2015 Lincoln Mkx Safety Report

The 2015 Lincoln MKX presents a mixed safety picture based on the available NHTSA data. While it achieved a respectable 4-star overall safety rating from NHTSA, with excellent 5-star side crash performance and 4-star rollover resistance, its frontal crash rating was only 3 stars, indicating average protection in head-on collisions. The vehicle has a relatively low number of total complaints (19) for its age, with only 1 reported crash and no reported fires, injuries, or deaths, which is a positive sign. However, the nature of some complaints, particularly those related to sudden loss of power and transmission issues, raises concerns about potential critical failures. Common complaint patterns reveal issues primarily centered around the 'UNKNOWN OR OTHER' category (5 complaints), followed by 'ELECTRICAL SYSTEM' (3 complaints) and 'VISIBILITY/WIPER' (2 complaints). A significant number of complaints, though not categorized under a single top component, describe critical power train and engine issues, such as sudden loss of power while driving at highway speeds, stalling, and the vehicle changing modes unexpectedly, causing sudden deceleration. These are severe safety concerns that could lead to dangerous situations. Despite these critical complaints, there are no official recalls issued for the 2015 Lincoln MKX, which is unusual given the nature of some reported problems, especially those concerning power loss and transmission warnings like 'TRANSMISSION NOT IN PARK' when it clearly is. Some owners noted that other 2015 Lincoln MKX vehicles were included in recalls for similar issues (e.g., rear camera), but their specific VIN was not. The crash test performance, while good overall, is tempered by the 3-star frontal rating, suggesting room for improvement in that specific impact scenario. The lack of recalls for potentially life-threatening power train issues is a notable gap in the safety record.

Our recommendation: Given the concerning reports of sudden power loss and transmission issues despite good overall crash ratings and no recalls, a pre-purchase inspection by a trusted mechanic is highly recommended, focusing on the power train and electrical systems.