Skip to content
KLUNK
KLUNK

2008 Lincoln Mkz

The Verdict

45 Proceed with Caution

The 2008 Lincoln Mkz has 279 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are electrical (158 complaints) and brakes (69 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 45/100, it earns a "Proceed with Caution" rating. If you're shopping for a Lincoln Mkz, consider the 2020 model year which has 99% fewer complaints.

Safe Bet

The 2020 has 99% fewer complaints

View the 2020 Lincoln Mkz dashboard →

45

Klunk Score: Proceed with Caution

About average for complaint volume. Research the specific issues before buying.

How is this calculated?

The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.

Get notified if a recall hits this car.

We email you when NHTSA issues a new recall on the 2008 Lincoln Mkz. No spam, no marketing.

Under the Hood

Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.

YearBodyBrakesElectricalEngineTransmission
20073040169106
2008396915876
200915246744
2010163810474
2011522391143
201245197453
2013556191612
201448817168
201536151294
201625131581
20171315107615
2018614146
201980351
202020000

By Category

Electrical
158
Brakes
69
Body
39
Engine
7
Transmission
6

By Severity

1
138
2
129
4
12

Worst Problems

Complaints

Brakes 2

Have tried to schedule an appointment with my local Lincoln dealer to have the recall on my car fixed but they told at this time they have no way to fix it.

24mo ago
Body 1

2008 Lincoln MKZ AWD. Driver's door won't open from inside. Multiple Online mentions of this dangerous problem. Can't get out of vehicle in case of emergency.

24mo ago
Brakes 1

Bought vehicle from owner 02/2023. Check brake system light came on a few months after, breaks started to skip and making a sound. Took it in to Ford dealership and they showed 2 recalls but never said it would be fixed.

33mo ago
Transmission 1

Vehicle is AWD, part is Transfer Case/Power Transfer Unit. Many issues from customers online and what was marketed as a lifetime part was changed to maintenance at 30,000 miles since the amount of gear oil is minuscule and the heat this part has to contend with is extreme due to location. Car becomes undriveable very quickly and is very dangerous. A leak began and due to small amount of oil it starts to grind, jerk and tires won’t move very rapidly. Extremely dangerous! Instead of a change it should be a recall. This part is also about $1600 alone which means Ford is making money on this to top it off. The mechanic said it was starting to melt the parts and could have been a fire if I didn’t drive it right over.

42mo ago
Engine 4

The contact owns a 2008 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle overheated, and smoke was coming inside the cabin through the A/C vents. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road to inspect the vehicle and noticed that coolant was leaking onto the ground. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the thermostat was replaced; however, the failure reoccurred on four other occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who refilled the coolant in the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that on 5 separate occasions while driving, the brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle hesitated to respond, causing his vehicle to rear-end his wife’s vehicle. There were no injuries sustained. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle would shudder while depressing the brake pedal. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V904000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact also stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 21V158000 (Air Bags), 17V024000 (Air Bags) and 16V384000 (Air Bags). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 122,416 (Air Bags) and 16V384000 (Air Bags). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 122,416

45mo ago
Transmission 1

I experienced unintended acceleration upon entering a highway. The vehicle accelerated normally in first gear, but upon shifting into second gear, acceleration exceeded pedal input, as though the cruise control 'Resume' function had activated. Acceleration continued with my foot completely off the accelerator pedal and with full brake application. The event stopped when I kicked the accelerator pedal, suddenly, to full deflection, and engine operation returned to normal. I experienced three separate occurrences of this problem within a few hours. No codes were generated to activate the 'Check Engine' light, or any other warning light. Cruise control was off at the time of the events.

47mo ago
Brakes 1

The contact owns a 2008 Lincoln MKZ. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V904000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and 21V158000 (Air Bags) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

50mo ago
Brakes 2

I called ford dealerships to fix the problems back in 2019 but the two recalls have not been fixed yet. Recently, my car was almost failing to stop while I was breaking down.

51mo ago
Brakes 2

Manufacturer Recall Number19S54 NHTSA Recall Number19V904 Manufacturer Recall Number21S12 NHTSA Recall Number21V158 I've been waiting to complete the first recall for my car for over two years and during that time a second recall for the airbag has come out. I am afraid to drive my car and put others in danger and I'm afraid to sell my car because I could be knowingly putting other people at risk of injury or death and I can't do that knowingly.

52mo ago
Brakes 2

The contact owns a 2008 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the brake pedal would only respond when depressed all the way to the floorboard. The ABS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the vehicle speed sensor needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the speed sensor was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V904000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), and the vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed the contact that the vehicle had passed the hydraulic control unit test. The dealer replaced the brake fluid; however, the failure reoccurred while driving. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who diagnosed that the hydraulic control unit had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer submitted a report to the manufacturer for assistance with the repair of the vehicle; however, the manufacturer informed the dealer that they would not assist as the request was beyond a reasonable amount of time for the subsequent failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 113,000.

56mo ago
Brakes 2

Acutely while driving, the brake petal went all the way to the floor. The brakes slowly slowed the car but didn’t stop it. Car was towed to the dealership May 21st. I was refused a loaner. Despite receiving two separate notices (one of which was after they had my car) telling me to go get the free fix, they have failed to provide the part. Leaving me without a car for four months. This has to be past a customary fix time.

58mo ago
Brakes 1

The contact owns a 2008 Lincoln MKZ. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 19V904000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and 21V158000 (Air Bags) however, the parts for the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The dealer was notified of the issue. The manufacturer was notified of the issue but did not provide any assistance. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

59mo ago
Brakes 2

The contact owns a 2008 Lincoln MKZ. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V904000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and 21V158000 (Air Bags) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

60mo ago
Electrical 2

Takata recall. The contact owns a 2008 Lincoln MKZ. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V158000 (Air Bags) 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 recall but informed the contact that parts were not available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

60mo ago
Brakes 2

The contact owns a 2008 Lincoln MKZ. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V158000 (Air Bags) and 19V904000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who confirmed that 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 not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.

60mo ago
Brakes 2

The contact owns a 2008 Lincoln MKZ. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V904000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the brake pedal needed to be gently depressed several times to engage. The contact stated that whenever the brake pedal was depressed forcefully, the brake pedal would travel to the floorboard. The vehicle was taken to the dealer twice however, the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available. The failure mileage was 94,000.

61mo ago
Brakes 1

The contact owns a 2008 Lincoln MKZ. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V904000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and 21V158000 (Air Bags) 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 manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, or while the vehicle was idle, while the contact attempted to stop the vehicle, the brake pedal extended to the floorboard before the vehicle came to a stop. The contact had the brakes replaced outside of the recall, along with the brake fluid however, the failure persisted. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000. Vin tool confirms parts not available.

62mo ago
Brakes 2

2008 Lincoln MKZ> Consumer writes in regards to hydraulic control unit and anti-lock braking system. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE BEGAN EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT ABS AND STABILITY CONTROL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATION. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE FAILURE WAS UNRELATED TO THE RECALL.

62mo ago
Brakes 1

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LINCOLN MKZ. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKING DISTANCE WAS EXTENDED. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BEAU TOWNSEND FORD LINCOLN (1020 W NATIONAL RD, VANDALIA, OH 45377, (937) 898-5841) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE BRAKE FLUID NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V904000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THEY WERE UNABLE TO OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 104,000.

63mo ago
Brakes 2

RECALL NOTICE19S54. HCU UNIT GONE. PART IS ON BACK ORDER 889 CARS ARE WAITING ON THIS PART. CAR HAS BEEN IN DEALERSHIP FOR TWO WEEKS WITH NO ETA OF PARTS DELIVERY. PEOPLE LIKE ME ARE NOT GIVING RENTAL TO COVER UNTIL CAR GETS FIX WE ARE FINANCIALLY STUCK FORD IS NOT OFFERING RENTAL CAR OR NOTHING. CAR IS AT LEITH LINCOLN FOR ALMOST TWO WEEKS. PLEASE AMEND TO COVER FOR LOSS OF USE OR RENTAL CAR.

63mo ago

279 total

1/ 14
Report a Klunk