NHTSA Complaint #11534950 — 2017 LINCOLN MKZ

In September 2022, I began noticing issues with my 2017 Lincoln MKZ. Despite notifying Lincoln and the dealer, they delayed inspection due to their policy that a check engine light was not a sufficient reason for an early inspection without an appointment. It was only inspected in November. I also was told both by the dealer and Lincoln corporate customer service that I couldn't take my car to other dealers to get it inspected. In November 2022, it was finally inspected, but they were unable to diagnose the issue. By July 2023, the issues escalated - my car was now diagnosed as requiring a new engine due to coolant leakage into the engine. I was shocked and horrified at this outcome, given that I had only driven the car for 25k miles since its purchase in 2020. Over a third of submitted complaints to nhtsa regarding this vehicle model are related to engine failure due to coolant leakage. TSB reports and existing class action lawsuits indicate that the issue is a known design flaw in the engine affecting both Lincoln MKZ and certain Ford Fusion models. Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 22-2134, indicates that the problem may present "with or without an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL)". A complete engine replacement is their proposed solution. Despite the urgent need for corrective action, Lincoln's response has been neither prompt nor transparent. They seem to be avoiding responsibility rather than addressing this critical defect, as evident in their decision to discontinue the MKZ and the Ford Fusion in 2020 a year after acknowledging these issues. This is a case of warranty and insurance fraud, not to mention a critical failure in maintaining public safety. I urge NHTSA to thoroughly investigate this defect affecting numerous vehicles and compel Lincoln to rectify it. For the past two weeks, I've requested multiple times my vehicle records from Lincoln but received none, leaving my car hostage in the shop. Please consider this plea for action.