Summary
The Lincoln MKX has 12 recalls spanning 2007 through 2020, with the most serious being a seat wiring defect on 2016-2020 models equipped with 16-way electric tilt seats, where using the tilt function can damage wires and cause the passenger airbag to either fail in a crash or deploy unexpectedly without one.
Two additional fire-related recalls affect different model years. On 2016-2017 models with the 3.7-liter engine, the positive battery cable can rub against the transmission shifter cable bracket, short-circuit, and start a fire. On 2008 models, a manufacturing flaw can leave a small depression in the bottom of the fuel tank at a weld point, causing the tank to weep or drip fuel that can ignite near a heat source.
The 2016-2017 model years also have a driver's frontal airbag that can fail to fully inflate in a crash, or the airbag cushion can separate from the module entirely, reducing crash protection. A separate 2016 recall covers a trim cover that was installed incorrectly over the second-row center child seat tether anchors, preventing a child seat from being properly secured. Another 2016 issue involves the passenger airbag overlapping with the seat wiring recall: the passenger seat sensor can misclassify occupants and disable or misfire the airbag, though this is part of the same underlying wiring vulnerability on that year.
On 2009 models, the passenger frontal airbag propellant can degrade over time due to heat and humidity cycling, causing the bag to deploy with more force than intended. Going further back, 2007 models have two issues: a wheel hub spindle stud that can make brake rotor installation difficult with certain aftermarket parts, and a daytime running light system that may be inoperable, making the vehicle less visible to others in daylight. The 2011 model year has a software setting that can disable the liftgate locking function, leaving it unable to lock from inside or outside the vehicle.
