"AWD Temporarily Disabled" warning notification came on while driving 55 mph in the middle lane of an expressway during late afternoon/early evening hours. The roadway was clear of debris and the weather was sunny. There was no further instruction of what to do from the dashboard. However, after the warning came on, the vehicle started to smell bad and a noise from the rear passenger side could be heard. While slowing down to a stop, the vehicle started to vibrate and steering became tight and difficult to maneuver. Once I read through the manual, it mentioned to let the vehicle cool for 10 minutes before moving again. I waited 5 hours to drive the car again and the same thing occurred. I pulled over and waited 25 minutes and the vehicle would not go into Drive. It would go into Reverse. I had to go into Reverse twice before the vehicle would move into Drive. The "AWD Temporarily Disabled" warning kept coming on continuously until I could pull over again. Each time I slowed down or was coming to a stop, the vehicle would vibrate as if it was wanting to stall and the steering was tight and difficult to maneuver. The safety of myself and others were at risk because I may have lost the ability to steer myself to safety if I had slowed down too much or too soon before reaching a safe place and I could have caused a fatal or severe accident to myself and/or others with multiple cars all going at highway speeds. I have notified the dealer and have a set appointment for the end of this week. There were no warnings, messages or symptoms prior to this occurring while I was driving on the expressway.
The worst 2016 Lincoln MKX problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Brakes56
- Engine33
- Electrical27
- Fuel system12
- Transmission12
- Driver assistance7
- Wheels7
- Acceleration6
- Lights6
- Steering6
- Body5
- Suspension4
- Seats2
- Visibility2
- Airbags1
- Locks1
- Seat belts1
- Tires1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2016 Lincoln MKX
Loss of power 11Brake failure 10Check engine light 9Headlights 8Stalling 8Fuel smell 5
Recalls 7
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Lincoln MKX and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The rear brake jounce hose may rupture and leak brake fluid.
- Risk
- A brake fluid leak can extend the distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the brake jounce hoses and adjust brake jounce hoses with no damage present, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 17, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S87.
Recall number 25V544000 · Recall details
Service brakes
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Ford Edge and 2016-2018 Lincoln MKX vehicles. The front brake hoses may rupture prematurely.
- Risk
- A ruptured front brake hose will cause a brake fluid leak, lengthening the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front brake hoses with the new hoses that have a revised braid material, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 13, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S42.
Recall number 20V469000 · Recall details
Seats: front assembly: power adjust
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company, Inc. (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Lincoln MKX and 2019-2020 Nautilus vehicles equipped with 16-way electric tilt seats. The seat cushion frame edge may contact the wire harness when the seat occupant uses the tilt function of the seat, potentially damaging one or more wires within the harness, which can result in either inadvertent deployment of the air bag or nondeployment of the air bag in the event of a crash.
- Risk
- An air bag that deploys inadvertently increases the risk of a crash. An air bag that does not deploy in the event of a crash increases the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install protective flocking tape onto the exposed edge of the 16-way seat cushion frames, and inspect the wire harness for damage, and repair or replace it as needed, free of charge. This recall began August 12, 2020. Owners may contact Ford/Lincoln customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S37.
Recall number 20V414000 · Recall details
Electrical system: 12v/24v/48v battery: cables
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Lincoln MKX vehicles equipped with 3.7L engines. The battery positive cable harness may contact the transmission shifter cable bracket resulting in a short circuit.
- Risk
- An electrical short increases the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will remove the battery harness clips and elbow guide, and install a wire channel shield and protective sleeve to the battery cable harness, free of charge. Interim notices informing owners of the safety risk were mailed on December 2, 2019. Owners will receive a second notice when the remedy becomes available, currently expected to be the end of April 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S41.
Recall number 19V809000 · Recall details
Steering: electric power assist system
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2016 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 Ford Edge, and 2016 Lincoln MKX vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Road salt or other contaminants may corrode the electric power steering gear motor attachment bolts.
- Risk
- If the bolts corrode, the steering gear motor may detach from the gear housing resulting in a loss of power steering assist, requiring a greater steering effort, especially at lower speeds, and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gear motor bolts and apply a wax sealer. If any of the steering gear motor attachment bolts are broken or missing, a new steering gear will be installed in the vehicle. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began October 18, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S26.
Recall number 19V632000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles and 2017 Lincoln Continental vehicles. In the event of a crash, the driver's frontal air bag may not fully inflate or the air bag cushion may detach from the air bag module. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
- Risk
- During deployment, if the air bag does not fully inflate or the cushion detaches, there is an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began June 16, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17C02.
Recall number 17V123000 · Recall details
Child seat: tether: connector/clip
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2016 Lincoln MKX vehicles manufactured September 24, 2015. An incorrect seat back trim cover was installed on the affected vehicles, blocking the child seat tether anchors in the second row center seating position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 225, "Child restraint anchorage systems."
- Risk
- An improperly anchored child seat can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the seat back trim cover and tether cover bezel on the second row, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16C09.
Recall number 16V343000 · Recall details
See all 7 recalls for the 2016 Lincoln MKX
Defect investigations
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.
EA21002
Technical service bulletins for the 2016 Lincoln MKX 221
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Customer Satisfaction Program 25N13 Certain 2015-2018 Model Year Edge and 2016-2018 Model Year MKX...
- Advance Notice – Customer Satisfaction Program 25N17 Certain 2015-2025 Model Year Multiple Vehicle Lines...
- Some 2016-2017 Edge/MKX, 2017 Continental/Fusion/MKZ vehicles equipped with a 2.7L or 3.0L EcoBoost engine...
- This article supersedes TSB 24-2165 to update the TSB Service Procedure
- The affected vehicles have an emissions control system that does not account for certain in-use conditions...
- Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes...
- This article supersedes TSB 24-2345 to update the Service Procedure
- Various vehicles equipped with a 2.7L or a 3.0L gas engine may require a crankshaft bolt replacement...
- Some 2015-2017 Edge, 2016-2017 MKX, 2017 Fusion/MKZ/Continental vehicles equipped with a 2.7L EcoBoost or...
- While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal...
2016 Lincoln MKX fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.7L 6‑cyl | FWD | 17 | 25 | 20 |
| 2.7L 6‑cyl | FWD | 18 | 26 | 20 |
| 2.7L 6‑cyl | AWD | 17 | 24 | 19 |
| 3.7L 6‑cyl | AWD | 16 | 23 | 19 |
What 2016 Lincoln MKX owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKX. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the brake pedal became inoperable, and the brake warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled away from oncoming traffic to ensure that the vehicle stopped and avoided a crash. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a failure of the front caliper and brake hydraulic system, which needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired multiple times. The contact later received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V544000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part was not yet available. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure via telephone. The approximate failure mileage was 85,446.
The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKX. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V544000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The contact stated that there was increased brake pedal travel while coming to a complete stop. There was no warning light illuminated. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.
Unknown there were no incidents But the recall is almost 1 year old I received the notice September 2025 regarding a possible brake hose defect waiting almost 1 year for a Fix is Rediclous there had been no updates from Ford/Lincoln motor company brake issue should be taken more Seriously
The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKX. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to immediately stop with the message “Low Brake Fluid” displayed. Brake fluid was later added to the brake reservoir, and the vehicle was driven to the local mechanic, who diagnosed that the brake hoses were faulty and needed to be replaced. The brake hoses were replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The contact previously received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 20V469000 (SERVICE BRAKES, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). Additionally, the contact stated that the back over prevention camera had intermittently failed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.
It has been almost a year since this recall came out and there is not a remedy available. the manufacturer has failed to provide a remedy for it since it came out on August 25, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKX. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V544000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKX. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V544000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle slowly responded, requiring hard braking, causing the stopping distance to become extended. Several warning lights illuminated with the message "Parking Aid" displayed. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The ABS warning light was illuminated. The brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard, and the vehicle slowly stopped. The vehicle almost rear-ended another vehicle. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact became aware that there was brake fluid on the ground at the rear passenger’s side of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a cracked brake hose. The contact was informed that the brake hose needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that parts were unavailable to repair the vehicle. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V544000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKX. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V544000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The vehicle was scheduled for the recall repair. The contact was later informed that parts were unavailable to repair the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was unsafe to drive with the open recall repair. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Compare the 2016 Lincoln MKX
Other model years
Questions about the 2016 Lincoln MKX
Is the 2016 Lincoln MKX reliable?
Owners have filed 156 complaints about the 2016 Lincoln MKX, 1.4 times a typical MKX model year.
What is the 2016 Lincoln MKX year score?
The 2016 Lincoln MKX scores 58 out of 100 (below average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Lincoln MKX: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2016 Lincoln MKX?
Brakes, with 56 complaints, typically around 66,000 miles. Next is engine (33).
How many recalls does the 2016 Lincoln MKX have?
7 recalls, covering service brakes, hydraulic, service brakes and seats.
Was there a recall on the 2016 Lincoln MKX brakes?
Yes, 2 recalls: 25V544000, 20V469000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Lincoln MKX have bad brakes?
The Lincoln MKX model years with the most brakes complaints are 2013 (66 complaints), 2016 (56 complaints) and 2012 (33 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2016 Lincoln MKX get?
Official estimates for the 2016 Lincoln MKX range from 19 to 20 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.7L 6-cyl, FWD) gets 17 city and 25 highway.
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