2018 Lincoln MKT reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2018 Lincoln MKT has 7 complaints with NHTSA after 9 years, or 0 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most MKT years here — under the median of the other years, which is 1. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Structure, body and Rear.

2012 Lincoln MKT — Photo by Kevauto, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Structure (3 of 7), then Back-over prevention (1) and Electrical system (1).

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 MKT has 3 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2019 has 16 complaints, 0 per year. The 2018 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2017. The 2018 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2019.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2018 Lincoln MKT. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (2)

Recall structure, body 2025-12-01 · NHTSA campaign 25V827000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Lincoln MKT vehicles. The driver and front passenger B-Pillar door trim may detach while driving.

Remedy Dealers will repair the B-pillar trim, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed December 23, 2025. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in July 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SD5. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on December 2, 2025.

Recall suspension, rear 2020-02-10 · NHTSA campaign 20V072000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Lincoln MKT and Ford Flex and Taurus vehicles with the Police Interceptor or SHO Performance Pack. The rear suspension toe links may fracture due to stress on the rear suspension.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. Remedy parts are not currently available. Owners were notified about the recall on March 3, 2020. A second notice will be mailed when remedy parts become available, which is currently expected to be the end of September 2020. The recall began October 28, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 or Lincoln customer service at 1-800-521-4140. Ford's number for this recall is 20S04.

Complaints by component (7 total)

Structure

Back-over prevention

Electrical system

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Fuel and propulsion system

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"The contact owns a 2018 Lincoln MKT. The contact stated the black panel trim had detached while driving at 55 MPH on the highway. The driver ran over the plastic. The contact received the recall notification letter for…"
Structure · filed 2026-05-27
"Car started to hesitate, then when I stopped at a light it started running rough like it wanted to stall. Then the engine light started blinking. Vehicle was towed to dealership. All fuel injectors, spark plugs, and…"
Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-01-16
"The problem is with the rear camera alerts. Sometimes, when I am backing up, it does not alert me when a person is walking in back of my car or sometimes it is a moving vehicle, and I am in reverse and slowly backing…"
Unknown or other, Back-over prevention · filed 2025-10-22
"On [XXX] the drivers side keyless entry fell off our vehicle while traveling on the Ohio turnpike. The wiring harness held the trim component from falling off the vehicle, but caused it to fling and smash into the…"
Structure · filed 2024-03-06
"The contact owns a 2018 Lincoln MKT. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the exterior windshield trim on the driver's side door detached. After some time, the exterior windshield trim on the…"
Structure · filed 2023-09-15

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2018 Lincoln MKT SUV AWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	4 stars
2018 Lincoln MKT SUV FWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
MKT all-wheel drive	3.5L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	All-wheel drive	15	21	17 MPG	$3800
MKT front-wheel drive	3.7L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	16	24	19 MPG	$3400
MKT Hearse all-wheel drive	3.5L, 6-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	All-wheel drive	14	21	17 MPG	$3800
MKT Limo all-wheel drive	3.5L, 6-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	All-wheel drive	14	21	16 MPG	$4050
MKT Livery all-wheel drive	3.7L, 6-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	All-wheel drive	16	23	18 MPG	$3600

Specs and fitment

1st generation, 2012–2019

Body styles SUV

Oil 5W-30 , 5.7 qt capacity

Tire size 235/55R19, 235/60R18, 255/55R18, 255/45R20 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 16V-621 covers certain 2013-2015 Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI EcoBoost engines, and also certain Ford Taurus, Flex, and Lincoln MKS vehicles: dealers inspect the fuel pump electronic module part number and replace the fuel PEM as necessary. Recall 15V-172 covers certain 2013-2015 MKT vehicles with a limousine or hearse preparation package: dealers replace the vacuum pump relay with a new electro-mechanical relay.

Compare

Previous year 2017 Lincoln MKT Next year 2019 Lincoln MKT See every Lincoln MKT model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Lincoln MKT reliable?

What are common problems with a 2018 Lincoln MKT?

The complaints owners file most often name Structure (3 of 7), then Back-over prevention (1) and Electrical system (1).

Is the 2018 Lincoln MKT more reliable than the years next to it?

Has the 2018 Lincoln MKT been recalled?

The 2018 Lincoln MKT has 2 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2018 Lincoln MKT?

Owners have filed 7 complaints about the 2018 Lincoln MKT with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Lincoln MKT get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Lincoln MKT is 17.4 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Lincoln MKT take?

5W-30; capacity is about 5.7 quarts with filter.

What does recall 16V-621 cover on the MKT?

Certain 2013-2015 MKT vehicles with 3.5L GTDI EcoBoost engines (and certain other Ford/Lincoln models)—see the NHTSA campaign for the defect and remedy.

What tire sizes did the MKT use?

235/55R19, 235/60R18, 255/55R18, or 255/45R20 depending on trim.