P0420 on Lincoln vehicles The catalytic converter on bank 1 is not cleaning up the exhaust as well as it should
P0420 is named on 5 Lincoln model years (2016–2019): 4 manufacturer filings and 1 owner report in NHTSA’s files, across MKC, MKT.
Which Lincoln model years name P0420
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints| Model year | Filed under | Bulletins | Owner reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 Lincoln MKC | Engine | — | 1 |
| 2019 Lincoln MKT | Fuel/Propulsion System | 1 | — |
| 2018 Lincoln MKT | Fuel/Propulsion System | 1 | — |
| 2017 Lincoln MKT | Fuel/Propulsion System | 1 | — |
| 2016 Lincoln MKT | Fuel/Propulsion System | 1 | — |
A model year is listed because the code is named in its own record — a bulletin filed against it, or an owner’s complaint about it — not because every one of these vehicles sets it. Counts are documents in NHTSA’s files, not failure rates.
What Lincoln owners said
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners’ own words, scrubbed of anything identifying. Unverified reports filed with NHTSA — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
The codes pulled were P0217, P0303, P0316, P0420, and P06E9 - overheat, misfire, misfire, catalyst efficiency, and turbocharger coolant/fluid, all consistent with the coolant intrusion pattern described in TSB 22-2229
Lincoln filings that name P0420
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsBulletins and campaigns Lincoln filed with NHTSA whose summary names P0420. Quote the document number at the service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
- 20M01 Service bulletin2020-03-30 · Fuel System, Gasoline
- In the affected vehicles, it may be possible that certain driving maneuvers can result in an overheated catalytic converter, catalyst degradation, and an illuminated malfunction indicator light (MIL) with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0420 and/or P0430 stored in the powertrain control module (PCM).
What P0420 means
Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-IIThe catalytic converter on bank 1 is not cleaning up the exhaust as well as it should.
A stored code names the test that failed, never the part that caused it. The record above is what Lincoln and its owners have filed about it; the code’s page across every make has the whole file.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardIs P0420 a known problem on Lincoln vehicles?
It is a documented one: NHTSA's files hold 4 manufacturer filings and 1 owner report naming P0420 on 5 Lincoln model years (2016–2019). Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count — but a bulletin that names the code on your model year is the place to start.
Which Lincoln models does P0420 appear on most?
2019 MKC (1 document), 2019 MKT (1 document), 2018 MKT (1 document).
Does P0420 on a Lincoln mean it is recalled?
No. Recalls are filed by campaign and matched by VIN; no recall is triggered by a scan tool. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or open the model year's page here for the campaigns filed against it.