The Lincoln MKX holds a prominent name in the market of Crossover SUVs – owing to its decent reliability rating and luxurious features. However, despite the bells and whistles, this vehicle is prone to cause some known faults. Let’s dive right in with a brief answer and swim towards the details later.
The most important problems that plague the Lincoln MKX/Nautilus are half shaft disengagement in the 2012-2014 model years, airbag inflator explosion in the 2007-2010 model years, and engine stalling on the 2016 model. The 2007-2008 model years are known for transmission slipping; the 2011-2013 model years for door ajar light issues; and the 2019 model for blank instrument clusters.
For your aid, we will discuss these issues in detail. Hence, we’re going to boil down the most common issues to their ultimate solutions; along with stating their costs (if any).
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1. Engine Stalling
Engine stalling, accompanied by throttle failure, is a fairly common issue in the 2016 Lincoln MKX. Several owners have reported instances where the engine shut off while driving. Luckily, the gear automatically shifted to ‘Neutral’ instead of ‘Park’. When a car engine shuts off, the power steering and assistive features cease to function normally.
Consequently, people had to steer the hard steering wheel to safety when this happened to them. On some modern cars, the brake pedal can also be pumped once or twice when the ignition is off – which further complicates the situation.
Engine stalling and shutting off while driving is a critical issue that needs immediate attention. If your MKX seems to be facing the same problem, make sure to get it evaluated by the nearest dealership.
Even though the problem can have multiple causes, the most common ones include throttle body or purge valve failure. Both of these can be replaced for free if the vehicle’s warranty is intact.
In case your warranty period is over, we suggest that you seek repairs at the earliest. Driving around in a car with engine stalling issues can prove to be life-threatening. This visit to the dealership can cost you around $300 for the throttle body and $100 for the purge valve.
2. Door Ajar Light Constantly Turns On
We’re all aware of how frustrating warning lights on the instrument cluster can be, especially if they occur without a viable cause. Owners of the 2011-2013 Lincoln MKX have reportedly dealt with such misery due to an electrical switch inside the door latch.
When dirt gets accumulated on this switch, the ECU refuses to acknowledge the door as ‘closed’ in any scenario. Repeatedly banging the door doesn’t help, since the ‘Door Ajar’ light on the dash doesn’t turn off without the dealership’s intervention.
This can stem further inconvenience for the owner because if the ECU reads the door as open, the central locking system could refuse to lock the car. The interior cabin’s lights may also fail to turn off until all the doors are closed.
Unfortunately, no known recall has been issued for the problem – despite the fact that an unlocked car can lead to all sorts of mishaps. In case you’re among the owners of the said model years, we’d recommend that you get your vehicle diagnosed at a dealership.
Since the problem has been reported in huge numbers, Ford didn’t ignore it altogether. Rather, they released a service bulletin that can be followed by any mechanic to rectify the issue.
The NHTSA Reference ID for this technical service bulletin is 10054930.
The solution lies in cleaning the electrical switch of the door latch using a special service tool. In case the problem persists or re-appears after some time, the entire module can be replaced. While the cleaning service may cost you around $250, the latter option can harvest $500 from your wallet.
3. Transmission Slipping
Owners of the 2007-2008 Lincoln MKX have reported that the car loses power during driving, whereas the engine keeps revving. This also happens when stopped at traffic lights. As the gas pedal is pressed, the car fails to move forward. All of this is due to the slipping of the vehicle transmission.
In instances where overtaking or heavy acceleration is required, loss of power can prove to be catastrophic. It can also be dangerous when climbing uphill roads.
Jerking while shifting into the next gear and chugging are two major indicators that you need to watch out for. In case you experience any one of them, it would be best to get your vehicle checked.
Common causes for this issue include faulty transmission components, bad transmissions, and transmission fluid leakages. Since a vehicle belonging to these model years definitely wouldn’t have an intact warranty, you’d have to spend money to get it fixed.
While transmission parts such as clutch plates and solenoids can cost around $150-200 to replace, they’d save you a lot of money over a total transmission replacement. In case a new transmission is your ultimate fix, expect to pay around $3000-3500 for the job.
Transmission fluid leaks are also known to be a common cause of slipping. This problem accompanies the newer model years as well. The fluid may drain out due to faulty seals, lines, or hoses.
In the event of a leak, the fix wouldn’t cost you a fortune – and you’d be looking at around $80-100 for tracing, repairing, and refilling.
4. Half Shaft Disengagement Issue
Ford issued a recall for the 2012-2014 model years of the Lincoln MKX because these vehicles may have a faulty half shaft to link shaft connection. According to details, there is a half shaft retention circlip that might not be fitted properly. This misfit can lead to the shaft getting disengaged from the link shaft.
Such a scenario can lead to two possible outcomes; either you’re driving and you experience loss of power, which can be potentially fatal; or you’ve parked your car and it starts to roll forward/backward despite being in ‘Park’.
The latter can be injurious to people near the parked vehicle. And since all of this comes without a prior warning, we’d suggest that you waste no time in getting your parts replaced.
Thankfully, Ford is replacing the affected parts free of cost. The remedy lies in inspecting if the half shaft is properly retained.
If the connection is faulty, the dealership will replace the link shaft. Moreover, they will also inspect the half shaft for spline damage. In case found, the half shaft is also replaced.
NHTSA campaign ID for this recall is 14V393000.
5. Potential Air Bag Inflator Explosion
Airbags are an essential safety feature that can drastically reduce the chance of death in an accident. However, what if this very safety feature that is supposed to save lives, ends them?
Such incidents have been reported across different companies and their vehicles, prominently due to faulty Takata airbags. The fault lies in the airbag inflators, which might explode in case of an accident.
This explosion is accompanied by sharp metal fragments flying right towards the occupants, eventually killing them in the process.
The 2007-2010 model years of Lincoln MKX face the issue at hand, whereby the explosion is caused due to propellant degradation – resulting from high temperatures and humidity.
Thankfully enough, Ford has issued a recall to replace the driver’s side airbag assembly with a new one. If you happen to own one of the affected vehicles, you better drop by your nearest dealership and avail the free replacement.
The NHTSA campaign ID for this recall is 21V158000.
6. Instrument Cluster Goes Blank
The 2019 Lincoln Nautilus (formerly known as the MKX from 2007-2018) faces a problem with the instrument cluster at vehicle startup. According to details, the cluster fails to light up at times when the vehicle is turned on.
This results in the driver being unaware of details such as vehicle speed, fuel level, engine temperature, and warning lights.
While the issue doesn’t tend to be critical if solved immediately, it can be potentially dangerous for unsuspecting drivers. In case the driver doesn’t take it seriously and proceeds to drive, not only are they breaking safety regulations; rather they pose a threat to other motorists. Being unaware of speed and fuel level can lead to disastrous outcomes.
Ford has issued a recall for the affected vehicles under NHTSA campaign ID 19V076000. Once you visit the nearest dealership, they will reprogram the instrument panel cluster assembly (IPC). All of this will be done free of charge.
7. Problematic Seat Wiring Harness
Ford initially became aware of the problem when a seat-side airbag was inadvertently deployed in a Lincoln MKX in China. The problem traces back to a wiring harness in the front seats for vehicles equipped with 16-way tilt electric seats. If an occupant uses the tilt feature of the seat, the wires harnesses are likely to get damaged.
In the event of such damages, if two specific wires are damaged, accompanied by a short circuit to the ground; the airbags won’t deploy in case of an accident. These are complex seats with around 28 wires that run through these harnesses – hence the gravity of the situation.
In an alternate case, there is a third wire that may join these two damaged wires through a bare wire linkage. If this happens, the airbag deploys without the occurrence of an accident or frontal hit.
Fortunately, Ford has recalled all affected vehicles from the 2016-2018 (Lincoln MKX) and 2019-2020 (Lincoln Nautilus) model years. The problem at hand is originally caused by the insufficient clearance between the wire harness and seat cushioning. As a remedy, a dealership mechanic will install flocking tape around the edge of the seat cushioning frame. They will also inspect the harness for probable damage, and replace it if found.
NHTSA recall number for this recall is 20V-414.
What’s The Worst Year of The Lincoln MKX?
The Lincoln MKX is a pretty dependable vehicle that can last you around 180,000 miles. Properly maintained vehicles can easily cross the 200,000 miles mark. As for the Lincoln Nautilus, the same can be said.
However, with careful driving and good maintenance, the vehicle can be expected to last around 250,000 miles. These are some big figures for a luxury crossover in this league.
As with other vehicles, the MKX too has the best and worst model years. A quick search can point out the models with the most complaints and recalls. We’ve got you covered since we’ve already verified from credible sources, and are ready to present this information next.
The worst model year of the Lincoln MKX/Nautilus has to be the 2016 MKX, with the most number of filed complaints. Next in line would have to be the 2019 Lincoln Nautilus that follows close by. The MKX has also managed to be recalled 6 times by the NHTSA, which is a substantial amount.
As far as the best model year is concerned, it has to be either the 2018 MKX or the 2020 Nautilus. In order to form a final verdict, it can be seen that the MKX has 4 recalls with a good amount of failure potential. The Nautilus has had 3 recalls with one of them being a major safety concern.
This deems us to select one of the two, and it definitely has to be the 2020 Lincoln Nautilus. The car has managed to do fairly well, despite being in the market for over two years now.
Closing Thoughts
Alright, we’ve delved deep into the most common issues you might face with a Lincoln MKX. From airbag inflator explosion to engine stalling, we’ve got you covered on what to look out for.
Now, if you’re a Lincoln enthusiast or you’re not sure which model you should commit to, then don’t forget to check our other articles on Lincoln models and their common problems, like the Lincoln MKC and many more.
In conclusion, while Lincoln MKX has its fair share of problems, being informed and proactive can save you a lot of headaches down the road. Happy driving!
His interests in cars, motorcycles, and machines led him to the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore where he is currently a mechanical engineering sophomore.
His future aims include the development of an energy-efficient prototype vehicle for the Shell Eco-Marathon competition and getting a Master’s Degree in Automotive Engineering from Germany.