Ford Lincoln MKZ (2012) Air Bag Recall: Risk of Injury in Crashes
Ford is recalling 2012 Lincoln MKZ vehicles with defective passenger air bags that may not inflate properly during crashes, increasing injury risk. Owners must contact Ford for free replacement.
Use caution until it’s fixed
If the air bag does not inflate as intended, there is an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
What happened, in plain English
Ford is recalling 2012 Lincoln MKZ vehicles with a passenger air bag that may not inflate properly in crashes, raising injury risk. Owners should contact Ford for a free replacement. Read more at govinfonow.com/recall/1251905-ford-lincoln-mkz-2012-air-bag-recall-risk-of-injury.
Source Summary by GovInfoNow · govinfonow.com/recall/1251905-ford-lincoln-mkz-2012-air-bag-recall-risk-of-injury · Updated October 7, 2026 · Official notice: NHTSA #18V775000
Cite this page
“Ford Lincoln MKZ (2012) Air Bag Recall: Risk of Injury in Crashes.” GovInfoNow, updated October 7, 2026. https://govinfonow.com/recall/1251905-ford-lincoln-mkz-2012-air-bag-recall-risk-of-injury. Based on NHTSA recall #18V775000 (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=18V775000).
Why it’s dangerous
In a crash requiring passenger air bag deployment, the bracket holding the air bag inflator may deform, causing gas to leak out and reducing air bag effectiveness. This increases injury risk during collisions.
Who’s affected
Owners of 2012 Lincoln MKZ vehicles with the passenger air bag module that was previously replaced under earlier recalls are affected. Drivers and passengers in these vehicles are at risk during crashes.
How to tell if you have this one
Check if your 2012 Lincoln MKZ was previously replaced under recall 16V-384, 17V-024, or 18V-046 for the passenger air bag. The recall started November 21, 2018.
- Brand
Ford- Category
Vehicle
What to do — step by step
Contact Ford
Call Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 to schedule a free replacement of the passenger air bag module.
What NHTSA says to do
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag module, free of charge. The recall began November 21, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S34.
How this recall unfolded
Recall timeline
2 dated steps over 10 months.
- NHTSA received the defect report
- Recall began
Dates from the agency record only; steps without a date are left out.
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Where this comes from
The facts (hazard, remedy, dates, manufacturer) are pulled from the official NHTSA recall record. The plain-language summary and step-by-step checklist are written by GovInfoNow to make the official notice easier to act on — they don’t replace it.
- Official source: NHTSA Recall #18V775000 (January 11, 2018)
- Plain-language summary written by qwen3:4b on October 7, 2026, from the official record above. Not reviewed by a person — if it conflicts with the NHTSA notice, the notice is correct. Report an error on this page.
- GovInfoNow is an independent service and is not a government agency. We republish official NHTSA recall data; we don’t issue, amend or administer recalls.