AI Damage2006 Lincoln Zephyr: common problems
Owners of the 2006 Lincoln Zephyr filed 229 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and wheels. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 229
- involving a crash
- 9
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 62% of all complaints
- 2 Wheels 11% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 6% of all complaints
- 4 Structure 6% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 5% of all complaints
- 6 Powertrain 5% of all complaints
- 7 Engine 4% of all complaints
- 8 Vehicle speed control 4% of all complaints
- Air bags: 142 complaints (62% of all), 7 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Wheels: 26 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 13 complaints (6% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Structure: 13 complaints (6% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 11 complaints (5% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 6-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 229 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 142 | 7 | 0 |
| Wheels | 26 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 13 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 3 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
There were no reported fire or air bag deployments. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted.The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V158000 ( Air bags) after the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.
The frontal air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained minor injuries and received medical attention the following day. The insurance company declared the vehicle destroyed. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was towed to an independent tow yard.
When husband was driving the gas pedal stuck in the mat causing him to run off road causing damage to hood, fender, headlight, grill & left front wheel got damaged but since we only have liability it has forced us to drive it damaged. In motion, ran into woods
Upon impact, the air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained injuries to the chin, hands, and fingers and a passenger sustained minor knee and shoulder injuries. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was destroyed and was not diagnosed for the air bag failure.
I tool my car in for a recall, they said they could not fix the recall cux it was too rusted. They said the wouldn't even put it on a lift cuz of the rust, however it was just on a lift a week ago at an auto shop.
Dashboard on vehicle is warped defroster vent is out windshield does not defrost properly obstructs vision while driving
I was driving normal speeds, then the warning light came on, killing the power to the engine, put me in a precarious situation on a 45 50 mile an hr road. Since this known issue since 04, seems like ford should replace this.
The traction control light comes on all the time. When you take off the car is gutless no power. Until you hit traction control off. Sometimes does it after. Bit. Someone almost hit me pulling out from the gas station last night again, due to no power!
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 1,765 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 5% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Zephyr has 48 complaints (5 years in the data). This year has 229, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Wheels. Wheel runout, cracks, signs of a wheel strike.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Lincoln Zephyr?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, wheels, service brakes. Total complaints: 229. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (6%), airbag warning light (4%), rust, corrosion (3%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 Lincoln Zephyr?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2006 Lincoln Zephyr from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2006 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.