What are the most common problems with the 2018 Lincoln MKX?

Brakes and unclear reports lead with 8 complaints each. Electrical and engine follow with 5 each.

Does the 2018 Lincoln MKX have recalls?

Yes. The by-year record lists 5 recalls. See the Recalls section on this page for the details.

How many complaints are filed for the 2018 Lincoln MKX?

NHTSA has 31 owner complaints on file. They are unverified reports from owners.

Is the 2018 Lincoln MKX reliable?

The complaint record is modest at 31 reports. Brakes, electrical and engine groups show up most. Read the problems section and check the recalls.

What is the gas mileage of the 2018 Lincoln MKX?

See the fuel economy section on this page for the EPA figures.

2018 Lincoln MKX Problems, Recalls and MPG

NHTSA has 31 owner complaints on file for the 2018 Lincoln MKX^[1]. The by-year record also lists 5 recalls for this model year^[2].

31owner complaints^[1]

5recalls^[2]

19–20MPG combined (EPA)^[3]

5★NHTSA overall rating^[4]

Problems
Recalls
Fuel economy
Safety
Engine and size
By year
Verdict
FAQ

Most reported problems

Owners filed complaints across several parts of the car, and these groups come up most.

Unknown or other. 8 complaints name this group^[5]. These reports do not point to one clear part.
Brakes. 8 complaints^[6]. In the stories we read, owners describe waiting for a repair part after a recall notice. Others describe a rear stop lamp lens that came loose from its housing.
Electrical system. 5 complaints^[7]. Owners describe lights and dash displays that fail to come on, a flaky rear camera, and turn signals that act up. One story describes the car stalling at a stop and then moving the wrong way.
Engine. 5 complaints^[8]. Owners describe repeated check engine lights tied to emissions parts, with repairs that did not seem to hold.
Exterior lighting. 3 complaints^[9]. Owners describe brake lights and turn signals that work only some of the time.
Wheels, air bags and steering. 2 complaints each^[10]^[11]^[12]. One of the air bag complaints mentions a crash^[11].

Recalls

Newest first. Each recall covers only certain vehicles, so not every 2018 MKX is necessarily included.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings (25V544), August 2025. About 499,129 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash, reduced braking. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[13]
Service Brakes (20V469), August 2020. About 488,594 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash, reduced braking. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[14]
Seats › Front Assembly › Power Adjust (20V414), July 2020. About 19,299 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash, injury, an air bag that may not work as intended. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[15]
Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch (18V612), September 2018. About 503 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash, injury. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[16]
Electrical System › Starter Assembly (18V548), August 2018. About 87 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: fire. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[17]

Fuel economy

EPA ratings depend on the engine and drive. Annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not prices when the car was new.

Version	City / highway / combined MPG	Annual fuel cost
MKX FWD, 2.7L 6-cyl turbo, Automatic (S6), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[3]	18 / 25 / 20	$3,350
MKX FWD, 3.7L 6-cyl, Automatic (S6), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[18]	17 / 25 / 20	$3,350
MKX AWD, 2.7L 6-cyl turbo, Automatic (S6), Regular, All-Wheel Drive^[19]	17 / 24 / 19	$3,550
MKX AWD, 3.7L 6-cyl, Automatic (S6), Regular, All-Wheel Drive^[20]	16 / 23 / 19	$3,550

Safety ratings

Version	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
SUV AWD^[4]	5	5	5	4	15.5%
SUV FWD^[21]	5	5	5	4	15.4%

Engine and size

Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles.

Engine	Horsepower
2018 Lincoln MKX with 2.7L 6-cylinder^[22]	325 hp
2018 Lincoln MKX with 3.7L 6-cylinder^[23]	303 hp

These are Canadian-market specifications from Transport Canada, so US models can differ slightly.

Version	Length	Width	Height	Wheelbase	Curb weight
MKX 4DR SUV^[24]	190 in	76 in	66 in	112 in	4,387 lb

How 2018 compares with other years

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for each MKX model year. The 2018 is highlighted^[2].

Show the numbers

Model year	Complaints	Recalls
2007	298	5
2008	253	6
2009	66	6
2010	111	6
2011	149	3
2012	84	1
2013	163	1
2014	35	1
2015	19	0
2016	156	7
2017	52	5
2018	31	5

NHTSA's counts for the MKX show 31 complaints and 5 recalls for 2018^[2]. Among the 12 model years listed, 1 have fewer complaints than 2018 and 10 have more^[2]. The fewest complaints are for 2015 (19) and the most are for 2007 (298)^[2]. These counts are not adjusted for sales, so treat them as a rough guide. The chart above shows every year.

Should you buy a used 2018 MKX?

The record for this model year is fairly small, with 31 complaints in total^[1]. Brakes and unclear reports lead the list, with electrical and engine issues next^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8]. Two complaints mention a crash and none mention a fire^[1]. Check the recall section on this page, since recalls exist for this year^[2]. These are unverified owner reports, so treat them as a guide for what to ask about on a test drive.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2018 Lincoln MKX?: Brakes and unclear reports lead with 8 complaints each^[5]^[6]. Electrical and engine follow with 5 each^[7]^[8].
Does the 2018 Lincoln MKX have recalls?: Yes. The by-year record lists 5 recalls^[2]. See the Recalls section on this page for the details.
How many complaints are filed for the 2018 Lincoln MKX?: NHTSA has 31 owner complaints on file^[1]. They are unverified reports from owners.
Is the 2018 Lincoln MKX reliable?: The complaint record is modest at 31 reports^[1]. Brakes, electrical and engine groups show up most^[6]^[7]^[8]. Read the problems section and check the recalls.
What is the gas mileage of the 2018 Lincoln MKX?: See the fuel economy section on this page for the EPA figures.

Keep exploring

Other model years of the Lincoln MKX

2007 298 complaints, 5 recalls
2008 253 complaints, 6 recalls
2010 111 complaints, 6 recalls
2011 149 complaints, 3 recalls
2012 84 complaints, 1 recall
2013 163 complaints, 1 recall
2014 35 complaints, 1 recall
2015 19 complaints, 0 recalls
2016 156 complaints, 7 recalls
2017 52 complaints, 5 recalls
2018 this page

Compare all model years of the Lincoln MKX

Other Lincoln models from 2018

2018 Lincoln MKZ 37 complaints, 2 recalls
2018 Lincoln Navigator 52 complaints, 12 recalls

All Lincoln models

Similar cars from 2018: small suvs

2018 Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class 87 complaints, 12 recalls
2018 Mitsubishi Outlander 93 complaints, 6 recalls
2018 Nissan Pathfinder 78 complaints, 3 recalls
2018 Nissan Rogue 669 complaints, 4 recalls
2018 Subaru Forester 498 complaints, 3 recalls
2018 Toyota Highlander 274 complaints, 4 recalls

All small suvs we cover

Facts and sources

NHTSA has 31 owner complaints on file for the 2018 Lincoln MKX (2 mention a crash, 0 a fire, 1 injuries, 0 deaths reported). NHTSA vehicle records
Owner complaints and recalls for every Lincoln MKX model year (chart above). NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for MKX FWD, 2.7L 6-cyl turbo, Automatic (S6), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 18 city / 25 highway / 20 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,350. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, SUV AWD: overall 5 stars, frontal 5 stars, side 5 stars, rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 15.5%. NHTSA vehicle records
8 complaints name the unknown or other component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
8 complaints name the brakes component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
5 complaints name the electrical system component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
5 complaints name the engine component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
3 complaints name the exterior lighting component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
2 complaints name the wheels component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
2 complaints name the air bags component group (1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
2 complaints name the steering component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
Recall 25V544, filed August 22, 2025: Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Hoses, Lines / Piping, And Fittings. NHTSA recall database
Recall 20V469, filed August 10, 2020: Service Brakes. NHTSA recall database
Recall 20V414, filed July 17, 2020: Seats › Front Assembly › Power Adjust. NHTSA recall database
Recall 18V612, filed September 11, 2018: Latches / Locks / Linkages › Doors › Latch. NHTSA recall database
Recall 18V548, filed August 20, 2018: Electrical System › Starter Assembly. NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for MKX FWD, 3.7L 6-cyl, Automatic (S6), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 17 city / 25 highway / 20 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,350. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for MKX AWD, 2.7L 6-cyl turbo, Automatic (S6), Regular, All-Wheel Drive: 17 city / 24 highway / 19 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,550. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for MKX AWD, 3.7L 6-cyl, Automatic (S6), Regular, All-Wheel Drive: 16 city / 23 highway / 19 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,550. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, SUV FWD: overall 5 stars, frontal 5 stars, side 5 stars, rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 15.4%. NHTSA vehicle records
EPA Test Car List, 2018 Lincoln MKX with 2.7L 6-cylinder: rated 325 hp. www.epa.gov
EPA Test Car List, 2018 Lincoln MKX with 3.7L 6-cylinder: rated 303 hp. www.epa.gov
Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, MKX 4DR SUV: length 190 in, width 76 in, height 66 in, wheelbase 112 in, curb weight 4,387 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov

Complaints submitted to NHTSA by owners; unverified reports, one complaint can name several components. Complaint counts are not normalized by sales; compare years of the same model, not different models. EPA annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not the price when the car was new. Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles. Dimensions are Canadian-market specifications and can differ slightly from US models.

2018 Lincoln MKX: problems, recalls and fuel economy