Buyer Research

2018 Lincoln MKZ — Should You Buy One?

Typical asking price: $13,000–$19,000. There are 3 high-severity known issues you need to know before handing over a check.

Deciding between model years? Compare the 10 Lincoln MKZ years we've written up →

Kestrel Take

Only 32 complaints on the 2018 MKZ, which is a thin record and not a reliability rating — but 13 of them are the same 2.0L EcoBoost coolant-intrusion failure that dominates the 2017, filed at 40,000 miles and even at 3,200 miles on a replacement engine. The 2017's torque converter recall does not reach this year; the steering wheel bolt and front brake hose recalls do. Buy a 2.0L car only after a cold-start misfire scan and a coolant-level check, and pay the premium for a 3.0L or a hybrid, which do not carry the coolant fault.

What we checked

Reconciled against public records, 2026-09-25

NHTSA holds 32 owner complaints for the 2018 Lincoln MKZ, and 2 recall campaigns.

A big number here usually means a lot of these were sold, not that it is a bad vehicle — popular models collect more complaints for the same rate of trouble. So the total on its own says little. What is worth reading is the shape of it. 41% of them are about one thing — the engine. That much concentration is a genuine pattern rather than background noise, and it is the first thing to check on any example you look at.

2 recall campaigns cover this model year. Recalls are repaired free, for any owner, with no time limit on most safety campaigns — but only if someone books it in. Ask the seller to show it was done, or have any dealer check the VIN; it takes them a couple of minutes and costs nothing.

Looked at and set aside: the fuel system (2) — Two complaints with nothing in common: one failed fuel pump and one car that starts hard after a fill-up. No recall, no pattern, and nothing that points at a 2018-specific part. Listen for the pump prime when the key goes to run and move on.

Counts come from the NHTSA complaint and recall database — free, public, and worth checking yourself.

Known Issues for the 2018 Lincoln MKZ

Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents. How we decide that.

2.0L EcoBoost coolant intrusion — P0302 misfire, empty reservoir, overheatingHigh — wallet impact

The same 2.0L turbo failure as the 2017: coolant works its way into cylinder 2, and owners here describe a rough cold start, a P0302 or P0316 code, a coolant reservoir found empty on the roadside, and a temperature gauge pinned to hot at 30 mph. One owner had a replacement engine fail the same way at 3,200 miles. Dealers quote a long block. Ford extended coverage on some 2.0L cars under a customer-satisfaction programme — have a Lincoln dealer run the VIN rather than trusting a seller's word. Before money changes hands: reservoir at the line, oil cap clean, and a scan for misfire history after the engine has sat cold overnight.

Repair cost (estimate): $6,000–$9,000 for a long block; $1,500–$3,000 if caught at the head — around 56% of what this car is typically worth

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (13).

Six-speed automatic leaking fluid at the axle seals, dark fluid, torque converter clutch codesMedium

Nine powertrain complaints, and the ones that are not the coolant problem refiled are the transmission: fluid leaking from a driver-side axle seal until only half a litre of the 4.5 litres is left, loud whining, and codes P0741 and P1744 pointing at the torque converter clutch. A reseal is cheap if caught early; a transmission run dry is not. Look under the car on the driver's side for a wet, red-brown film on the subframe, and ask when the fluid was last checked — this transmission has no dipstick, so most sellers will not know.

Repair cost (estimate): $200–$500 for an axle seal; $2,500–$4,500 for a rebuilt transmission if it ran low — about 28% of what this car is typically worth

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the transmission and drivetrain (9).

Steering wheel retaining bolt can loosen — wheel can come off (recall)High — wallet impact

Recall 18V167 covers 2014–2018 MKZ and Fusion: the bolt holding the steering wheel to the column can back out until the wheel detaches while driving. Dealers install a longer bolt for free. There are no steering complaints on this year, which says nothing about whether this car's recall was done — check the VIN, and with the engine off, grip the wheel and try to rock it toward and away from you; movement at the hub is a car to have looked at before you drive it.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed

Source: 2 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

Front brake hoses can rupture and leak fluid (recall)High — wallet impact

Recall 23V162 covers 2013–2018 Fusion and MKZ: the front brake hoses can crack and leak, so the pedal travels further and the car takes longer to stop. Free hose replacement, but the parts were slow to arrive and many owners waited through 2023 and 2024. Confirm it shows closed on the VIN lookup, and with the car stopped, hold firm pressure on the pedal for thirty seconds — a pedal that keeps sinking means fluid is going somewhere it should not.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed

Source: 2 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

Walk-Away Red Flags

✗Coolant reservoir below the minimum mark, or a jug of coolant in the trunk
✗Rough or shaking idle in the first minute after a cold start
✗Wet red-brown film on the driver-side subframe or axle
✗Either recall still open on the NHTSA VIN lookup

Good Signs

✓Recalls 18V167 and 23V162 both shown closed on the VIN lookup
✓Dealer invoice for a long block or head replacement under Ford's coolant programme, with the new engine's mileage noted
✓3.0L twin-turbo or hybrid drivetrain, neither of which uses the affected 2.0L block
✓A clean misfire-history scan after an overnight cold soak
✓Transmission fluid confirmed at level by a shop within the last year