There are 5 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2014 Lincoln MKXin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This automobile has a 3.7-liter engine manufactured by Ford Motor Company. We are the second owner of the vehicle. A dealer representative informed us the motor has an inherent defect while inspecting pinch weld failures. This engine, transversely mounted, was created whereby the chain driven water pump is located behind the front casing placing access on the passenger side of the vehicle. Water pumps have planned obsolescence and when these water pumps fail, the antifreeze drains into the engine crankcase mixing with the engine oil causing catastrophic failure of the engine within minutes of the water pump failure. This is a significant safety hazard causing the engine to seize and when at expressway driving could cause a serious accident due to the sudden loss of power and being stranded on the side of the road. There are approximately four (4) million vehicles manufactured by Ford and Mazda with the 3.5 and 3.7 liter transversely mounted engines. As the vehicles age, the water pump failure can occur between 120-150,000 miles rendering the vehicle incapacitated wherever the failure occurs. From my research, there is no prior warning of the failure. The cost to replace the pump is 2-3,000 USD and the engine is approximately 7,000 USD. Contacting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration would be our only recourse in a remedy for this defect. The 2014 Lincoln MKX FWD/AWD remains a beautiful and a functional vehicle, the type you would want to retain for many years beyond its initial service interval. We would therefore request the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigate this matter and mandate the manufacturer implement a cost effective retrofit to replace the water pump prior to failure or issue a full recall of the vehicles, compelling the manufacturer to provide a fair market value buy back to the current owners of the vehicles. We have factual data to support this claim and the severity of the encounter when the pump fails.
2014 LINCOLN MKX. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE MOVES WHEN GEAR SHIFTER IN PARK POSITION, POWER LIFT GATE SPORADICALLY OPENS/RISES, CARBON MONOXIDE ODORS INSIDE VEHICLE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED A LIGHT ILLUMINATED THAT INDICATED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT IN PARK, WHEN THE CONSUMER MOVED THE GEAR TO PARK. THE CONSUMER STATED HE SHOOK THE GEAR SHIFT A LITTLE AND THE LIGHT WENT OUT. A FEW DAYS LATER, BEFORE HE COULD RAISE THE HATCH, THE VEHICLE STARTED ROLLING BACKWARDS INTO THE STREET. THE CONSUMER MANAGED TO GET IN THE VEHICLE, AND ONCE AGAIN A LIGHT WAS ON, INDICATING THE VEHICLE WAS NOT IN PARK, DESPITE HIM PLACING THE VEHICLE IN PARK. ALSO, THE PASSENGER SIDE MIRROR WOULD SPORADICALLY GO ALL THE WAY UP WHILE DRIVING, WHICH MADE THE ENTIRE RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE A BLIND SPOT. AFTER A YEAR AND A HALF OF COMPLAINTS, THE DEALER INSPECTED THE MIRROR AND DETERMINED IT WAS DEFECTIVE AND REPLACED IT. THE REAR HATCH WOULD SPORADICALLY OPEN, AND RISE WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED OR BEING DRIVEN. THE CONSUMER STATED INTERMITTENTLY, A LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE ON THE VEHICLE, SAYING A KEY WAS NOT DETECTED EXHAUST FUMES ENTERED THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING AT TIMES. *JB *JS
ON MONDAY (LABOR DAY), I WAS DRIVING AND STARTED TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN WHEN THE CAR STALLED. I WAS BESIDE A GAS STATIONED SO I MANAGED TO PULL IN (VERY HARD TO STEER) AND I NOTICED THE LOW OIL PRESSURE ICON ON. I CAME TO A STOP AND PUSHED THE START BUTTON AND THE CAR STARTED AND DROVE WITHOUT ANY MORE PROBLEMS. MY HUSBAND CHECKED THE OIL WHEN I GOT HOME AND IT IS FULL. WHILE AT LONG LEWIS FORD IN HOOVER, THIS MORNING TO HAVE IT CHECKED WE HEARD A WOMAN DESCRIBE THE SAME SCENARIO WITH HER FORD. SHE STATED IT STALLED ABOUT 3 OR 4 TIMES ON HER WHILE DRIVING. I FEEL THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE AND SOUNDS SIMILAR TO THE ISSUE ONE OF THE OTHER AUTOMOBILE MODELS HAD CAUSING DEATH AND INJURY.
ENGINE DIED, MESSAGE ON SCREEN SAID [NO KEY DETECTED].I MANAGED TO PULL OVER TO SHOULDER AND STOP. CAR RESTARTED. TOOK CAR TO LINCOLN DEALER THE NEXT MORNING. THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND ANY REASON FOR THE PROBLEM. STILL VERY CONCERNED AND THAT IT MAY HAPPEN AGAIN. *TR
DRIVING AT 50 MPH, I LOST POWER STEERING, THEN REALIZED ENGINE SHUT OFF. WAS ABLE TO DRIFT OVER TO GET OFF ROAD AND STOP CAR. ENGINE WAS ABLE TO START AND RUN FINE AFTER THAT. I LOST ALL CONFIDENCE IN CAR, AND DEALER SWAPPED ME ANOTHER CAR. *TR
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