The 2009 Lincoln MKZ has 6 recalls, the most serious being a Takata airbag defect affecting both the driver and passenger frontal inflators, which can rupture or explode and send metal fragments into the cabin, causing serious injury or death.
Vehicles registered in or originally sold in high-humidity states and territories, including Florida, Texas, Hawaii, and others, face a heightened risk from this defect due to long-term moisture and heat exposure, though the inflator concern applies more broadly as well. Prior repair attempts have not fully resolved this issue across all affected vehicles, which is why multiple filings remain open. The remaining recall covers the anti-lock brake system: certain valves inside the ABS hydraulic control unit can react with some brake fluid formulations and fail to close fully, which means the brake pedal may travel further than expected before the vehicle slows, increasing stopping distances.