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2017 MKZ Quality of Comfort


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Hello All!

 

I'm relatively new to the forum, but had hoped to get some feedback on an issue I've been experiencing with my new 2017 Lincoln Hybrid Reserve.

As mentioned I've recently purchased my MKZ new with only 20 miles, only find the vehicle to have an annoying vibration while driving at both low as well as at highways speeds.

I've tried researching various sites incl. Google to determine if this issue was considered inherent to the MKZ, or if others had experienced similar concerns and have found a possible fix.

Although wheel balancing was suggested, I hadn't found anything definite on the forums which would indicate this being the root of the issue as presented and a verified fix to those in concern.

Moderate vibration within the seating area as well as at the steering wheel has been common these last few hundred miles with it being more prevalent at speeds around 65 -75 mph.

 

What I have discovered however is that my cars left rear and front right wheels have quite a bit of balance weights attached to them. eg. The front rght wheel has (12) weights, and the left rear has (16) sixteen weights in comparison to the other two wheels which have only about 4 or 5 on each wheel.

 

I know Michelin low profile tires have been chosen as the tire of choice on the MKZ models, as I generally have considered Michelin a quality tire, but I'm not so sure why a tire would require 16 balance weights to offset any manufacturing irregularity in the tire itself, heck even (12) sounds like a lot IMHO.

 

In any regard I certainly would appreciate any of your thoughts and input, as my next steps where to contact the dealer and voice my concerns as I pursue this unfortunate experience associated with my

$40,000 plus 2017 Ford/Lincoln MKZ.  : )

 

Regards,

Alex

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Take to the dealer, you are not going to solve that issue here...

 

I have over 40K on mine including a 2nd set of tires, no vibration issue at all running at ~70 mph

Exactly. You have a brand-new Lincoln with a warranty. Let your dealer fix it.

 

I've had mine over 90mph. Smooth as glass. No sensation of speed.

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Thank you gentleman,

 

Yes, scheduling to return the vehicle for service was my intention as mentioned in my post.

 

Having said that, it's comforting to learn the issue I've described is not inherent to the vehicle by and large, judging by the two responses received since posting, I suspect this very well may be an isolated issue. While not intentionally trying to throw salt onto an open wound, a recent test drive of a similarly equipped mkZ at another dealership has resulted in that vehicle having similar vibration issues. 

A coincidence, possibly.

In any regard thanks for your thoughts on your personal experiences. Hopefully the dealer will set it right, stay tuned!  : )

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Did you drive the other MKZ on the same type of road surface? Certain surfaces can cause vibrations.

 

Let us know what your dealer finds.

Yes, absolutely. I always try to compare apples to apples. : )

 

On a further note, I took the car into the dealer today, and while they claim three of the four tires were in fact out of balance to some degree or another, I have not noticed any considerable difference in ride after re-balancing work was performed. While the vibration in the steering wheel has diminished some, the vibration in the seat, console, and gas pedal remains, particularly noticeable when cruising at and around 65-75mph.

All very disturbing!

I'm now considering a second opinion elsewhere at this point. I refuse to accept this sort of ride quality, or explanation by the tech and service manager that low profile tires and various road surface conditions are a contributing factor. Maybe so, but not to such a degree and on all types of roadway, even paved road surfaces. My other vehicles have not been affected while driving on these very same roadways were my thoughts.

Edited by easyrider
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Just a thought, any chance of it being the lane keeping system sending a warning?

 

Thanks again for your research and input, as I have done the same to some degree. I actually don't have the technology package/ lane keeping functionality associated with that option. : )

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I am interested in the outcome of this.  Prior to purchasing my Continental, I test drove a couple of MKZs and neither exhibited the vibration you are speaking of.  However, I currently have a 2017 MKZ loaner from my dealer while my Continental is getting some warranty work.  The Z that I have has a significant vibration at freeway speeds.   The vibration is there whether in Comfort, Normal or Sport modes.   The one I have is a 2.0 FWD model.   

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Thank you for your input brucelinc.

This input you've offered is most interesting, as the vibration I'm noticing may not be something common to each and every MKZ, but simply more noticeable to some than others.  I appreciate your candor.

My next step is to take the car next week to a tech I know over at the Lexus dealership who has corrected a similar issue I had been experiencing on my Mazda CX-5 several months back.

I'm simply wanting to determine if the road force numbers match that of what Lincoln has recently provided to me.

Honestly, I don't recall this sort of vibration on my first test drive of a 2017 (MKZ 3.0 TT) a few months back when first began to consider an MKZ.

It is my intention to update my findings to this forum if for no other reason than transparency. I feel anyone considering  this sort of purchase be well informed to any such positive or negative experiences, as this was the type of info. I had been looking for when originally posting and asking for feedback. I do realize this concern can not be resolved here on the forum however, and that it is my responsibility to address my concerns head on.

It appears in my case I've assumed too much with the Lincoln MKZ, falling for appearance, and technology aspects of the vehicle, rather than my personal comfort and ride quality preferences.

Hopefully there is some light at the end of this tunnel.  : )

 

Thanks to all who have responded, your input has been much appreciated. 

Edited by easyrider
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I've had my at 133mph and it was still smooth as can be. Hopefully your dealer will get it figured out. 

Interesting!  My dealer states it's due to the road surfaces down here in Florida where many of the roadways are made with ground shell, that and that the low profile 19" tires are thought to be contributing factors. Further, I've also been informed that it meets or exceeds Lincoln specifications.    : )

Btw, I've got the Hybrid, and may need to hoist a sail to get up to 133mph.  lol

Edited by easyrider
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Interesting!  My dealer states it's due to the road surfaces down here in Florida where many of the roadways are made with ground shell, that and that the low profile 19" tires are thought to be contributing factors. Further, I've also been informed that it meets or exceeds Lincoln specifications.    : )

Btw, I've got the Hybrid, and may need to hoist a sail to get up to 133mph.  lol

 

I have only experienced this one time - with the loaner last week.  I drove it over the exact same roads where I have driven other MKZs as well as many other vehicles.  The loaner I had suffered from significantly more vibration than the others.  I suspect a tire defect although I was unable to pinpoint whether it was front or back.  The steering wheel had vibration but so did the seats.   No way would it meet Lincoln's or anyone else's specifications!  

 

You really should drive another Z over the same roads so you can compare them.   That is the only way you will really know if yours has an issue.  

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I had thought of trying another vehicle over the same highways even before I had taken my car back to the Lincoln dealer.

However, I was unable to locate the same model Hybrid with the same type of wheels. (stock reserve 19", 20 spoked) at any of the dealers near to me.  I then traveled 60 miles to a dealer who did have the very same model and equipment.

I obviously was not able to duplicate the very same road surface used with my car, but simply the interstate roadway 60 miles south of my location. Results, were even more disturbing as I found that vehicle to be no better, and may have even been a bit worst.

 

As mentioned in my previous posting, it is my intention to take the car to a Lexus dealer who I've had success with in the past and where I know the tech who will be performing the work. I'm actually curious to determine if in fact all the wheels are properly balanced and within specs.

 

This particular vehicle was built toward the end of April of 2017, maybe the Mexican plant workers thought it was being purchased by el Presidente de USA.  ;)

Edited by easyrider
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Hello all,

 

To summarize my findings as it relates to my original post, and recent visit to a local Lexus dealer to verify and further address these concerns, I was informed that (3 of the 4) wheels where found out of balance, and that (1) one of the wheels had required substantial amount of balance weight (3.65 oz.) to offset the balance of that particular wheel.

Three of the wheels required indexing, meaning the tires where broken down and actually rotated on the aluminum wheel to achieve maximum results when road force balancing was performed, this to essentially obtain the best possible balancing specs. one can get.

I'm happy to report, the results have definitely improved the overall ride quality, eliminating the vibration felt in the seating area while minimizing vibration in the steering wheel substantially. I have been further advised by the tech there at Lexus that large wheels and low profile tire do produce increased road force characteristics in themselves, and are not necessarily as comfortable or vibration free as that of a more traditional style tire, for what that is worth.

My understanding is that the low profile tire is more geared to performance and handling over comfort, as many of you may be aware, as I suspect there will be trade offs in that regard.

Although it's not very likely Lincoln will reimburse me for my out of pocket expenses, I certainly intend to give it a go. : )

 

As far as my overall satisfaction of the Lincoln dealership involved, I feel they have let me down by one informing me they had set the car right, and two by further wanting me to believe nothing else could have been done to help resolve the issue. Further, that my concerns could not be duplicated.  The issue as far as they were concerned was ultimately attributed to road surface conditions compounded by style of tire used on the Lincoln MKZ  a (low profile) type.

The end result has in fact proved otherwise, and I feel while any additional out of pocket expense incurred were probably unnecessary if the folks at Lincoln had done the work properly in the first place, these were monies well spent.

 

Once again, thank you all for your input, and suggestions.

Alex

Edited by easyrider
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Thanks for the follow-up and I am glad you got it to an acceptable level.

 

Lower profile tires are used on most cars today, including luxury models. While inherently a bit firmer than the older style tires, there should never be vibration. Large wheels equipped with pressure sensors may be more difficult to balance. Road force balancing and indexing the tires to the wheels is almost a necessity it seems.

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Although it's not very likely Lincoln will reimburse me for my out of pocket expenses, I certainly intend to give it a go. : )

 

As far as my overall satisfaction of the Lincoln dealership involved, I feel they have let me down by one informing me they had set the car right, and two by further wanting me to believe nothing else could have been done to help resolve the issue. Further, that my concerns could not be duplicated. The issue as far as they were concerned was ultimately attributed to road surface conditions compounded by style of tire used on the Lincoln MKZ a (low profile) type.

The end result has in fact proved otherwise, and I feel while any additional out of pocket expense incurred were probably unnecessary if the folks at Lincoln had done the work properly in the first place, these were monies well spent.

 

Once again, thank you all for your input, and suggestions.

Alex

Be sure to contact Lincoln directly, even just by giving thier Concierge your issues. I have had great help in making things fair as a customer after explaining things clearly and directly.

 

Lincoln wants to keep you for sure, and informing them how Lexus had to step in to correct something that your Lincoln service department could not, will get thier attention.

 

Look at dealerships and service departments as franchises. One may be terrible, but another may be phenomenal. Especially if they're Black Label certified. But even non-Black Label Lincoln owners are expected to be completely and fairly satisfied.

 

So do make it aware to them about your wheel issues.

Edited by Zalvern
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Thanks for the follow-up and I am glad you got it to an acceptable level.

 

Lower profile tires are used on most cars today, including luxury models. While inherently a bit firmer than the older style tires, there should never be vibration. Large wheels equipped with pressure sensors may be more difficult to balance. Road force balancing and indexing the tires to the wheels is almost a necessity it seems.

 I couldn't agree more,  although possibly a bit more time consuming, definitely a more precise method of balancing.

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Zalvern makes a great point. There is no good reason as to why this dealership could not rectify such an elementary issue as wheel assembly run-out. The amount of weight applied to your rims was not only abnormal, but incompetent. Any trained tech should have been able to fix this issue. Compound that with an obviously uninterested/uninformed management who allowed that kind of work, accepted that explaination with no further investigation, and then relayed that information to the customer and you have a problem. Lincoln should be informed.

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Be sure to contact Lincoln directly, even just by giving thier Concierge your issues. I have had great help in making things fair as a customer after explaining things clearly and directly.

 

Lincoln wants to keep you for sure, and informing them how Lexus had to step in to correct something that your Lincoln service department could not, will get thier attention.

 

Look at dealerships and service departments as franchises. One may be terrible, but another may be phenomenal. Especially if they're Black Label certified. But even non-Black Label Lincoln okwners are expected to be fairly satisfied.

 

So do make it aware to them about your wheel issues.

 

Absolutely, in fact that has already been done. Although the young lady I spoke with yesterday seemed to feel I should have gone to another Lincoln, or Ford dealer to obtain a second opinion, after a lengthy discussion explaining the situation and reasoning  for not, she at least agreed to have me send in the work order and payment receipt I had from Lexus. So maybe there is a chance of getting reimbursed. Only time will tell.  : )  I'm simply ecstatic my Z is driving much better now.

Edited by easyrider
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