2018 Lincoln MKX Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other MKX years
- Far fewer complaints than other years 11th of 14 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 31 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Lincoln MKX. That ranks 11th out of 14 MKX model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is unknown or other (8 complaints, 26%). Complaints mention 2 crashes, 1 injury. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year.
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- 31owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 2complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2018 Lincoln MKX problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown or Other | 8 | 26% | — | — | — |
| Electrical System | 5 | 16% | 3,900 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 13% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 13% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 3 | 10% | 7,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 10% | 800 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 2 | 6% | 16,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 6% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 2 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 6% | 19,827 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 3% | 7,000 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 3% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 1 | 3% | 43,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 3% | 14,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2018 Lincoln MKX recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Problem: 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.
Risk: A brake fluid leak can extend the distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S87.
Service brakes; service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Ford Edge and 2016-2018 Lincoln MKX vehicles. The front brake hoses may rupture prematurely.
Risk: A ruptured front brake hose will cause a brake fluid leak, lengthening the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S42.
Seats:front assembly:power adjust; air bags; electrical system:wiring:interior/under dash
Problem: 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 can result in either inadvertent deployment of the air bag or nondeployment of the air bag in the event of a crash.
Risk: An air bag that deploys inadvertently increases the risk of a crash. An air bag that does not deploy in the event of a crash increases the risk of injury.
Fix: 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 charge. This recall began August 12, 2020. Owners may contact Ford/Lincoln customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S37.
Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
Problem: 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 Retention Components" potentially resulting in the doors opening in the event of a crash.
Risk: If the doors open in the event of a crash, there is an increased risk of injury.
Fix: 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. Ford's number for this recall is 18C06.
Electrical system:starter assembly; electrical system:alternator/generator/regulator
Problem: 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.
Risk: An electrical arc can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: 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. The recall began September 26, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S25.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
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…
I have experienced this issue and it's been 9 months since the first issuance from Ford on this recall. I paid $523 to repair and this is insane since mechanic told me its an OME part so still going to possibly have same issue till recall is handled.
The contact owns a 2018 Lincoln MKX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: Â 25V544000(SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) However, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair…
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…
My vehicle has had emissions vehicle since before I owned it up to now. The catalytic converter has been replaced 4 times which is unheard of. Its presently giving the same codes/issues. The last catalytic converter replacement was November of 2024. It has to be a computer programming issue as my…
Other Lincoln MKX years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 MKX | 0 | 1 |
| 2019 MKX | 0 | 1 |
| 2018 | 31 | 5 |
| 2017 MKX | 52 | 5 |
| 2016 MKX | 156 | 7 |
| 2015 MKX | 19 | 0 |
| 2014 MKX | 35 | 1 |
| 2013 MKX | 163 | 1 |
| 2012 MKX | 84 | 1 |
| 2011 MKX | 149 | 3 |
| 2010 MKX | 111 | 6 |
| 2009 MKX | 66 | 6 |
| 2008 MKX | 253 | 6 |
| 2007 MKX | 298 | 5 |
See all Lincoln MKX problems by year, every Lincoln model, or the Lincoln VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Lincoln MKX?
Owners most often report unknown or other, electrical system, service brakes problems. The top one, unknown or other, accounts for 8 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2018 Lincoln MKX?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2018 Lincoln MKX a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other MKX model years, the 2018 has far fewer complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.