Lincoln
Lincoln MKC years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2017.
The 2017 Lincoln MKC draws the most owner complaints for its age: 191, or 19 for each year on the road, against a median of 11 a year across the 5 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2017 is overheating (85 reports).
- 441complaints
- 13recall campaigns
- 3model years with a page
Newest report Sep 29, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2017
Most reported: overheating (85 reports, median 70,000 miles) and misfire (80 reports, median 70,000 miles).
Best years
- No year since 2016 is clearly better than the rest.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2017 has the most complaints of any Lincoln MKC year here: 191 of 441 (43%).
- Problem across the years
- The top problem moves around from year to year. Overheating leads in 2 of the 3 model years and has the most reports overall, 139. Pooled across the years, half of the 63 owners who gave a mileage for overheating were under about 64,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 5% of Lincoln MKC complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2015, 8 of its 129 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- Every model year where owners report overheating also has a recall on the same system. A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2023 at 102 (full calendar years only). In 2025 there were 95. So far in 2026, 90 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: HJUdall, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2016 (80), 2018 (74).
Year by year
2019 Lincoln MKC
121 owner complaints, 15 for each year on the road (1.4 times the model median). Most reported: overheating (54 reports, median 62,000 miles), misfire (41 reports, median 62,000 miles) and engine failure (31 reports, median 62,000 miles). 1 report involved a crash. 3 recalls, including 25V-685 on the equipment and 23V-378 on the engine.
2017 Lincoln MKC avoid
191 owner complaints, 19 for each year on the road (1.8 times the model median). Most reported: overheating (85 reports, median 70,000 miles), misfire (80 reports, median 70,000 miles) and engine failure (51 reports, median 71,000 miles). 7 reports involved a crash and 2 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 25V-685 on the equipment and 23V-378 on the engine.
2015 Lincoln MKC
129 owner complaints, 11 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (17 reports, median 49,400 miles), infotainment (16 reports) and misfire (12 reports). 7 reports involved a crash and 2 people were hurt. 12 recalls, including 26V-011 on the equipment and 23V-378 on the engine.
Recalls that cover several model years
The rearview camera may display a distorted, inverted, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.
The battery monitor sensor may short-circuit and overheat, causing a fire in the engine compartment while parked or driving.
The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
Questions
What Lincoln MKC years should you avoid?
The 2017 Lincoln MKC draws the most owner complaints for its age: 191, or 19 for each year on the road, against a median of 11 a year across the 5 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2017 is overheating (85 reports).
What are the best years for the Lincoln MKC?
No Lincoln MKC model year since 2016 draws clearly fewer complaints for its age than the rest. Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Lincoln MKC?
Overheating, with 139 reports across the 3 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2017 and 2019.
How many recalls does the Lincoln MKC have?
13 recall campaigns cover the Lincoln MKC model years 2015 to 2019 on this site. The widest, 23V-378 on the engine, covers 3 model years.
How many Lincoln MKC complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
5% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2015 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for overheating on the Lincoln MKC?
Yes, on every model year where owners report it.