Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Lincoln MKC vehicles. The battery monitor sensor may short-circuit and overheat, causing a fire in the engine compartment while parked or driving.
Engine & cooling
Lincoln MKC Engine problems by year
367 complaints filed with NHTSA about the Lincoln MKC's engine & cooling. Stalling, loss of power, oil consumption, overheating, head gaskets, timing chains and engine failure.
Engine complaints by model year
Engine recalls
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Lincoln MKC vehicles manufactured November 25, 2013, to January 25, 2016, and 2016 Ford Explorer vehicles manufactured October 20, 2014, to January 28, 2016. The affected vehicles are...
Latest MKC engine complaints
The contact owns a 2018 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated that the check engine warning illuminated while the vehicle was parked. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that there was coolant intrusion in the cylinders, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer replaced the engine. The manufacturer was notified of the failure by phone. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
shaking idling, coolant loss. Diagnosed at dealer with coolant intrusion.
10/26/26, took vehicle in for service due to a rough start. Was notified by phone the vehicle was diagnosed with the engine coolant intrusion and was found to have low coolant. The vehicle had just been inspected the week prior and all levels were acceptable. Engine needed to be replaced. Just under 68000mi. This known engine issue/documented defect needs addressed and at minimum, customer notified BEFORE it happens to them.
The contact owns a 2018 Lincoln MKC. The contact called on behalf of his wife who stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that there was an eco boost coolant intrusion and that the spark plugs and coils needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that there was a blown head gasket that needed to be replaced. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
After my check engine light came on the dealership performed a cooling system pressure test and borescope inspection which confirmed a cylinder 2 misfire caused by structural coolant intrusion into the engine block. The dealership repair estimate is over $14,000. As an elderly and handicapped individual facing unstable housing, this catastrophic vehicle failure leaves me stranded, and the out-of-pocket cost is a severe and impossible financial hardship. •Known Inherent Defect: I learned that this exact...
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failure - coolant leaking into cylinder 2 due to a recognized structural design flaw in the EcoBoost block - is a widely documented manufacturing issue. It is currently the subject of certified national class-action litigation (Miller, et al. v. Ford Motor Company), specifically naming the 2019 Lincoln MKC. •Prior Diagnostic History: The check engine light first illuminated at 100,700 miles. The vehicle has been treated with care. This is a catastrophic structural crack, not a wear-and-tear issue. •Extended Warranty Context: I previously invested in an Extended Service Warranty to protect against major failures. While Lincoln Client Services has initially denied coverage on a technical milestone, the underlying manufacturing defect was already present and actively failing before this point. This is a known, widespread engineering issue rather than a consumer maintenance failure. Given my current physical and housing hardships, I urgently require corporate assistance to resolve this so I can regain access to necessary medical transportation. I learned that this defect can lead to: •Sudden Engine Overheating •Engine Misfires and Stalling •Fire and Electrical Hazards •Catastrophic Engine Failure I am afraid to drive this vehicle but I have medical needs that I have to address. I submit this complaint to encourage investigation for a possible safety-related defect which should lead to a safety recall. I found out too late. I hope I can help others be informed and safe
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 65 MPH, the check engine warning light was illuminated. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was coolant inside cylinders #2 and #3. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The engine was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 45,000.
Rough idle at start up persisted as I got onto the road and caused near complete loss of drivability as "check engine" light appeared for the first time. Had towed to mechanic who replaced coils and plugs. One month later, check engine light appeared again. Brought back to mechanic who looked it over and said it was fine. Two weeks later, third apperance of check engine light. This time, I took to Lincoln dealership who ran appropriate diagnostics and confirmed one week later this is the coolant intrusion defect that will require a long-block engine replacement for $12,500. Car has 55,000 miles.
See attached document for complaint
There is a coolant leak going into the cylinder 3 causing misfire and overheating and engine shutoff Car shut down and locked up on the highway and I had to coast to the shoulder and get it towed. The ford dealer said it needs an engine replacement specifically a long block assembly estimated at 10k. It was inspected by the ford dealership. there was a code p0303 saying misfire so I got all the spark plugs replaced and when i was driving home from work the car locked up and said overheating and had to coast off...
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the highway. I have all the reports and documents from the ford dealership showing the coolant intrusion into the cylinder. this is a design flaw with this engine and has a TSB already on it but not recall. it's been going on since 2019 but they still produced these engines and make the customer pay for their flaws.
I am filing an urgent safety complaint regarding a severe Ford/Lincoln EcoBoost engine defect, fraudulent recall reporting, and the illegal refusal of repair on my vehicle, which has only around 20,000 miles. Since this vehicle is under an active safety recall, the manufacturer and dealership have a strict legal obligation to perform the recall repair at no cost to the consumer.My vehicle recently experienced a major engine failure with the Check Engine Light illuminated The authorized dealership diagnosed the...
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issue as an inherent EcoBoost engine defect, specifically confirming a Cylinder #1 Misfire caused by Coolant Intrusion into the engine cylinders. They stated that the engine is severely damaged and provided a repair estimate of $12,000 for a complete Long Block Engine Replacement.However, they are completely refusing to cover this repair, telling me that they cannot help me and that I must pay out of pocket to fix it myself. To evade their legal safety obligations, the manufacturer sent an official letter falsely claiming that the recall service was already successfully completed at Norm Reeves Lincoln on April 24, 2024. This is a complete lie. I have NEVER received, authorized, or brought my vehicle in for this recall service.They have fraudulently marked this safety recall as completed in their system to strip away my consumer rights and leave me with a dangerous vehicle and a $12,000 bill. Operating a vehicle with coolant intrusion poses an immediate risk of sudden engine stalling, catastrophic failure, or fire on the highway. I formally request NHTSA to investigate this fraudulent recall reporting and unlawful refusal of repair, and compel Ford/Lincoln to perform the actual safety recall and long block engine replacement immediately at no cost as required by federal law.
My 2017 Lincoln MKC equipped with the 2.0L EcoBoost has recently experienced a serious engine failure and requires engine replacement. It developed an engine problem while driving on at least two occasions and is no longer reliable or safe to operate. No prior warning messages were observed on the vehicle. Fortunately, I was able to pull over on the side of the road and I observed smoke coming from the engine. I was then concerned about the safety of an unexpected engine failure while driving, which might cause...
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the vehicle to stop in traffic. I have now observed green/milky contamination on the engine oil dipstick. The vehicle requires further diagnostic evaluation and engine replacement by a Ford dealership. Ford issued technical service information concerning coolant intrusion into the cylinders of 2017-2019 Lincoln MKC vehicles with 2.0L EcoBoost engines. I am reporting because I believe the engine failure may be related to this condition and may represent a safety defect. I am in the process of having the Ford dealership inspect the vehicle and likely replace the engine. I can request the engine be retained for possible inspection. Ford Lincoln has been contacted regarding this problem. They denied any post-warranty financial assistance. I am concerned the failure may be related to the coolant-intrusion condition described in Ford's technical service information.
Engine has a known defect causing coolant to leak into cylinders. Car is not safe to drive as car can overheat, blow gasket, loose power, catch fire while operating.
The contact's wife owns a 2017 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine was running rough. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the #3 cylinder and spark plug had seized and there was water intrusion into the engine. Upon further investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Action Number: DP26008. The contact stated that the engine was previously replaced by an independent mechanic with parts from the local authorized dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 101,989.
Sept 2026. Coolant intrusion. Causes engine light to illuminate, engine to overheat, rendering vehicle unable/unsafe to drive, potential fire risk. The failure was diagnosed by Lincoln dealer as a known defect via technical service bulletin. My research revealed this defect is found in numerous Ford vehicles.
The contact owns a 2018 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated that upon attempting to start the vehicle, the engine misfired. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that coolant intrusion had resulted in the engine failure, and it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure by phone. The failure mileage was approximately 73,617.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked daily. Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data