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Lincoln · Compact SUV

2018 Lincoln MKX

Gas
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD
4 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
F
Safety Signal
53 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
Recalls1 critical5
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA30
Crash ratingNHTSA overall5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA20 mpg
201820172016

The 2018 Lincoln MKX is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 4 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the MKX FWD, is EPA-rated at 20 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 30 complaints, most often about the electrical system. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
MKX FWDGasFWD2.7L 6-cyl turbo182520$3,100
MKX FWDGasFWD3.7L 6-cyl172520$3,100
MKX AWDGasAWD2.7L 6-cyl turbo172419$3,300
MKX AWDGasAWD3.7L 6-cyl162319$3,300

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 39546, 39547, 39553, 39554.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2018 Lincoln MKX is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (5)

Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

25S87
499,129 vehicles
ProblemFord 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.RiskA brake fluid leak can extend the distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers will inspect and replace the brake jounce hoses and adjust brake jounce hoses with no damage present, free of charge. Interim owner letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed September 8, 2025. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated August 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S87.
NHTSA campaign 25V544000reported Aug 22, 2025Ford Motor Company
▲high

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

20S42
488,594 vehicles
ProblemFord Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Ford Edge and 2016-2018 Lincoln MKX vehicles. The front brake hoses may rupture prematurely.RiskA ruptured front brake hose will cause a brake fluid leak, lengthening the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.FixFord 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.
NHTSA campaign 20V469000reported Aug 10, 2020Ford Motor Company
▲high

Electrical System

20S37
19,299 vehicles
ProblemFord 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.RiskAn 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.FixFord 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.
NHTSA campaign 20V414000reported Jul 17, 2020Ford Motor Company
▲high

Latches/Locks/Linkages

18C06
503 vehicles
ProblemFord 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.RiskIf the doors open in the event of a crash, there is an increased risk of injury.FixFord 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.
NHTSA campaign 18V612000reported Sep 11, 2018Ford Motor Company
!critical

Electrical System

18S25
87 vehicles
ProblemFord 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.RiskAn electrical arc can increase the risk of a fire.FixFord 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.
NHTSA campaign 18V548000reported Aug 20, 2018Ford Motor Company

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
30complaints filed

2 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 1 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2018: 3 · 2019: 2 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 4 · 2022: 1 · 2023: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2025: 8 · 2026: 6

Most-cited components

Unspecified8
Electrical System4
Service Brakes4
Service Brakes, Hydraulic4
Engine3
Exterior Lighting2

What owners describe

“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.”Aug 20, 2026 · Service Brakes · NHTSA owner report
“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. The manufacturer was…”Jun 1, 2026 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · NHTSA owner report
“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…”Apr 14, 2026 · Engine · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆16%
SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆15%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Other MKX model years

F

2017 Lincoln MKX

5 recalls · 52 complaints

F

2016 Lincoln MKX

7 recalls · 154 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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