Most common 2018 Lincoln MKX problems
Share of the 31 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Lincoln MKX complaints by model year
Best MKX years: 2015, 2014, 2009. Years to avoid: 2016, 2013. Compare all years →
2018 Lincoln MKX recalls (5)
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Lincoln MKX and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The rear brake jounce hose may rupture and leak brake fluid.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the brake jounce hoses and adjust brake jounce hoses with no damage present, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 17, 2026.
Service brakes
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Ford Edge and 2016-2018 Lincoln MKX vehicles. The front brake hoses may rupture prematurely.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front brake hoses with the new hoses that have a revised braid material, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 13, 2021.
Seats › Front assembly › Power adjust
Ford Motor Company, Inc. (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Lincoln MKX and 2019-2020 Nautilus vehicles equipped with 16-way electric tilt seats. The seat cushion frame edge may contact the wire harness when the seat occupant uses the tilt function of the seat, potentially damaging one or more wires within the harness, which…
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install protective flocking tape onto the exposed edge of the 16-way seat cushion frames, and inspect the wire harness for damage, and repair or replace it as needed, free of…
Latches/locks/linkages › Doors › Latch
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles. These vehicles may have door striker bolts that are shorter than intended. Vehicles with shorter door striker bolts fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 206, "Door Locks and Door…
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the door striker bolts, free of charge. The recall began October 18, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
Electrical system › Starter assembly
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Ford Edge, Lincoln MKX, 2019 Ford Flex, and Lincoln MKT vehicles. The power supply cables at the starter and the alternator may not have been properly secured, possibly resulting in an electrical arc.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the alternator and starter motor power supply cables to verify that they are properly secured, correcting them as necessary, free of charge.
What 2018 Lincoln MKX owners say
Brakes
Was advised by a law enforcement officer the high-mount stop lamp lens had detatched from the lamp housing. Apparently, the adhesive holding the plastic lens had deteriorated and allowed seperation of the components. The LED circuit board is now exposed to the elements. This without a doubt will cause the CHMSL to fail due to water and salt intrusion. Additionally, the non-diffused LED's are blinding drivers behind this vehicle at night. This failure occurred on the highway, and the lens nearly struck a car behind me.
The contact's husband owns a 2018 Lincoln MKX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V544000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Electrical system
My vehicle had an electrical recall; I took it in and it gotten worse. The vehicle is making noise, and saying 911 operator is unavailable. The turning signals turn on and off, if I turn one going left, it stays on a while, or I have to shut car off a while to get it to cooperate of it doesn't signal at all. The brake light is on, no airbag light on, has hill assist warning, park aid malfunction light when park aid works, powertrain malfunction light on, pressure monitor on, and I took it to the shop, the mechanic said he couldn't get the correct electrical info to change it. Service steering warning comes on and blinks. I was driving two separate occasions and the car put itself in park and it stop abruptly when I slowed down. I tried to download a new version and it will not update. …
July 25, 2018: upon starting car while stationary in a parking spot, dash light and info clusters did not light up. Upon further inspection, driving and brake lights did not work or light up. Turned off car, re-started. All lights worked, then drove to an appointment approximately 5 miles away in suburban traffic. July 28, 2018: while parking the car in motion near our hotel in fredericksburg, va (marriott courtyard downtown) all car lights went out. Finished parking car while lights remained out and then went to dinner. Upon returning to car 1 1/2 hour later, lights went on after starting car. August 7, 2018: when my wife was driving the car in a suburban area in motion, all lights went out. She immediately drove home and we called the dealer for service. On August 15, 2018 the car was completed and was ready to take home, which we did without incident. …
Engine & cooling
The contact owns a 2018 Lincoln MKX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where the vehicle was scanned, and a fault code for the catalytic converter was retrieved. The local dealer was contacted and referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to an unknown NHTSA Campaign; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
Faulty catalytic converters. Ford has a CSP for the 2018 Lincoln mkx 3.7L engine and only included police driven Mkx's which is totally unfair when they're well aware that Faulty/failing emissions catalytic converters were installed on all of them and they fail and produce p0430 codes regardless of driving habits, I've never driven any of my vehicles harshly and maintain my vehicles, yet since I've owned this 2018 mkx since September of 2024, the rear catalytic converter had to be replaced and now the front catalytic converter is giving the same p0430 permanent code. Its bias of Ford to only extend police vehicles coverage and not regular consumers knowing that this emissions part is faulty because catalytic converters don't normally fail prematurely unless the parts are faulty. …
2018 Lincoln MKX engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.7L 6-cyl turbo | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 25 / 20 |
| 3.7L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 25 / 20 |
| 2.7L 6-cyl turbo | 6-speed automatic | AWD | 17 / 24 / 19 |
| 3.7L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | AWD | 16 / 23 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Small SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2018 Lincoln MKX a good car?
Based on 31 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2018 MKX rates better than average: 43% fewer complaints than a typical year of the MKX at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2018 Lincoln MKX?
The brakes — 8 complaints, 26% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the electrical system (5) and engine & cooling (5).
How many recalls does the 2018 Lincoln MKX have?
There are 5 recalls for the 2018 Lincoln MKX, the most recent from August 22, 2025 (hoses, lines/piping, and fittings). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Lincoln MKX?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2015, 2014 and 2009. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2016 and 2013. See the full Lincoln MKX years comparison.
At what mileage do 2018 Lincoln MKX problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 20,000 miles; 88% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.