Home · 2011 Lincoln Mkz Hev · Complaints

What 183 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Lincoln Mkz Hev

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (183)Crash / fire / injury (13)Airbags (84)Steering (32)Brakes (24)Body & structure (10)Engine (10)Electrical system (9)Speed control (7)Tires (5)Engine & cooling (4)Lights (4)

4 of 183 complaints match · Engine & cooling · clear filters

Aug 8, 2024Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a knocking sound coming from the front of the vehicle. The contact stated on another occasion while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact was informed that it might have been an axle leak. The contact then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who in turn advised her to take the vehicle to a dealer. The contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with water pump failure. The contact was informed that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

NHTSA ODI 11607300

May 3, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal knocking noise detected and the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that water had entered the engine and the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.

NHTSA ODI 11463184

Aug 4, 2017Engine & cooling

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 LINCOLN MKZ. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, A STRONG CHEMICAL ODOR EMITTED FROM THE EXHAUST INTO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (RICHMOND FORD LINCOLN LOCATED AT 4600 W BROAD ST, RICHMOND, VA 23230; (804) 358-5521), BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AT 800-521-4140 AND STATED THAT THEY WOULD GET BACK TO THE CONTACT; HOWEVER, HE NEVER HEARD FROM THEM SINCE DECEMBER. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,358.

NHTSA ODI 11012752

May 28, 2014Engine & coolingEngine

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 LINCOLN MKZ. THE CONTACT STATED THAT PROPANE FUMES WERE EMITTED INTO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER MIGHT HAVE FAILED BUT WAS UNAWARE HOW TO REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 20,000.

NHTSA ODI 10594488

Working with the data? Download all 183 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 21, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2011 Lincoln Mkz Hev verdict →