Lincoln Zephyr Recalls

The Lincoln Zephyr has 7 recalls spanning the 2006–2012 model years, with the most serious being a Takata airbag inflator defect affecting 2006–2012 vehicles registered in high-humidity states and territories, where the passenger-side inflator can rupture and send metal fragments into the cabin, causing serious injury or death. The driver-side airbag carries the same risk on 2006–2012 models: long-term exposure to heat and humidity can degrade the propellant, causing the inflator to explode and scatter metal fragments toward the driver and other occupants. These airbag concerns apply specifically to vehicles sold or ever registered in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, and U.S. territories including Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.

On the braking side, 2006–2010 models have an anti-lock brake hydraulic control unit where internal valves can react with certain brake fluid additives, fail to close fully, and require the driver to press the pedal much farther than normal before the vehicle slows. A separate but related brake issue affects 2006 models specifically, where the anti-lock brake hydraulic control unit can cause increased pedal travel on its own, again extending stopping distances and raising the risk of a crash.