2012 Lincoln MKX

The 2012 model year sits at a relative low point in this Lincoln MKX generation’s federal record, with 84 complaints and 1 recall representing a continued decline from the 148 complaints and 3 recalls of 2011 and a dramatic drop from the 298 complaints and six to seven recalls logged in 2007-2008. Across the generation, the trend moves from high early volume—hundreds of complaints and six to seven recalls annually—toward fewer recalls and more moderate complaint counts by the early 2010s, with 2012 marking that low point alongside zero investigations. Although complaints rebounded to 163 in 2013, the 2012 figure sits below both its immediate predecessor and the following model year, suggesting it avoided the volatility seen at other points in the cycle; the data does not specify root causes for complaints categorized as Service Brakes (24), Electrical System (7), Service Brakes, Hydraulic (7), and Power Train (6). The 2012 record also includes only 2 crash-related complaints and zero fire complaints. Given its comparatively low 84 complaints, single recall, and absence of federal investigations, the 2012 MKX presents as one of the more stable years of its generation to buy.