100) and ranks worst, so it carries an Avoid verdict relative to other Zephyr years.
- What is the biggest problem with the 2006 Lincoln Zephyr?
- Airbags are the top problem area, accounting for 142 of 229 complaints (62%), including reports of non-deployment in crashes.
- Does the 2006 Lincoln Zephyr have a recall?
- NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2006 Zephyr, and 2 of them are do-not-drive airbag recalls (campaigns 17V024000 and 16V384000).
- At what mileage do 2006 Zephyr problems typically appear?
- Median mileage at failure across complaints is 82,000 miles overall, with airbag complaints at a median of 89,000 miles and suspension complaints at 60,000 miles.
- How does the 2006 Zephyr compare to other Zephyr years?
- 2006 has a complaint index of 100 and ranks worst (1st) of 7 years, well above 2008's index of 67 and 2009's index of 83.