There are 50 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2017 Lincoln MKCin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
Issue Description: The vehicle developed a check engine light and was diagnosed with a P0302 cylinder #2 misfire. The condition persisted after basic troubleshooting, and the vehicle was taken out of service to prevent further damage. The vehicle was subsequently brought to an authorized Lincoln dealership for diagnostic evaluation. The dealership confirmed that the vehicle requires a full engine replacement due to internal engine failure. The estimated cost of repair is approximately $9,500–$10,000. This failure occurred at approximately 64,000 miles, which is significantly earlier than expected for a major engine failure. Safety Concern: The engine misfire and internal failure can lead to loss of power while driving, creating a potential safety hazard, particularly at highway speeds or during acceleration. Additional Information: Manufacturer technical service bulletins describe coolant intrusion issues in 2.0L EcoBoost engines that can lead to misfires and engine damage. The symptoms experienced in this vehicle are consistent with those described conditions. The manufacturer was contacted for assistance but declined to provide support. Summary: Premature engine failure at low mileage requiring full engine replacement, with symptoms consistent with documented issues affecting this engine type. This condition presents a potential safety concern due to possible loss of power while driving.
Related to previous recall [XXX] I had the recall repair done. But my car with only 86,744 miles now has coolant in cylinder 3 and it's misfiring so badly the car shouldn't/can't be driven. Dealership says the entire engine needs to be replaced. I have NEVER had a car this low of mileage that an entire engine needed replacement. This is a design flaw in the 2.0 ecoboost and I now have a probably 20,000 or whatever it may have been worth when it ran... Paperweight. It's just sputtering and spitting out loads of smoke as described in original TSB. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle sputtered with a misfire coming from the engine, with the check engine warning light flashing on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion in cylinder #3, which caused the 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 approximate failure mileage was 111,000.
The 2017 Lincoln MKC requires a full engine replacement due to a serious, well-documented defect: coolant intrusion. This is a major issue that can destroy critical engine components, including the head gasket, cylinders, and even the engine block. Ford/Lincoln is aware of this problem. They issued multiple TSBs (22-2133 and 22-2229, to name a few), yet customers are not informed. Because there is no recall, if the car is out of warranty, dealers refuse to perform the necessary repairs unless the customer pays tens of thousands of dollars for something that is a known manufacturing defect, leaving them vulnerable to catastrophic engine failure and potential accidents, injuries or worse. This is a known manufacturing defect, and consumers should not bear responsibility for the resulting safety hazards. Ford/Lincoln must take immediate action and issue a recall before it leads to serious injuries or fatalities.
Engine failure due to known coolant intrusion defect documented under Ford EcoBoost TSB guidance. Denied goodwill assistance despite defect being manufacturing-related.
Head gasket leaked coolant into the engine and now the engine is not working and needs replaced.
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated on the instrument panel, followed by a coolant temperature message. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with a hairline crack in the engine. The hairline fracture led to coolant intrusion inside cylinder #2, and the vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. Upon investigation, the contact discovered Technical Service Bulletins 19-2346 and 22-22229, which the contact linked to the failure. The contact called another dealer about the failure and was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle related to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 98,690.
My Lincoln MKC 2017 is having a recurring problem with a misfire in the 3rd cylinder due to a hood gasket, a crack in the coolant, and leaking on the sparks and coils. I have had my mechanic work on and look at it, and it is a manufacturing defect. When I called, there was no recall listed for my vehicle except the backup camera. However, when you look at Kelly Blue Book, it says there is more than one engine recall and issue, which is exactly what is happening to my Lincoln. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
COOLANT LEAKING INTO ENGINE, CAUSING MISFIRES AND ENGINE SERVICE LIGHT ON
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a transmission specialty shop and was diagnosed with torque converter failure, which caused transmission failure. The torque converter was replaced. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, days after the vehicle was repaired, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled into a gas station and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine, which caused the cylinder head to crack, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.
The Engine light periodically came on. The coolant was low, but no evidence of a leak. We took the car into be evaluated and to was identified as error code P0304 for cylinder #4. The only way to repair is a new engine. The car has 71000 miles on it. During our research it was identified that this is a known issue to Ford, but this has not been acknowledged as a defect/recall. It was recommended to immediately repair as the engine can stop or the car can lose power /control while driving. The car is no longer under warranty. There are tons of reports of this issue, and 130 reported on this site. This is a danger to those driving or if something would happen on a highway, this could cause an accident at high speeds to the other cars trying to avoid a stopped car. Dealers recommend calling to complain to Ford to attempt to get resolution. And there is a class action lawsuit.
Coolant Intrusion into the cylinder causing overheating. New engine block required. Car has been regularly maintained. Failure occured with no warning.
I own a 2017 Lincoln MKC 2.0L EcoBoost that suffered a complete engine failure caused by coolant intrusion into the combustion chambers. The vehicle began to misfire, emit thick white smoke, lose power, and quickly became almost undriveable. Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 19-2346 (June 2019), which describes coolant entering cylinders due to a flaw in the cylinder head/block design. This failure is not the result of neglect or normal wear and tear — my vehicle has been maintained according to manufacturer recommendations. Despite this, the engine requires complete replacement at a cost of approximately $9,500. The failure occurred well before what should be the normal service life of an engine, and it matches the same defect pattern reported by many other Lincoln and Ford owners with the 2.0L EcoBoost engine in multiple model years. The coolant intrusion defect creates a serious safety hazard because it can cause sudden, unpredictable loss of engine power while driving. If the defect manifests at highway speeds, the driver may experience immediate power loss, inability to accelerate, or complete engine shutdown — increasing the risk of a collision. Ford/Lincoln have issued internal bulletins to dealers acknowledging this problem but have not initiated a public recall. Many owners have been denied coverage due to warranty expiration, despite this being a manufacturing defect. The result is that numerous vehicles with a dangerous and well-documented engine flaw remain in circulation without corrective action. I believe this defect warrants investigation as it poses both a safety risk to drivers and passengers, and a broader consumer protection concern. Premature catastrophic engine failures on relatively low-mileage vehicles undermine public trust and place owners in severe financial hardship. An NHTSA investigation could compel Ford/Lincoln to issue a recall to address this hazard before more vehicles experience unsafe sudden failure
I was told by my Lincoln dealer that I need to replace the engine on my 2017 MKC. This is due to coolant intrusion issue that seems to be a very common problem with this model. I'm really disappointed, it's a very costly repair ($10,000 +) I only had 85,000 on the car. I was driving on a highway and the car completely shut down. They said the only repair is an engine replacement and are not willing to assist in the costs. The check engine light came on when the engine seized.
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
My 2017 Lincoln MKC has engine coolant leaking in to the #4 cylinder. On start-up the engine runs rough, and the check engine light is on. LINCOLN/FORD has a Technical Service Bulletin #22-2229 covering this issue. I believe this is a common problem involving a large number of these engines. LICOLN/FORD will not pay for any replacement costs. I have spent $1414.08 in an attempt to repair this problem. I believe this also causes my car not to be able to pass the Ohio E-Check.
I purchased a 2017 Lincoln MKC approximately 90 days ago and recently encountered a check engine light notification with the diagnostic code P303, indicating a misfire in cylinder three. After replacing the fuel injector on that cylinder and completing a tune-up, which included the replacement of all spark plugs and ignition coils, I consulted a new mechanic. They informed me of a potential issue related to engine block intrusion, which reportedly affected other 2.0 L engines from Ford Motor Company within the 2015-2019 model years. As a result, I have been advised to consider replacing the entire engine. Given that I acquired the vehicle as a used model with only 43,000 miles and is now out of warranty, I am facing an out-of-pocket expense of nearly $8,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle was shuddering. The contact stated while driving approximately 30-35 MPH, the message "Engine Overheating" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that the coolant reservoir was empty. The mechanic added coolant to the vehicle and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion in the engine block. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,800.
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who diagnosed that the #2 and #3 spark plugs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, two days after the repair, the check engine warning light illuminated again, and the engine started to overheat. The contact checked to coolant level and discovered there was no coolant in the coolant reservoir. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic and was inspected, and it was determined that the failure was best diagnosed by the dealer. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle needed additional diagnosis for coolant intrusion to determine if the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
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Showing 1–20 of 50 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026