Buyer Research

2019 Lincoln MKZ — Should You Buy One?

Typical asking price: $15,000–$22,000. There is 1 high-severity known issue you need to know before handing over a check.

Deciding between model years? Compare the 10 Lincoln MKZ years we've written up →

Kestrel Take

Twenty complaints is a thin record and we do not read it as a clean bill — especially when seven of the twenty are the 2.0L EcoBoost coolant-intrusion failure, filed at 39,000 and 58,000 miles and nine of them in 2026 alone, which means these cars are only now reaching the age where it shows. The 2019 is outside the steering wheel bolt and brake hose recalls that cover the 2014–2018 cars, and its only recall is a rearview camera reflash. A 3.0L or hybrid MKZ from this year is a genuinely nice near-luxury car at a used-Fusion price; a 2.0L one is a bet on a cylinder head, and you should price it that way.

What we checked

Reconciled against public records, 2026-09-25

NHTSA holds 20 owner complaints for the 2019 Lincoln MKZ, and 1 recall campaign.

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. 35% 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.

One recall campaign covers 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.

Looked at and set aside: electrics and electronics (3) — Three complaints with no common part: a door that opened from outside while locked, a car that moved after being put in park with a shift-malfunction message, and an instrument cluster that went dark two days after purchase. Nothing repeats and there is no recall behind any of them; check that the cluster and locks work on the walkaround and treat these as one-offs.

Counts come from the NHTSA complaint and recall database — free, public, and worth checking yourself.

Known Issues for the 2019 Lincoln MKZ

Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents. How we decide that.

2.0L EcoBoost coolant intrusion — rough cold start, coolant loss, overheating, new engineHigh — wallet impact

Seven of twenty complaints, and every one the same failure the 2017 and 2018 MKZ carry: the 2.0L turbo lets coolant into a cylinder (owners here name cylinder 3 as well as 2), so the car shakes on startup, misfires, drops coolant with no puddle, and eventually throws an Engine Coolant Over Temperature warning and dies. Shops told two owners the block cannot be repaired and quoted a long block. One owner also cites a Ford service bulletin on oil-pan seepage at 13,000 miles — cheap by comparison, but check the pan gasket area for a wet film. Ask a Lincoln dealer whether this VIN falls under Ford's extended coolant-intrusion coverage; do not take the seller's word.

Repair cost (estimate): $6,000–$9,000 for a long block; $1,500–$3,000 if caught at the head — about 49% of what this car is typically worth

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (7).

Steering wheel loose on the column, wobbling in reverse, or briefly stiffMedium

Three complaints, and two describe a steering wheel that feels loose or moves on its hub as if it wants to come off the column. That is exactly the failure the steering-wheel bolt recall fixed on 2014–2018 MKZs — but the 2019 is not in that recall population, so if this car's wheel has play, there is no free fix on record and you would be paying for the diagnosis. The third complaint is intermittent stiffness that pulls the car, which points at the electric power steering rack. With the engine off, grip the wheel at 9 and 3 and rock it firmly toward and away from you; any click or movement at the hub is a reason to walk or to have the bolt torque checked before you drive.

Repair cost (estimate): $100–$300 for a bolt inspection and retorque; $1,200–$2,500 for a power steering rack

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under steering (3).

Rearview camera can show a blank or frozen image (recall)Low

Recall 25V442 covers 2019–2020 MKZs among many Ford and Lincoln models: a software fault can leave the backup camera blank, or keep showing the rear view after the car has shifted out of reverse. The remedy is a dealer software update at no cost, mailed to owners in September 2025, so plenty of cars have not had it yet. Put the car in reverse during the walkaround and confirm the image appears promptly and clears when you shift to drive.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed

Source: 1 NHTSA recall campaign on this model year.

Walk-Away Red Flags

✗Shaking or rough idle in the first minute after a cold start
✗Coolant reservoir low with nothing wet under the car
✗Steering wheel that clicks or moves on its hub when rocked with the engine off
✗Backup camera that stays blank or lingers after shifting to drive

Good Signs

✓Dealer invoice for a new long block or cylinder head, with the mileage at replacement noted
✓3.0L twin-turbo V6 or hybrid drivetrain, which do not use the 2.0L block that fails
✓A clean misfire and overheat history on a scan after an overnight cold soak
✓Recall 25V442 shown closed on the NHTSA VIN lookup
✓Coolant at the line on the reservoir and a dry oil pan rail