Home · 2015 Lincoln Mkz Hev · Complaints

What 76 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 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 (76)Crash / fire / injury (6)Electrical system (19)Brakes (16)Airbags (7)Body & structure (6)Engine (6)Seat belts (6)Transmission & drivetrain (6)Steering (4)Suspension (4)Fuel system (3)

6 of 76 complaints match · Transmission & drivetrain · clear filters

Apr 14, 2025SuspensionTransmission & drivetrainElectrical system

After reading about the numerous complaints about this vehicles transmission issues I have decided to come here. The PCM and TCM need to be changed in the vehicle. Causing rough shifts from 2nd to 3rd and 3rd to 4th which essentially will cause you to replace the transmission because of the damage it causes. Also constantly having drive control malfunction, check headlamp system messages popping up. There is also horrendous noise from the rear suspension any time you go over any type of anomaly in the road.

NHTSA ODI 11654602

Oct 15, 2020Transmission & drivetrain

TRANSMISSION MAKES UNUSUALLY LOUD REVVING NOISE WHEN THE GAS ENGINE TAKES OVER FOR THE ELECTRIC MOTOR. IF YOU ARE ON AN ENTRANCE RAMP TO A FREEWAY AND APPLY 1/2 PEDDLE OR MORE TO MERGE ONTO FREEWAY, IT HAS A VERY NOISY REV (TRANS) NOISE. I HAVE BEEN APPRAISING CARS FOR 25YRS IN THE RETAIL AUTO BUSINESS AND I HAVE DRIVEN OTHER MKZ HYBRIDS AND THEY DON'T MAKE AS MUCH NOISE AS THIS CAR MAKES

NHTSA ODI 11364514

Aug 25, 2020Transmission & drivetrain

SHIFTING FROM GEARS 1-2 AND 3-4 ARE HARD AND/OR DELAYED. SHIFTING FROM 1-2 IS SO HARD THAT YOU HAVE TO STIFFEN YOUR NECK MUSCLES TO PREVENT AN UNCOMFORTABLE HEAD AND NECK MOVEMENT. THE ONLY TIME THIS ISN'T EXPERIENCED IS WITH 80% OR MORE THROTTLE APPLIED. THE DEALER HAS REBUILT THE TRANSMISSION, REPLACED SOLENOID ASSEMBLIES, ETC AND THE PROBLEM COMES BACK. THE DEALER HAS LOOKED AT IT ONE MORE TIME AND SAYS THEY FIND NO ISSUE THAT LINCOLN'S WARRANTY PARAMETERS WILL ALLOW THEM TO FIX.

NHTSA ODI 11351135

Apr 2, 2019Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemEngine

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 LINCOLN MKZ HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED SEVERAL TIMES WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH. THE WRENCH ICON AND CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED DURING THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE VEHICLE ONTO THE ROAD SHOULDER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO ISLAND LINCOLN MERCURY (1850 EAST MERRITT ISLAND CAUSEWAY, MERRITT ISLAND, FL, 32952, (321) 233-2636) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE AND POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE FAILED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE POWER TRAIN CONTROL, THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE, AND ACCELERATOR PEDAL; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO RON NORRIS FORD (3000 CHENEY HIGHWAY, TITUSVILLE, FL, 32780, (321) 267-2112). THE DEALER PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND STATED THAT THE IGNITION WAS STARTED MORE THAN THREE TIMES; THEREFORE, THEY WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE NEW FAILURE CODES. RON NORRIS FORD STATED THAT THEY LOCATED THE SAME FAILURE CODES AS THE ISLAND LINCOLN DEALER. RON NORRIS FORD TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE AND WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND PROVED CASE NUMBER: 17471751. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,600.

NHTSA ODI 11193419

May 7, 2017Transmission & drivetrain

TRANSMISSION HARD SHIFT FROM 1-2 AND 3-4, STARTED EXPERIENCING PROBLEM APPROXIMATELY 24,000 MI HAVE TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP TWICE(ONCE IN FEB FOR 4 DAYS) AND SECOND TIME IN MAR FOR 7 DAYS), FIRST TIME SAID IT WAS LEAKING FLUID AND REPLACED "O" RING. A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER IN MARCH RETURNED, WAS GETTING WORSE, SAID THEY REBUILT THE TRANSMISSION. SHIFTS AS IF SOMEONE HIT ME IN REAR WHEN INCREASING SPEED PULLING AWAY FROM TRAFFIC LIGHT ON A CITY STREET OR MERGING ONTO HIGHWAY. NOW MAKES A WHINING NOISE WHEN ACCELERATING FROM TRAFFIC LIGHT OF MERGING, ANYTIME SHIFTING GEARS IN GENERAL.

NHTSA ODI 10983889

Sep 1, 2016Transmission & drivetrain

VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A PARKING SPACE AT A MAJOR STORE CHAIN LOCATION ALMOST LEVEL WITH A SLIGHT SLOPE TO THE REAR OF THE CAR. CAR WAS IN PARK UPON STARTING ENGINE, THEN PRESSED THE REVERSE BUTTON, TOOK FOOT OFF THE BRAKE, AND THE CAR DRIVES FORWARD INSTEAD OF REVERSE. THEN IMMEDIATELY STEPPED ON THE BRAKE. REPRESSED AND VERIFIED THAT THE REVERSE BUTTON WAS LIGHTED, THE BACK UP CAMERA WAS APPEARING ON THE SCREEN, AND THE R INDICATOR NEAR THE SPEEDOMETER WAS HIGHLIGHTED. THEN REMOVED FOOT FROM BRAKE PEDAL AND SLOWLY PRESSED ON THE ACCELERATOR AND ONCE AGAIN THE CAR MOVED FORWARD AND MADE A LOUD BANGING SOUND AND THE CAR JERKED LIKE IT HAD STRUCK SOMETHING. IMMEDIATELY STEPPED ON THE BRAKE, PUT CAR INTO PARK AND TURNED IT OFF, GOT OUT TO CHECK FRONT AREA TO SEE IF IT HAD STRUCK AN OBJECT. NO OBJECT HAD BEEN STRUCK, SO IT APPEARS THE LOUD BANGING SOUND AND JERKING MOTION MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE TRANSMISSION? GOT BACK INTO THE CAR RESTARTED THE ENGINE, PRESSED THE REVERSE BUTTON, THIS TIME THE CAR MOVED BACKWARDS AS IT SHOULD. DROVE STRAIGHT HOME AND LET CAR SIT UNTIL NEXT DAY WHEN I TOOK CAR TO THE LINCOLN DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPT WHO KEPT THE CAR FOR 5 DAYS AND SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. I AM CONCERNED THIS COULD BE A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE?

NHTSA ODI 10903030

Working with the data? Download all 76 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 2015 Lincoln Mkz Hev verdict →