2017 Lincoln MKZ — Should You Buy One?
Typical asking price: $11,000–$17,000. There are 4 high-severity known issues you need to know before handing over a check.
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Kestrel Take
The facelift year for the second-generation MKZ, and the record is one story told 83 times: the 2.0L EcoBoost lets coolant seep into a cylinder, which shows up as a cylinder-2 misfire and a coolant reservoir that keeps dropping, and ends as a new engine. That cluster is 61% of 136 complaints, with 4 fires. Add two torque converter recalls and a steering wheel bolt recall and this is a car you buy only with a cold-start scan, a coolant-level check and the four recalls confirmed closed. The 3.0L twin-turbo cars sidestep the coolant problem and are the ones worth a premium.
What we checked
Reconciled against public records, 2026-09-25
NHTSA holds 136 owner complaints for the 2017 Lincoln MKZ, and 4 recall campaigns.
A big number here usually means a lot of these were sold, not that it is a bad vehicle — popular models collect more complaints for the same rate of trouble. So the total on its own says little. What is worth reading is the shape of it. 61% of them are about one thing — the engine. That much concentration is a genuine pattern rather than background noise, and it is the first thing to check on any example you look at.
4 recall campaigns cover this model year. Recalls are repaired free, for any owner, with no time limit on most safety campaigns — but only if someone books it in. Ask the seller to show it was done, or have any dealer check the VIN; it takes them a couple of minutes and costs nothing.
Counts come from the NHTSA complaint and recall database — free, public, and worth checking yourself.
Known Issues for the 2017 Lincoln MKZ
Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents. How we decide that.
The 2.0L turbo four in most 2017 MKZs can crack or seep at the cylinder head and let coolant into a cylinder. Owners describe the same sequence: a check-engine light with a P0301 or P0302 misfire code, coils and plugs replaced without curing it, coolant that keeps going low with no visible leak, loss of cabin heat, then overheating and an engine that dies. Four of these complaints involve a fire. Ford ran a customer-satisfaction programme extending coverage on some 2.0L cars — ask a Lincoln dealer to run this VIN before you assume it applies. At the car: pull the dipstick and look for milky oil, check the coolant reservoir is at the line, and have a shop scan for stored misfire codes on a cold start.
Repair cost (estimate): $6,000–$9,000 for a long block; $1,500–$3,000 if caught at the head — around 64% of what this car is typically worth
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (83).
Recalls 17V427 and 18V390 both cover 2017 MKZs with the 2.0L engine and six-speed automatic: the studs joining the torque converter to the flexplate were poorly welded, and when they let go the engine spins but nothing reaches the wheels. Owners describe a loud metal rattle from under the hood, then pressing the accelerator at a stop and going nowhere; one fire and one crash sit in this cluster. The remedy is a new torque converter, free. Check both campaigns on the NHTSA VIN lookup, and treat any rattling or clunk from the bellhousing area as a car to walk from.
Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed; $1,800–$3,000 for a torque converter and flexplate out of pocket
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the transmission and drivetrain (24); 4 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.
Recall 23V162 covers 2013–2018 Fusion and MKZ: the front brake hoses can crack and leak fluid, so the pedal sinks and stopping distance grows. Several 2017 owners describe exactly that at 40 mph, and several more filed because the recall part was unavailable for months. The fix is new hoses at no cost. Confirm it shows complete on the VIN, and press the pedal hard with the car stopped — a pedal that creeps toward the floor under steady pressure means a leak somewhere.
Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the brakes (15); 4 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.
Recall 18V167 covers 2014–2018 MKZ and Fusion: the bolt holding the steering wheel to the column can loosen over time until the wheel comes off in the driver's hands. Dealers install a longer bolt for free. Only six steering complaints on this year, but this is a five-minute VIN check on a failure you cannot recover from. Grab the wheel with the car off and rock it firmly — any play or click at the hub is a reason to have the bolt checked before you drive it.
Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under steering (6); 4 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.
Nine fuel-system complaints, three involving a fire. Some are the engine problem above filed under the wrong heading; others are a fuel door that stops latching and a car that hesitates or stalls near empty. Ask the seller whether the car has ever smelled of fuel or been in for a fuel-line repair, and check the fuel door latches and the filler area is dry.
Repair cost (estimate): $50–$150 for the fuel door spring; $300–$900 for a fuel line or pump repair
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the fuel system (9).
Walk-Away Red Flags
- ✗Coolant reservoir below the minimum line with no leak the seller can point to
- ✗Rough idle or a cylinder-2 misfire code on a cold-start scan
- ✗Milky or frothy residue under the oil cap
- ✗Metallic rattle from the transmission side when the engine idles
- ✗Any of the four recalls still open on the VIN lookup
Good Signs
- ✓Recalls 17V427, 18V390, 18V167 and 23V162 all shown closed on the NHTSA VIN lookup
- ✓Invoice for a replacement long block or cylinder head under Ford's coolant programme
- ✓3.0L twin-turbo V6 car, which does not share the 2.0L coolant fault
- ✓A clean misfire-history scan after a cold start and a 20-minute drive
- ✓Coolant level at the line and clear amber oil on the dipstick
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Known issues on this page are based on documented owner reports, NHTSA complaints, class-action records, and manufacturer technical service bulletins. Individual vehicles vary. A pre-purchase inspection by a trusted mechanic is always worth doing.
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