Internal engine failure causing coolant to leak into the cylinders. Have been advised that a new engine is necessary. Car warranty has expired due to age. Mileage is 53,042.
2017 Lincoln Mkz
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2017 Lincoln Mkz do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 109.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Mkz years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
41 reports with mileage · 97 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine. Review the 76 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Engine complaints
76 reportsCoil head caked in oil causing misfire due to valve guideseals in left side cylinder head leaking see attached documentation
2017 Lincoln MKZ with 53k miles check engine light comes on and dealership diagnostic shows leaking coolant in cyl #2/needs motor. Car out of warranty so cost of repair is out of my pocket. Lincoln has known about this since 2016...they leased the car out in 2017 and then sold it to me in 2019 KNOWING there was a defective engin…
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2017 Lincoln MKZ with 53k miles check engine light comes on and dealership diagnostic shows leaking coolant in cyl #2/needs motor. Car out of warranty so cost of repair is out of my pocket. Lincoln has known about this since 2016...they leased the car out in 2017 and then sold it to me in 2019 KNOWING there was a defective engine in the vehicle but didn't do or say anything about it...NEVER any recall. How is it that there are 100k 2021-2022 trucks and suv's being recalled due to engine issue that could "lead to catastrophic engine damage resulting in a loss of power". I could of suffered a loss of power as well with the defective engine that was in my car. How is this sudden recall on these trucks and suv's any more important or severe than all of the Ford/Lincoln vehicles that had engine issues? This could have been easily rectified early on seeing they knew about this issue from the beginning. I want my money back I paid to get my engine repaired.
Coolant leak into the engine, causing white smoke, decreased coolant level and a rough start
I took my 2017 Lincoln MKZ vehicle into my local Lincoln dealership on the morning of 8/13 due to check engine light which came on the previous week. The results of the diagnostic test that was performed which showed P0303 coolant leaking in cylinder #2 needs motor per tsb 22-2229 at a cost $7103.60 plus tax. My 2017 MKZ with 53…
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I took my 2017 Lincoln MKZ vehicle into my local Lincoln dealership on the morning of 8/13 due to check engine light which came on the previous week. The results of the diagnostic test that was performed which showed P0303 coolant leaking in cylinder #2 needs motor per tsb 22-2229 at a cost $7103.60 plus tax. My 2017 MKZ with 53k miles needs a new motor…how is this??? This issue is a result of a “known” defect in the motors of certain Lincoln and Ford vehicles where coolant seeping into the engine. I call the Lincoln Care/Customer Relations Center department to advise of my situation and the representative I spoke took my information Vin #, address, phone number and said she would call me back once she has looked in what resources or programs available that could possibly assist me with this very expensive repair. She calls me back and advises that because my vehicle is out of the warranty period there is no assistance or resources available to assist me. Now, if my vehicle was still under warranty I would be covered and I wouldn’t need assistance because it would be a covered repair. So, if this is the Lincoln Care /Customer Relations Center that “supposedly” have resources to assist customers in situations such as this, who are you assisting??? not the customer under warranty because they don’t need the assistance and obviously not the customer (myself) that need the assistance but can't get any. I have a long history with this company and I have invested a lot of money with this company to be told there is no assistance for a “known” defect issue which has now become my issue. Unbelievable that you all are treating customers in this manner. I will never support this company ever again after being a repeat customer and getting treated this way. I can only hope all of the other vehicle owners with this “known” defect that are having to pay for the repair does the same. I want my money back that I now have to pay out to get my vehicle repaired.
Vehicle just started running rough and then the check engine light came on and almost immediately temperature indicated excessive heat. I looked in the rear view mirror and noticed excessive white smoke coming out of the tail pipes. I stopped the vehicle and opened the hood and notice there was no coolant in the reservoir. I had…
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Vehicle just started running rough and then the check engine light came on and almost immediately temperature indicated excessive heat. I looked in the rear view mirror and noticed excessive white smoke coming out of the tail pipes. I stopped the vehicle and opened the hood and notice there was no coolant in the reservoir. I had the vehicle towed to the Ford Dealer in Spring Hill, Florida ($125.00). While the vehicle was at the dealership I rented a vehicle for 1 and a half months ($ 2476.72). New engine long block installed and completed on July 26, 2024 and I picked up my vehicle after I paid. ($7786.12). During the time the vehicle was at the dealership I called Ford Motor and Lincoln Motor Company but was told vehicle has not been recalled and was out of warranty. See Ford TSB 22-2229
I TOOK MY CAR FOR A CHECK ENGINE SENSOR. MECHANIC TOLD ME THERE IS COOLANT LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE. BULLETIN 22-2229
I own a 2017 Lincoln MKZ and was just informed by the dealership that my vehicle is part of TSB 22-2229 which relates to a known defect in the manufacture of the 2.0 Ecoboost engine. Coolant is now leaking into the cylinder and progressively making the car worse. With only 85k miles the only fix is to install a new engine, out-o…
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I own a 2017 Lincoln MKZ and was just informed by the dealership that my vehicle is part of TSB 22-2229 which relates to a known defect in the manufacture of the 2.0 Ecoboost engine. Coolant is now leaking into the cylinder and progressively making the car worse. With only 85k miles the only fix is to install a new engine, out-of-pocket, for close to $15,000. I have filed my complaint with Lincoln, no response. This defective engine needs to be recalled!
In February of 2024, my check engine light came on. I took it to a dealership who informed that it was a spark plug issue and that they had replaced it. The check engine light came on again fairly soon after, and before I could get it back to the dealership the car died. I had it towed there and was told that the battery needed …
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In February of 2024, my check engine light came on. I took it to a dealership who informed that it was a spark plug issue and that they had replaced it. The check engine light came on again fairly soon after, and before I could get it back to the dealership the car died. I had it towed there and was told that the battery needed to be replaced. The day after I got my car back, the light came back on again. After taking it back to the dealership, it was determined to be an engine issue, with coolant leaking everywhere (which is what ruined the spark plug and battery.) The estimate to fix this issue is $6,550.00. My Lincoln MKZ has approximately 60,000 miles and one owner who took care of the maintenance religiously - this should not be happening.
While out of town, the check engine light came on and the car began sputtering. There was a Lincoln dealer a couple miles away so I went there. The scan found code p303 and coolant had intruded in cylinder 3 and the engine needed to be replaced. The Lincoln dealer stated that there was a service bulletin issued about this proble…
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While out of town, the check engine light came on and the car began sputtering. There was a Lincoln dealer a couple miles away so I went there. The scan found code p303 and coolant had intruded in cylinder 3 and the engine needed to be replaced. The Lincoln dealer stated that there was a service bulletin issued about this problem with eco boost 2017 Lincolns.
Official recalls
423V162000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
Mar 10, 2023
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. The front brake hoses may rupture and leak brake fluid.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A brake fluid leak will increase brake pedal travel and extend the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the front brake hoses, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 27, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S12.
18V390000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:torque Converter
Jun 11, 2018
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Ford Edge and 2017 Lincoln MKZ vehicles. On vehicles with 2.0L gas engines and six-speed automatic transmissions, the torque converter weld studs may have been inadequately welded.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the torque converter weld studs fail, the torque converter will not be connected to the engine flexplate and the vehicle will lose the ability to move, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the torque converters, free of charge. The recall began on July 5, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S16 (S2). Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 17V-427.
18V167000 · Steering: Steering Wheel/handle Bar
Mar 12, 2018
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Lincoln MKZ and Ford Fusion vehicles. The steering wheel retaining bolt may loosen allowing the steering wheel to detach while driving.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A steering wheel detachment can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel bolt with a longer bolt, free of charge. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S08.
17V427000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:torque Converter
Jul 6, 2017
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 Lincoln MKZ and Ford Edge and Fusion vehicles. On vehicles with 2.0L gas engines and six-speed automatic transmissions, the torque converter weld studs may have been inadequately welded.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the torque converter weld studs fail, the torque converter will not be connected to the engine flexplate and the vehicle will lose the ability to move, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Ford or Lincoln will notify owners, and dealers will replace the torque converters, free of charge. The recall began August 25, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S16.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1RQ22004 · Front Brake Jounce Hose Failures
Opened Aug 8, 2022 · Closed Mar 24, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
On August 8, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation based on 50 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) alleging front brake jounce hose ruptures on model year (MY) 2013-2018 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. A ruptured front brake hose results in a brake fluid leak. As a result, the driver may experience an increase in pedal travel and a reduction in the rate of deceleration, increasing the risk of a crash. It should be noted that the subject vehicles identified fell outside the scope of NHTSA Safety Recall 20V-469, which addressed front brake hoses rupturing on certain MY 2015-2018 Ford Edge and 2016-2018 Lincoln MKX vehicles. The result causes a brake fluid leak, lengthening the distance needing to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.On March 10, 2023, Ford Motor Company (Ford) submitted to NHTSA Safety Recall 23V-162 (Ford Recall 23S12) to address front brake jounce hoses that may rupture. Ford found the rupture occurs from a localized failure of the internal reinforcement braid due to cyclic fatigue through tensile/bending and torsional inputs during suspension and steering articulations. The supplier for the front brake jounce hoses is Hitachi. This recall affects the subject vehicles equipped with non-hybrid engines and the suspect front brake jounce hoses (a total of 1,280,726 vehicles). The recall covers subject vehicles built from February 3, 2012 to July 19, 2017 when the suspect hoses were used in vehicle production. The remedy is for dealerships to replace both front brake jounce hoses with new hoses that have a revised braid material at no cost. The vehicles equipped with hybrid engines are excluded from the recall because the internal hose pressure is much lower due to the regenerative braking provided by the hybrid brake system. No failures of brake hoses on hybrid vehicles have been reported to ODI or Ford.Ford's actions address ODIs concerns at this time. Hybrid vehicles will be monitored for related failures. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by new circumstances.The 103 ODI numbers cited above can be viewed at NHTSA.gov under the following ID numbers:11511014, 11510867, 11510318, 11509030, 11505993, 11504989, 11504400, 11502147, 11502082, 11501820, 11501283, 11498439, 11498296, 11496842, 11496335, 11494931, 11494851, 11494252, 11493001, 11492084, 11492070, 11491444, 11491274, 11488858, 11488027, 11487627, 11487416, 11487233, 11486150, 11484924, 11484526, 11484080, 11483948, 11483926, 11483739, 11483723, 11482773, 11482690, 11481077, 11480788, 11480294, 11480052, 11479338, 11479334, 11479252, 11479247, 11479187, 11479094, 11479048, 11478985, 11478953, 11478729, 11478216, 11476892, 11476282, 11470558, 11468994, 11467109, 11466294, 11462746, 11461217, 11456065, 11455367, 11444848, 11436419, 11436376, 11430685, 11428329, 11425083, 11421026, 11420738, 11420735, 11420298, 11418197, 11403926, 11397549, 11366991, 11366757, 11361016, 11359968, 11354569, 11352165, 11350344, 11348799, 11343929, 11343205, 11331947, 11329020, 11319596, 11310529, 11292271, 11288455, 11254787, 11253479, 11253244, 11234622, 11230669, 11230050, 11228240, 11221111, 11143630, 11129392 and 11120228.
Illustration