What problems does the 2020 Lincoln MKZ have?

Owners filed 3 complaints in total. They touch seats, the electrical system, steering and one other group.

Does the 2020 Lincoln MKZ have recalls?

Yes, this year has a recall on file. See the Recalls section on this page for the details.

Is the 2020 Lincoln MKZ reliable?

The complaint count is low at 3, and none mention a crash or injuries. Complaints are not adjusted for sales, so treat this as one signal only.

What is the gas mileage of the 2020 Lincoln MKZ?

See the fuel economy section on this page for the EPA figures.

Which year of the Lincoln MKZ is best?

See the by-year comparison on this page. It lines up complaints and recalls for each year.

2020 Lincoln MKZ Problems, Recalls and MPG

NHTSA has 3 owner complaints on file for the 2020 Lincoln MKZ^[1]. None of them mention a crash, a fire, injuries or deaths^[1].

3owner complaints^[1]

1recalls^[2]

20–41MPG combined (EPA)^[3]

5★NHTSA overall rating^[4]

Problems
Recalls
Fuel economy
Safety
Engine and size
By year
Verdict
FAQ

Most reported problems

The complaint list is short, so here is each group in plain words.

Seats. 1 complaint^[5]. The owner describes finding the rear seating area damaged by heat after coming back to the car.
Electrical System. 1 complaint^[6]. It is the same story as the seats one, so the two groups overlap.
Steering. 1 complaint^[7]. In the story we read, a family member's steering wheel and wheels got stuck, the car stopped in the road, and a mechanic and a tow company were called.
Unknown or other. 1 complaint^[8]. It does not fit a clear component group.

Recalls

Newest first. Each recall covers only certain vehicles, so not every 2020 MKZ is necessarily included.

Back Over Prevention › Software (25V442), June 2025. About 200,237 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[9]

Fuel economy

EPA ratings depend on the engine and drive. Annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not prices when the car was new.

Version	City / highway / combined MPG	Annual fuel cost
MKZ AWD, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S6), Regular, All-Wheel Drive^[10]	20 / 29 / 23	$2,900
MKZ FWD, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S6), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[11]	20 / 31 / 24	$2,800
MKZ AWD, 3.0L 6-cyl turbo, Automatic (S6), Regular, All-Wheel Drive^[12]	17 / 26 / 20	$3,350
MKZ FWD, 3.0L 6-cyl turbo, Automatic (S6), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[13]	18 / 27 / 21	$3,200
MKZ Hybrid FWD, 2.0L 4-cyl, Automatic (variable gear ratios), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[3]	42 / 39 / 41	$1,650

Safety ratings

Version	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
4 DR AWD^[4]	5	4	5	4	10.9%
4 DR FWD^[14]	5	4	5	4	10.9%

Engine and size

Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles.

Engine	Horsepower
2020 Lincoln MKZ with 2.0L 4-cylinder^[15]	141 hp

These are Canadian-market specifications from Transport Canada, so US models can differ slightly.

Version	Length	Width	Height	Wheelbase	Curb weight
MKZ 2.0L AWD 4DR SEDAN^[16]	194 in	73 in	58 in	112 in	3,909 lb
MKZ HYBRID 4DR SEDAN^[17]	194 in	73 in	58 in	112 in	3,878 lb

How 2020 compares with other years

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for each MKZ model year. The 2020 is highlighted^[2].

Show the numbers

Model year	Complaints	Recalls
2007	259	4
2008	281	4
2009	114	6
2010	170	7
2011	185	5
2012	205	5
2013	122	12
2014	125	13
2015	97	10
2016	71	6
2017	158	4
2018	37	2
2019	23	1
2020	3	1

NHTSA's counts for the MKZ show 3 complaints and 1 recalls for 2020^[2]. Among the 14 model years listed, 0 have fewer complaints than 2020 and 13 have more^[2]. The fewest complaints are for 2020 (3) and the most are for 2008 (281)^[2]. These counts are not adjusted for sales, so treat them as a rough guide. The chart above shows every year.

Should you buy a used 2020 MKZ?

The 2020 Lincoln MKZ has a small complaint record, with 3 complaints on file^[1]. None of them report a crash, injuries or deaths^[1]. The complaints are unverified owner reports, and one complaint can name several parts. The steering story is worth reading before you buy, and a recall also exists for this year^[2]. Check the sections below for details.

Frequently asked questions

What problems does the 2020 Lincoln MKZ have?: Owners filed 3 complaints in total^[1]. They touch seats^[5], the electrical system^[6], steering^[7] and one other group^[8].
Does the 2020 Lincoln MKZ have recalls?: Yes, this year has a recall on file^[2]. See the Recalls section on this page for the details.
Is the 2020 Lincoln MKZ reliable?: The complaint count is low at 3^[1], and none mention a crash or injuries^[1]. Complaints are not adjusted for sales, so treat this as one signal only.
What is the gas mileage of the 2020 Lincoln MKZ?: See the fuel economy section on this page for the EPA figures.
Which year of the Lincoln MKZ is best?: See the by-year comparison on this page. It lines up complaints and recalls for each year.

Keep exploring

Other model years of the Lincoln MKZ

2007 259 complaints, 4 recalls
2008 281 complaints, 4 recalls
2010 170 complaints, 7 recalls
2011 185 complaints, 5 recalls
2012 205 complaints, 5 recalls
2013 122 complaints, 12 recalls
2014 125 complaints, 13 recalls
2015 97 complaints, 10 recalls
2016 71 complaints, 6 recalls
2017 158 complaints, 4 recalls
2018 37 complaints, 2 recalls
2019 23 complaints, 1 recall
2020 this page

Compare all model years of the Lincoln MKZ

Other Lincoln models from 2020

2020 Lincoln Aviator 120 complaints, 30 recalls
2020 Lincoln Corsair 61 complaints, 16 recalls
2020 Lincoln Navigator 32 complaints, 13 recalls

All Lincoln models

Similar cars from 2020: midsize cars

2020 Ford Fusion 235 complaints, 3 recalls
2020 Honda Insight 31 complaints, 6 recalls
2020 Kia Forte 78 complaints, 0 recalls
2020 Tesla Model 3 452 complaints, 21 recalls
2020 Toyota Camry 284 complaints, 3 recalls
2020 Volkswagen Passat 18 complaints, 3 recalls

All midsize cars we cover

Facts and sources

NHTSA has 3 owner complaints on file for the 2020 Lincoln MKZ (0 mention a crash, 0 a fire, 0 injuries, 0 deaths reported). NHTSA vehicle records
Owner complaints and recalls for every Lincoln MKZ model year (chart above). NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for MKZ Hybrid FWD, 2.0L 4-cyl, Automatic (variable gear ratios), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 42 city / 39 highway / 41 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $1,650. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, 4 DR AWD: overall 5 stars, frontal 4 stars, side 5 stars, rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 10.9%. NHTSA vehicle records
1 complaints name the seats component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
1 complaints name the electrical system component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
1 complaints name the steering component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
1 complaints name the unknown or other component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
Recall 25V442, filed June 27, 2025: Back Over Prevention › Software. NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for MKZ AWD, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S6), Regular, All-Wheel Drive: 20 city / 29 highway / 23 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,900. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for MKZ FWD, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S6), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 20 city / 31 highway / 24 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,800. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for MKZ AWD, 3.0L 6-cyl turbo, Automatic (S6), Regular, All-Wheel Drive: 17 city / 26 highway / 20 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,350. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for MKZ FWD, 3.0L 6-cyl turbo, Automatic (S6), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 18 city / 27 highway / 21 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,200. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, 4 DR FWD: overall 5 stars, frontal 4 stars, side 5 stars, rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 10.9%. NHTSA vehicle records
EPA Test Car List, 2020 Lincoln MKZ with 2.0L 4-cylinder: rated 141 hp. www.epa.gov
Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, MKZ 2.0L AWD 4DR SEDAN: length 194 in, width 73 in, height 58 in, wheelbase 112 in, curb weight 3,909 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov
Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, MKZ HYBRID 4DR SEDAN: length 194 in, width 73 in, height 58 in, wheelbase 112 in, curb weight 3,878 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov

Complaints submitted to NHTSA by owners; unverified reports, one complaint can name several components. Complaint counts are not normalized by sales; compare years of the same model, not different models. EPA annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not the price when the car was new. Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles. Dimensions are Canadian-market specifications and can differ slightly from US models.

2020 Lincoln MKZ: problems, recalls and fuel economy