The 2012 Lincoln MKZ is a midsize car that came with a choice of 2.5L 4-cyl and 3.5L 6-cyl engines. At 14 years old, many are reaching the point where repairs cost more than the car is worth. Running or not, we'll make you an offer and tow it away for free.
| Body style | Midsize Cars |
|---|---|
| Engines | 2.5L 4-cyl, 3.5L 6-cyl |
| Transmissions | Automatic (S6), Automatic (variable gear ratios) |
| Drive | All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive |
| Fuel | Regular Gasoline |
| Fuel economy | 17–41 city / 24–35 highway / 19–38 combined MPG |
| EPA annual fuel cost | $1,750–$3,550 a year (EPA estimate at current fuel prices, 15,000 miles) |
| Tailpipe CO₂ | 234–468 grams per mile |
| Curb weight (NHTSA test vehicle) | 3,764 lb |
| Gross vehicle weight rating | 4,651–4,848 lb |
| Versions tested by EPA | 3 configurations: MKZ AWD, MKZ Hybrid FWD, MKZ FWD |
| Age | 14 years |
Specs, fuel cost and emissions from the EPA's fueleconomy.gov data; weights from NHTSA crash-test records. Your car's exact equipment may differ.
NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls covering the 2012 Lincoln MKZ. Open recalls don't stop you from selling or junking the car, but check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which apply to yours.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion, Lincoln Zephyr, Lincoln MKZ, 2006-2011 Mercury Milan, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, and Lincoln MKX vehicles. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high…
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A."…
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and 2010-2012 Lincoln MKZ vehicles that previously received a replacement passenger air bag under recall 16V-384, 17V-024 or 18V-046. In the event of a crash requiring deployment of the passenger air bag, the bracket that secures the air bag inflator to…
Risk: If the air bag does not inflate as intended, there is an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012 Ford Fusion and Mustang and Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S.…
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford Fusion vehicles without a 3.5L engine and Lincoln MKZ hybrid electric vehicles, 2011 Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with a 3.5L GTDI engine and 2013 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS…
Risk: If the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist, extra steering effort will be required at lower speeds, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Owners have filed 205 complaints about the 2012 Lincoln MKZ with NHTSA. 11 reports involved a crash and 2 reports involved a fire. Owners reported 9 injuries.
Complaints are reports from owners and aren't verified by NHTSA. One complaint can list several components. Mileage is the median odometer reading owners reported for that component.
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2012 Lincoln MKZ, by version tested.
| Version | Overall | Frontal crash | Side crash | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Dr, AWD | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | 9.2% |
| 4 Dr, FWD | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | 10.5% |
Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP). Ratings from different model years or rating systems aren't directly comparable.
Manufacturers have filed 38 technical service bulletins and communications with NHTSA covering the 2012 Lincoln MKZ. These are repair instructions for known issues, not recalls.
Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card cont
While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions. While p
All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed i
When performing any transmission fluid change or topoff involving Motorcraft® Premium ATF, MERCON® V has replaced all versions of Motorcraft® Premium ATF and can be us
Certain 2010 â€" 2012 Model Year Fusion / MKZ / Milan Hybrid Vehicles Hybrid Battery Reduced Electric Vehicle Operation BECM and PCM Software Update In all the affecte
Certain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2005-2006 GT, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion & MKZ/Zephyr, 2006-2011 Milan, and 2007-2010 Edge & MKX Vehicles Driver & Passenger Airbag Mod
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications (technical service bulletins).
NHTSA opened 3 defect investigations covering the 2012 Lincoln MKZ.
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pe
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to
Electric power steering failure
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a preliminary evaluation to investigate complaints of the loss of power steering while driving. The subject vehicles are equipped with a rack mounted Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) unit.Some of the complaints alleged that the steering assist failed and resulted
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It depends on its condition, whether major parts like the engine, transmission and catalytic converter are still there, and current scrap and parts prices where you live. Its parts make up much of its value. Enter your ZIP code above for a free offer on your specific car.
Yes. We buy 2012 MKZs that don't start, were in an accident, failed inspection or have a blown engine or transmission. Towing is always free.
Yes. Open recalls don't prevent a junk sale. NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2012 Lincoln MKZ; you can check whether any are still open on yours with the VIN lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Usually the title and a photo ID. Rules differ by state, including what to do with your plates and whether to file a notice of sale. Check our state-by-state car title guides for the official forms.
Data retrieved October 2026.
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