Incident Summary -?" Vehicle Fire Date of Incident: Thursday, September 4, 2025 Context: I was driving to a scheduled service appointment for my car at Murgado Lincoln Dealership of Chicago Events Leading Up to the Fire While driving, I heard loud metal noises coming from under the hood. The sound was either metal pieces falling off or grinding/chomping metal against metal. Concerned by the noises, I pulled over to the side of the road. Smoke and Fire Once stopped, the car began emitting gray smoke, which quickly turned into black smoke. The black smoke entered through the dashboard, filling the interior cabin. I realized the vehicle had caught on fire. Immediate Actions Taken I quickly gathered personal belongings from inside the car. I was lucky to have evacuated the vehicle immediately to ensure my safety, despite inhalation of potentially hazardous chemicals due to the fire/ plastic of the car. I then called 911 to report the fire and request emergency assistance. The car continued to catch fire and then there was a minor explosion, as the Chicago fire department battled the fire.

- Chicago, IL, USA

Leasing a 2017 Mkz with total engine failure due to coolant leaking into the engine. Other issues are evolving, while unable to get it fixed

- Winston-Salem , NC, USA

Lemon Was sold a car with a class action lawsuit in progress, still was leased to me stuck with payments with a blown engine. Now can't even open

- Winston-Salem , NC, USA

Coolant intrusion into cylinders 2&3 causing misfire at 126,000 miles. Car lost coolant without warning and started overheating. Took to West Herr Lincoln in Buffalo NY and they said car needs new engine, Lincoln wont cover or help me with repair. I owe ally $16,000 on this car still.

- Blasdell, NY, USA

My name is [XXX], and I am leasing a 2017 Lincoln Mkz, with 60000 miles on it and experience total engine failure due to coolant leaking into it INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Winston-Salem , NC, USA

I purchased a 2017 Lincoln MKZ Select which has been a continuous source of mechanical problems. After recently having a new engine installed, the vehicle has now developed significant transmission issues, making it unsafe and difficult to drive. Despite being sold this car under the assumption it was reliable, I am struggling with costly repairs and reduced functionality, effectively driving a -??lemon.-?? I believe the vehicle-??s condition and recurring failures qualify it for protection under consumer lemon laws or warranties, and I am seeking resolution or compensation due to these defects that have severely impacted the vehicle-??s usability and my safety.

- Chicago, IL, USA

I purchased my 2017 Lincoln MKZ Select on November 11, 2024. The vehicle was determined to need a new engine, per Murgado Lincoln of Chicago. They had my car for over 48 days while putting in a new engine. After this was completed the car had to be sent back due to a mistake the mechanics made by not attaching a gasket properly. After this, I began experiencing odd noises underneath the hood and throughout the vehicle; delayed timing belt in both acceleration and deceleration, and so forth. I was then involved in a hit-and-run car accident (not my fault). All side airbags deployed and my passenger side rear wheel is destroyed. I had this car assessed just a few days ago by a certified Auto Care Company who said I needed a completely new transmission and that this car is not street legal at the moment... insurance is not helping me at all.

- Chicago, IL, USA

I purchased this vehicle on November 11, 2024. About one month later, I began experiencing severe problems. The engine started overheating, which marked the beginning of a downward spiral of issues. To address the overheating, a new engine was installed by Murgado Lincoln dealership, which took approximately 48 days to complete. While the new engine resolved the overheating, a serious transmission problem has persisted and worsened. Since I purchased the car, the transmission has been slipping constantly, shifting gears on its own unpredictably, making loud noises under the hood and throughout the entire vehicle. These issues create a major safety hazard, putting me and others at significant risk. On June 25, 2025, I was involved in a hit-and-run incident that likely worsened the vehicle-??s condition. During this incident, the side airbags on both sides of my vehicle deployed, but the front airbag did not deploy at all, which is highly concerning and increased the danger during the impact. Additionally, the car has a cracked shock absorber head, likely from the accident, which has led to instability and potential fishtailing. I am now afraid to drive the vehicle due to unpredictable handling and further mechanical failure. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. These problems have been confirmed and partially addressed by the dealer when the engine was replaced, but the transmission issues have never been fully resolved. There were no specific warning lamps for the transmission before the failure, but the slipping and erratic gear changes started about one month after purchase and have become progressively worse.

- Chicago, IL, USA

I am submitting this complaint to formally report that my 2017 Lincoln MKZ experienced engine block damage due to a failed torque converter weld, a known safety defect covered under NHTSA Recall 17V-427 / 18V-390 (Ford campaign 17S16). This recall specifically affects vehicles like mine equipped with a 2.0L gas engine and 6-speed automatic transmission, due to improperly welded torque converter studs. This failure causes loss of power and potential transmission or engine damage-?"precisely what occurred with my vehicle. When I brought my vehicle to an authorized Lincoln dealership in Alexandria, Virginia, the service department refused to cover the cost of repair, despite the vehicle falling within the recall parameters. Their refusal directly contradicts federal recall law (49 U.S. Code ? 30120), which mandates that manufacturers and authorized dealers must remedy safety defects at no cost to the vehicle owner, regardless of ownership history or age. As a result of their denial, I am left with significant out-of-pocket costs for damage that should be addressed under a federally mandated safety recall. This poses both a financial burden and a public safety risk if other owners are similarly turned away. I am requesting that NHTSA: Investigate this dealership-??s noncompliance with federal recall obligations. Ensure that Ford Motor Company and its authorized dealers are held accountable for safety-related repairs. Assist in compelling the dealer to honor the recall and reimburse or cover the cost of required repairs.

- Upper Marlboro , MD, USA

The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that a tune-up was needed. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who performed the tune-up. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion and engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 107,500.

- Rice, TX, USA

Ford have a Huge problem with the 2.0 ecoboost. Where coolant pass through the cylinder and make engine mix oil and coolant. Ford have a thousand of claim about this and still doesn-??t have any solution and they make customer pay everything

- Orlando, FL, USA

While driving the car in commuter traffic on Route 22 Highway the car transmission stopped working and car bucked and then stopped. Upon getting out of the lane of traffic there was a large amount of transmission fluid on the ground. Car had to be towed as it would not move. Danger was the car stopping on the highway in busy traffic. Upon inspection by car dealer they found it had a broken transmission cooler line. The Lincoln dealer put in a Tube Assembly repair kit and replaced all trans cooler lines at a cost of $ $1,029.72 to me. No Warning lamps or messages came on before the lines broke.

- Easton, PA, USA

Approximately 2 weeks ago, my 2017 Lincoln MKZ Reserve began sputtering/hesitating during acceleration. On 03/31/2025, I took it to the Heiser Ford-Lincoln in Glendale, WI for service and the diagnosis was I needed to replace my -??engine long block-?? because of engine coolant leaking into the engine cylinders. I was given at an estimated cost of $8,000. I researched and found Technical Service Bulletin 22-2229 listing this issue as a not-so-uncommon problem with Ford-??s 2.0 Liter engines. I am highly concerned that this could cause the engine to seize while driving with coolant compromising the viscosity of the engine oil. I firmly believe this should be elevated to a Recall status as this engine is used in several 2017 through 2019 Ford and Lincoln car models - and the occurrence has been frequent enough to have a TSB created.

- Brown Deer, WI, USA

The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, while the vehicle was idling, the vehicle was shaking and vibrating abnormally. Additionally, after shifting to drive, the vehicle erroneously lunged forward, and while shifting into reverse the vehicle jerked backwards. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the torque converter and engine were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V390000 (POWER TRAIN). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 100,000.

- Canton, MI, USA

I have purchased a used 2017 Lincoln MKZ Reserve 2.0l in August of 2023 that started losing coolant and smoking from exhaust. Upon further investigation the coolant was noticed in the cylinder 2 through the spark plug opening. I had changed the head gasket and noticed the slotted coolant journals between the cylinders which was clear this was where the coolant was leaking from. After replacing the cylinder head gasket it run fine for about another month before starting to have same issues of losing coolant and smoking from exhaust, coolant was observed in cylinders 2 and 3. Ford recommended replacing the engine to the new design engine that eliminated the slots, this would be at Customer cost. Engine cost was $2,618.67 in March of 2024 just to purchase the engine, i replaced the engine myself. Vehicle was at 58,735 miles but warranty was out of date.?

- Kinder, LA, USA

dashboard showing Check engine light. Car hesitating, running very rough. Not driveable. Dealership diagnosed problem as coolant leaking into cylinder requiring engine replacement to fix the issue. Cost for Dealer to Diagnose problem $254. Cost to repair Estimate...$7,700 + Taxes & Fees. Dealer states no assistance from Ford/Lincoln available as vehicle is out of warranty. TSB was issued June 26 2019 regarding this problem related to 2017-2019 Model Years MKZ with 2.0 L Ecoboost engine. Although there are many, many reports of this problem being a widespread issue, to date, nothing has been done to remediate the problem for owners experiencing this issue. Many other Ecoboost engines have been recalled for issues relating to failure.

- Randolph, NJ, USA

I have a 2017 Lincoln MKZ; coolant is leaking into the engine block; have to replace the entire engine. Car has 82K miles on it. Bad thing is that my daughter's Ford Fusion (2017) had the same problem just two months. I had to replace the engine in her car. It is clear that Ford/Lincoln has this problem, Stories on the internet. Ford did issue a recall but just for the 1.5 Liter car; both of mine were 2.0 liter. These engines should be recalled - should not be happening. Daughters car just has 45K miles on it.

- Oklahoma City, OK, USA

The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the temperature gauge would indicate that the vehicle was hot(H). In addition, the vehicle would lose power upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where they replaced the engine under warranty. After the engine was replaced, the contact experienced an engine oil leak which was also repaired under warranty. Almost a year later, the check engine light appeared on the instrument panel; this time, the vehicle was taken to another dealer(Planet Ford Dallas-3333 Inwood Rd, Dallas, TX 75235). The contact was later informed by the dealer that coolant had leaked into the engine which resulted in engine failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.

- Glenn Heights, TX, USA

The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a coolant leak and engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

- Chicago, IL, USA

Internal engine failure causing coolant to leak into the cylinders. Have been advised that a new engine is necessary. Car warranty has expired due to age. Mileage is 53,042.

- Smyrna, TN, USA