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Lincoln · NHTSA safety record

2018 Lincoln MKZ

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 35 safety complaints about the 2018 Lincoln MKZ with the US government. Of those, 1 describes a crash, 1 person was injured and no death is recorded. 2 recall campaigns are open against it, covering the hydraulic brakes and the steering.

The most complained-about system is the engine, named in 12 complaints, 34% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 33,000 miles, the median across the 10 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers May 2019 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

35 complaints on file

35

Complaints

1

Describe a crash

0

Mention fire

1

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
ENGINE 12 · 34%
POWER TRAIN 9 · 26%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 5 · 14%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 3 · 9%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 2 · 6%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 2 · 6%
LANE DEPARTURE 2 · 6%
AIR BAGS 1 · 3%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 · 3%
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 1 · 3%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 · 3%
SERVICE BRAKES 1 · 3%
0 8 15

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 35.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2026 at 10.

12 9 6 3
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2019 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2018 Lincoln MKZ, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test 4 DR AWD 4 DR FWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover 10.9% 10.9%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed. A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

2 on file

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

23V162000 · March 10, 2023

The defect
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. The front brake hoses may rupture and leak brake fluid.
The risk
A brake fluid leak will increase brake pedal travel and extend the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the front brake hoses, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 27, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S12.

Ford Motor Company · up to 1,280,726 vehicles across all model years covered

STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR

18V167000 · March 12, 2018

The defect
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Lincoln MKZ and Ford Fusion vehicles. The steering wheel retaining bolt may loosen allowing the steering wheel to detach while driving.
The risk
A steering wheel detachment can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel bolt with a longer bolt, free of charge. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S08.

Ford Motor Company · up to 1,301,986 vehicles across all model years covered

Defect investigations

1 on file

An investigation means NHTSA has decided a pattern is worth examining. A preliminary evaluation is often closed with no action; an engineering analysis is the stage that usually precedes a recall.

Front Brake Jounce Hose Failures

RQ22004

Closed recall query · opened August 8, 2022 · closed March 24, 2023 · led to recall 23V162000

the hydraulic brakes

On August 8, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation based on 50 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) alleging front brake jounce hose ruptures on model year (MY) 2013-2018 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. A ruptured front brake hose results in a brake fluid leak. As a result, the driver may experience an increase in pedal travel and a reduction in the rate of deceleration, increasing the risk of a crash. It should be noted that the subject vehicles identified fell outside the scope of NHTSA Safety Recall 20V-469, which addressed front brake hoses rupturing on certain MY 2015-2018 Ford Edge and 2016-2018 Lincoln MKX vehicles. The result causes a brake fluid leak, lengthening the distance needing to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.On March 10, 2023, Ford Motor Company (Ford) submitted to NHTSA Safety Recall 23V-162 (Ford Recall 23S12) to address front brake jounce hoses that may rupture. Ford found the rupture occurs from a localized failure of the internal reinforcement braid due to cyclic fatigue through tensile/bending and torsional inputs during suspension and steering articulations. The supplier for the front brake jounce hoses is Hitachi. This recall affects the subject vehicles equipped with non-hybrid engines and the suspect front brake jounce hoses (a total of 1,280,726 vehicles). The recall covers subject vehicles built from February 3, 2012 to July 19, 2017 when the suspect hoses were used in vehicle production. The remedy is for dealerships to replace both front brake jounce hoses with new hoses that have a revised braid material at no cost. The vehicles equipped with hybrid engines are excluded from the recall because the internal hose pressure is much lower due to the regenerative braking provided by the hybrid brake system. No failures of brake hoses on hybrid vehicles have been reported to ODI or Ford.Ford's actions address ODIs concerns at this time. Hybrid vehicles will be monitored for related failures. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by new circumstances.The 103 ODI numbers cited above can be viewed at NHTSA.gov under the following ID numbers:11511014, 11510867, 11510318, 11509030, 11505993, 11504989, 11504400, 11502147, 11502082, 11501820, 11501283, 11498439, 11498296, 11496842, 11496335, 11494931, 11494851, 11494252, 11493001, 11492084, 11492070, 11491444, 11491274, 11488858, 11488027, 11487627, 11487416, 11487233, 11486150, 11484924, 11484526, 11484080, 11483948, 11483926, 11483739, 11483723, 11482773, 11482690, 11481077, 11480788, 11480294, 11480052, 11479338, 11479334, 11479252, 11479247, 11479187, 11479094, 11479048, 11478985, 11478953, 11478729, 11478216, 11476892, 11476282, 11470558, 11468994, 11467109, 11466294, 11462746, 11461217, 11456065, 11455367, 11444848, 11436419, 11436376, 11430685, 11428329, 11425083, 11421026, 11420738, 11420735, 11420298, 11418197, 11403926, 11397549, 11366991, 11366757, 11361016, 11359968, 11354569, 11352165, 11350344, 11348799, 11343929, 11343205, 11331947, 11329020, 11319596, 11310529, 11292271, 11288455, 11254787, 11253479, 11253244, 11234622, 11230669, 11230050, 11228240, 11221111, 11143630, 11129392 and 11120228.

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

1 injured · 1,600 miles

DRIVER CAME TO PICK ME UP. DRIVER STOPPED, HE THOUGHT HE PUSHED PARK BUTTON. STARTED TO GET OUT OF CAR. GOT LEFT FOOT ON GROUND, SWUNG RIGHT FOOT OUT AND CAR STARTED ROLLING BACKWARDS. CAR DOOR KNOCKED HIM DOWN, CATCHING LEFT FOOT BETWEEN DOOR AND FRAME. CAR STARTED DRAGGING DRIVER DOWN STREET IN REVERSE. I HAD TO RUN AROUND DOOR, PUT CAR IN PARK. DRIVER DRAGGED BETWEEN 5-10 FEET(EST). DRIVER ENDED UP WITH FRACTURED LEFT ANKLE, 3 BROKEN BONES IN LEFT FOOT, ABRASIONS ON RIGHT SHOULDER AND LEFT ELBOW, HEMATOMA ON RIGHT LEG. CAR WAS ON A VILLAGE PAVED STREET, IN REVERSE INSTEAD OF PARK. IT WAS DARK , THE DRIVER THOUGHT HE PUSHED THE PARK BUTTON BUT EVIDENTLY PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE BY MISTAKE.

NHTSA complaint 11245947, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

crash · towed

I had a accident almost a year ago if not longer. I hit a deer on the freeway they couldn’t understand why my airbags didn’t deploy. They say the bar was cracked in two different spots that makes the airbag deploy. Luckily my car wasn’t total for that reason. But I always wondered why my airbags didn’t deploy ? I thought I should let you know that .

NHTSA complaint 11453923. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

towed · 65,000 miles

The contact owns a 2018 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the engine light illuminated. While the vehicle was idling, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who referred the contact to the local dealer for assistance. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

NHTSA complaint 11612211. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Head gasket and long block. I was at risk along with the public. I was driving on [XXX] when the car suddenly started to overheat and would not accelerate anymore. The problem was diagnosed today the coolant is leaking into cylinder 3. The check engine light came on and gave me p303 for a code. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint 11767035. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I recently have been losing antifreeze, The car stared to overheat, the P303 engine code came on. The car hasn't been inspected yet but my mechanic said it's a sign of a long or short block issue. I've been looking the problem up. It seems to be a problem with many of these cars, a known issue with the card from 2017-2020.

NHTSA complaint 11766289. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
While driving, the car stalled. I could not restart it. It was towed to Lincoln Dealer and determined that coolant had leaked into the cylinders and seized the engine. This is a known defect on the Ford EcoBoost Engine. Fully aware of the defect, Ford redesigned the engine in 2019 for later models. I am now faced with the huge expense of having Lincoln replace the engine. Ford needs to take responsibility and pay for this. Please help me.

NHTSA complaint 11764046. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

80,000 miles

The contact owns a 2018 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30-35 MPH, the engine overheated. The contact pulled over and became aware that the coolant reservoir was empty. The contact added coolant to the coolant reservoir. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was determined that there was coolant leaking into the cylinder, which caused engine failure. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the engine was replaced. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA complaint 11756956. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
The engine light came on. The car suddenly wouldn’t go past 35 mph . Thankfully I was on a local road. I had it towed to the dealer and was told that the engine needed to be replaced because coolant leaked into the engine. There were no warning lights except the day of . The car did not give any indication of a leak. Nor was it running hot. Everything was functioning fine.

NHTSA complaint 11748460. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
Scanned codes P0741, P1450, P1744, & P2196. Check the transmission fluid level and condition. No fluid drained from hole, added a little fluid, and retrieved a sample of the fluid. The fluid is very dark. Identifix states, if the fluid smells or has the appearance of being black due to internal clutch slippage, the transmission should be replaced or overhauled. If the transmission fluid is in good condition and found to be at the proper level, monitor the Torque Converter Clutch actual slip (TC_SLIPACT) and TCC desired slip (TC_SLIPDSD) PIDs through the scan tool as the vehicle is driven noting these reading should stay relatively closed together expecting the reading to show to be within

NHTSA complaint 11747716, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Lincoln MKZ

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2019 20 1 —
2017 139 4 —
2016 64 6 —
2015 82 10 —
2014 97 13 —
2013 109 12 —
2012 146 5 —
2011 145 5 —
2010 169 7 —

Other 2018 Lincoln models

MKC 74 Navigator 52 MKX 31 Continental 20

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Lincoln on this site — 85 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst