The 2009 Lincoln Zephyr has 4 recalls, the most serious being Takata airbag inflators on both the driver and passenger sides that can rupture and send metal fragments into the cabin, causing serious injury or death.
The airbag inflators degrade over time when exposed to high humidity and heat, and vehicles originally registered or sold in high-humidity states and territories face particular risk on the passenger side. Prior repair attempts did not fully resolve the passenger-side inflator issue, which is why multiple campaigns address it. On the braking side, the anti-lock brake system's hydraulic control unit contains valves that can react with certain corrosion-preventative additives found in some brake fluids. When that reaction occurs, the valves may not close fully, which means the brake pedal can travel farther than normal before the brakes engage, extending stopping distances and raising the risk of a crash.